Wellcome Trust - Funding the best science

1. Wellcome Trust - Funding the best science Dr Clare McVickerScience Portfolio AdviserMolecular and Physiological Sciences Fellowships for Researchers Day: Imperial College London July 2 2009

2. 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

3. Mission and strategic aims Our mission is to foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health We work to further our mission through six strategic aims: advancing knowledge using knowledge engaging society developing people facilitating research developing our organisation

4. 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

5. Personal Support Schemes

6. 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 Wellcome Trust-MIT Postdoctoral Fellowships 4 Year PhD Programmes

7. Application process for personal support schemes • Preliminary application • Assess eligibility and suitability of person (and project) in relation to the scheme • Decision on whether to invite full application or not • Full application • Detailed external peer review of person, project and place • Application and referees’ reports assessed by appropriate Wellcome Trust Funding Committee • Decision on whether to invite candidate for interview or not • Interview • Decision on whether to make an award or not

8. Wellcome Trust Funding Structure Immunology and Infectious Disease Pathogens, Immunology & Population Health Populations and Public Health Neuroscience and Mental Health Neurosciences & Mental Health Clinical Basic International Physiological Sciences Molecular and Physiological Sciences Molecules, Genes and Cells

9. Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships • for the best newly qualified post-doctoral basic science researchers • final year of your PhD studies or have no more than one year of postdoctoral research experience • 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 • training to be undertaken in the laboratories of choice – in the UK and overseas • annual competition – preliminary application deadline for 2009/10 is November ? 2009

10. General advice-applications will be assessed on: • the candidate's track record • the importance of the research question • the feasibility of the approach • the candidate's choice of appropriate research sponsors • the candidate's vision of how the Fellowship will contribute to their career development • the candidate's longer term aspirations.

11. Wellcome Trust-MIT Postdoctoral Fellowships • to enable postdoctoral researchers to undertake research at the interfaces between biology/medicine and mathematics, engineering, computer, physical or chemical sciences • 4 years, 2-3 at MIT and 1-2 at UK institution • about to submit your doctoral thesis or have up to 3 years’ postdoctoral experience • background in any appropriate field of study (biology, medicine, chemistry or physics), but you must propose to address an important biomedical research question • candidates are expected to identify a research question and drive the development of the proposal • annual competition - deadline is 14th July 2009

12. 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 for up to 5 years • 3-6 years’ post-doctoral research experience • Includes salary, research expenses and research assistance if justified • Considered twice a year, the next preliminary application deadline is 21 September 2009

13. 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 - the preliminary application deadline has just gone- 5th June 2009

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. University Awards • To allow universities to attract/retain strategically important research staff, technologists or analysts • Preliminary applications are required • 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

18. 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

19. www.wellcome.ac.uk