Clinician Scientist Fellowship
About this scheme
Key information
Applications are considered from any area of our funding remit, with the exception of clinical trials and drug discovery.
You should:
- Have obtained a higher degree (MD/PhD) in a cancer-relevant research area
- Have obtained your CCT and hold consultant status, or a national training number (NTN or NTN(A)) and at the time of award have clear plans for obtaining your CCT
- Have the support of an appropriate research group and supervisor at a UK university or research institute1
- Be able to demonstrate that you meet the range of skills and experience as outlined in the 'developing independence’ career stage in our Fellowships Competency Framework2
You should not:
- Have held any previous substantive postdoctoral fellowships
- Have a tenured academic post at a higher education institute or research institute.
1Fellowships must be hosted in a UK university or research institute. Short periods of research experience away from the host institution may be requested and must be fully justified.
Funding support is provided for:
- Your salary at the appropriate speciality registrar or honorary consultant grade
- Salary for one research/technical support post, but the need for assistance will need to be fully justified in your application
- Associated running expenses
- Equipment costs up to £25,000
- Relocation costs up to £1,000 if you wish to take up your fellowship at a new host institution (see application guidelines for more details)
Additional support
Our fellowships offer a range of benefits beyond funding, including access to networking and training opportunities, flexible working policies and an accelerated route through the Tier 1 visa system.
How to apply to this scheme
Application process
Applications for Clinician Scientist Fellowships are considered twice a year, and the application process has three stages:
- Preliminary application: reviewed and shortlisted by the Clinical Careers Committee
- Full applications: shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full application and attend an interview. Full applications are peer-reviewed by international experts.
- Interview: shortlisted candidates will attend a 40 minute interview carried out by the Clinical Careers Committee.
Timelines
| Preliminary application deadline | Shortlisting | Full application deadline | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
|
4 December 2019 |
January 2020 |
19 February 2020 |
May 2020 |
|
16 April 2020* |
July 2020 |
2 September 2020 |
November 2020 |
*Please note that we are still accepting applications for this current funding round
Before you begin your application
You must read:
- Guidelines for preminary applications (PDF 738 KB)
- Guidelines for full applications (PDF 1.1 MB)
- Grant conditions
All applications must be made through our electronic grants management system (eGMS).
The Clinical Careers Committee will judge your proposal on:
- Scientific excellence: whether you have a strong scientific rationale to support the proposed research proposal.
- Cancer-relevance: the value of the proposed work in advancing the fundamental understanding of cancer or improving how cancer is diagnosed and/or treated.
- Your own track record and potential to produce outstanding results
- The strength of your research team and research environment
Case studies
Read advice from successful applicants.
Dr Marnix Jansen
Marnix talked to us about how he successfully applied for a CRUK Clinician Scientist Fellowship, and how it is enabling him to build a career in translational research.
Dr Michelle Lockley
Michelle told us how the support she received during her Clinician Scientist Fellowship helped her develop scientific independence and learn how to lead a lab team, and how she made the next step with an Advanced Clinician Scientist Fellowship.
Dr Ultan McDermott
Ultan talked to us about how his Clinician Scientist Fellowship has created time to develop as both a clinician and a scientist, and how he manages the competing demands of the dual role.
Dr Ferdia Gallagher
Ferdia talked to us about what CRUK funding has helped him to achieve, from his clinical PhD to his current Fellowship, and his experience as a clinician of participating in multidisciplinary collaborations in imaging research.
Dr Serena Nik-Zainal
Serena explains why she chose CRUK to further her career, and her research to decipher the mutational signatures that occur in cancer cells.
Dr Geoff Higgins
Geoff shares his advice on planning a grant application and preparing for a fellowship interview, and his experience of how clinical academic careers are changing with increasing funding opportunities.
Dr James O’Connor
James from The University of Manchester and The Christie Hospital, describes what it means to be a clinician scientist, and how important the role is for making sure new treatments and technology reach the clinic as soon as possible.
Applications are assessed by international peer review. Final funding decisions are made by the Clinical Careers Committee
Cancer Research UK contact details
If you have questions about the eligibility of your proposal for this scheme, or require any assistance with your application, please contact the relevant funding manager.
Applications from London
Dr Marjolein Schaap
Senior Research Funding Manager
Applications from Cambridge, Manchester, Scotland, the Midlands & North England
Dr Lorenzo de la Rica
Research Funding Manager
Applications from Oxford, Birmingham, Newcastle, Southampton, Northern Ireland & the South of England
Dr Victoria Walker
Research Funding Manager
More career development opportunities for researchers
We offer a range of fellowships, bursaries and other support to help outstanding scientists and clinicians develop their independent research careers.
Case study
Dr Marnix Jansen talked to us about how he successfully applied for a Clinician Scientist Fellowship, and how it is enabling him to build a career in translational research.