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Wellcome Trust - Funding the best science

Learn about Wellcome Trust and its strategic aims, funding streams, personal support schemes, and application process for researchers. Find out about various fellowship opportunities available to support biomedical and clinical scientists at different career stages.

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Wellcome Trust - Funding the best science

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  1. Wellcome Trust - Funding the best science Dr Helen Fisher Science Programme ManagerMolecules, Genes and Cells Fellowship for Researcher Day: Sheffield University October 18 2007

  2. Overview • Background on the Trust • Science Funding personal support schemes • Application Process • Contacts

  3. Background

  4. The Wellcome Trust • an independent research-funding charity • established 1936 • funded from private endowment • managed for long-term stability and growth • interests range from science to history of medicine

  5. Wellcome Trust Mission “To foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health”

  6. Strategic Aims: Strategic Plan 2005-2010

  7. Fostering Biomedical Science • spend £2 billion between 2005 - 2010 • ensure the single biggest element of our funding supports investigator-led research and career fellowships • retain around 10% of funding each year to respond flexibly to unanticipated opportunities • continue to support the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute as a world-leading centre for genomics research

  8. What do we fund? • Biomedical and veterinary research • Technology transfer activities • History of Medicine research • Biomedical ethics research • Public engagement

  9. Funding Streams Immunology and Infectious Disease Populations and Public Health Neuroscience and Mental Health Physiological Sciences Molecules, Genes and Cells Medical Humanities

  10. Personal Support

  11. Strategic Aim 4: Developing people • To foster a research community and individual researchers who can contribute to the advancement and use of knowledge • To provide training and career support schemes to attract and retain the highest quality individuals in biomedical research • To stimulate research capacity building to address priority areas of science, or career gaps, by developing tailored training and career initiatives • To work with others on key issues related to research careers

  12. Personal Support Schemes BIOMEDICAL & CLINICAL SCIENTISTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS CLINICAL SCIENTISTS Based in the UK or Republic of Ireland Principal Research Fellowships SENIOR International Senior Research Fellowships (in India, South Africa, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary & Poland ) Senior Research Fellowships Senior Research Fellowships Senior Research Fellowships University Awards Flexible Travel Awards Research Career Re-Entry Fellowships Flexible Travel Awards INTERMEDIATE Intermediate Clinical Fellowships Intermediate Fellowships Research Career Development Fellowships EARLY CAREER Research Training Fellowships Research Training Fellowships Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships PhD Programmes for Clinicians MSc/PhD Programmes 4 Year PhD Programmes

  13. Personal Support Schemes BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS Based in the UK or Republic of Ireland Research projects can be based in the lab, the clinic or the field and may involve experimental or theoretical approaches Senior Principal Research Fellowships Senior Research Fellowships University Awards Flexible Travel Awards Research Career Re-Entry Fellowships Intermediate Research Career Development Fellowships Early career Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships 4 Year PhD Programmes

  14. Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships • for the best newly qualified post-doctoral basic science researchers • candidates are expected to identify an important biomedical research question and to develop and deliver their own personal programme to achieve their research aims. • flexible support for four years to enhance research skills, career development opportunities and promote independence • research to be undertaken in the laboratories of choice – in the UK and overseas • annual competition - deadline for the next round - 5th November 2007

  15. Flexible Travel Awards • Provide enhanced opportunities for mobility and collaboration in the UK and overseas • Enable successful scientists to obtain experience in new disciplines, interdisciplinary areas or in an emerging aspect of their own field • Awards either enable internationally competitive established post-holders to undertake a sabbatical in order to enrich their research programmes and initiate significant new collaborations. • Or, provide personal support and research expenses for up to two years for non-established post-holders researchers to obtain experience either in a new discipline or in an emerging aspect of their own field

  16. Research Career Development Fellowships • Candidates must have made intellectual contributions to research that have been published in leading journals, and be able to demonstrate their potential to carry out high quality independent research • Awards now for up to 5 years • 3-6 years’ post-doctoral research experience • Includes salary, research expenses and research assistance if justified • Preliminary application required which can be made at any time • Considered twice a year

  17. Senior Research Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Science • For outstanding individuals of exceptional ability to continue their independent programmes of research • 5-~10 years post-doctoral research experience • 5 year award funded in full (fellowship salary and research expenses) by the Trust • Renewable for five year periods with 50% fellowship salary funded by the host institution • Annual competition - preliminary applications considered early each summer

  18. Principal Research Fellowships • Candidates with an established track record of research at the highest level • Basic and clinical • Seven years’ salary and research support • Renewable for five year periods with 50% salary support from the host institution • Must have a guaranteed position at the end of the Fellowship • Often used to bring top academics (back) to the UK • Preliminary application required

  19. Research Career Re-Entry Fellowships • To enable post-doctoral scientists to return to independent research after a decision to take a career break of at least 2 years • Awards can be for up to 4 years • Possible to include re-training costs e.g. MSc • Preliminary application required

  20. University Awards • To allow universities to attract/retain strategically important research staff, technologists or analysts • Two varieties: • Three years’ project support and salary support for 5 years (50% year 4; 25% year 5) • Applicant takes up a permanent post at the end of the award Career technologists/analysts • Trust provides 75% of applicant’s salary for the first 5 years • Then the applicant takes up a post which is guaranteed for at least a further 5 years

  21. Support on project and programme grants In appropriate circumstances, researchers can request personal salary support on a Project or Programme grant application as: • A named Research Assistant • A Co-applicant • The Principal Applicant

  22. Application process for personal support schemes • Preliminary application • Submit to most appropriate Stream • Trust assess eligibility and suitability of person (and project) • Decision on whether to invite full application or not • Full application • External peer review of person, project and place • Application and referees’ reports considered by Stream Funding Committee • Decision on whether to invite candidate for interview or not • Interview • Decision on whether to make an award or not

  23. Assessment of Full ApplicationsPERSON – PROJECT – PLACE • Track record of applicant • The importance of the question • The approach to the question and feasibility • Sponsor / Supervisor • Support vs. independence • Research environment + good training

  24. “...it involves techniques with which the applicant appears to have no prior experience and for which no preliminary data are proposed.” “...the work described in this application is over-ambitious, it could not be achieved in the life time of the investigator.” “The poor writing, referencing and proof reading of this application significantly detract from its overall quality.” “I had only one problem with this application, I had no idea what they were trying to do...”

  25. A ‘Good’ Application A ‘Good’ Application • Clear hypothesis/research plan • Not over/under ambitious • Supportive preliminary data • Appropriate collaborators • Good presentation

  26. IMPORTANT • check scheme details in advance when • thinking about next steps and making plans • then check again nearer the time - things may • well have changed • talk to Trust staff if you are thinking of applyingalways have a plan B, C and D!

  27. Office Contacts • Immunology and Infectious Disease • 020 7611 8352 • iid@wellcome.ac.uk • Populations and Public Health • 020 7611 8764 • pph@wellcome.ac.uk

  28. Office Contacts cont. • Neuroscience and Mental Health • 020 7611 7337 • nmh@wellcome.ac.uk • Physiological Sciences • 020 7611 7298 • phs@wellcome.ac.uk

  29. Office Contacts cont. • Molecules, Genes and Cells • 020 7611 8420 • mgc@wellcome.ac.uk

  30. www.wellcome.ac.uk

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