Advanced Fellowship

The application process for NIHR-MEC partnership fellowships is the same as for standard NIHR Fellowships and successful applicants will become members of the NIHR Academy in the same way as successful applicants to standard NIHR fellowships. This is in addition to any additional benefits that come from being funded by the charity partner.

We would encourage all applicants interested in applying for an NIHR Charity Partnership Fellowship to contact the NIHR Academy in the first instance to discuss their application and answer any questions. Applicants should take note of the specific eligibility criteria for Moorfields Eye Charity; as well as the standard NIHR Fellowship eligibility requirements.

Our remit

• Applications for a joint partnership fellowship application must fall within both the charity’s and NIHR’s funding remits.
• Moorfields Eye Charity is interested in funding research in eye health, vision research, ophthalmic related service improvement, education or clinical practice.
• The overall remit of the NIHR is early translational (experimental medicine), clinical and applied health research, and social care research.

About you

• Applicants will normally be hosted by either the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or its main academic partner University College London.
• If you are hosted by another eligible institution you must demonstrate a direct collaboration with and benefit to Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which will normally include spending a portion of your time at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.

Flexibility

• Applicants who are active clinicians (defined as being either a registered doctor, dentist or non-medical clinician eligible to apply for the Integrated Clinical Academic programme) or social workers, are able to request up to 40% of their time be dedicated to clinical service/​development/​practice, which will be covered by the fellowship.
• The Advanced Fellowship has been designed to be flexible to meet the needs of individual applicants, however this means that careful thought, justification and evidence is needed as to the amount of support and duration of fellowship being requested, as well as the impact the fellowship will have on the applicant’s career trajectory.

Your research

• For advanced fellowships, early translational (experimental medicine) research will be within remit, but a clear and plausible path to patient /​service user, carer or public benefit must be demonstrated.
• NIHR does not support basic research or work involving animals or their tissue.
• If your work involves biomarkers, it must test whether application of new knowledge can improve treatment or patient outcomes (with obvious direct potential benefit to patients). This might include application of known biomarkers, or other prognostic factors, to refine and test novel therapeutic strategies. Research that aims only to elucidate mechanisms underpinning disease, or identify risk factors for disease or prognosis (including search for biomarkers) is out of remit.
• The NIHR also supports high quality research into​‘medical education’ (defined broadly as education for healthcare providers) and methodological research. It is expected that the research will have the potential to have practical application and the potential impact on patients/​service users, carers and the public must be made clear.

You could:

• have recently completed (or are soon to be awarded) a PhD but haven’t yet established yourself as an independent researcher;
• be starting to establish yourself as an independent researcher;
• be already established as an independent researcher but not yet recognised as an international leader in your field;
• be looking to transition into applied health or social care research from a basic science or non-health/care research background;
• be seeking to re-establish your research career following a significant career break.

You must:

• have been or be about to be awarded a PhD, but not yet awarded a chair. Post-doctoral experience is not essential, nor does it make you ineligible for an advanced fellowship;
• state what you wish to use the Advanced Fellowship for and the impact it will have on your career if successful. If you don’t fit with one of the above areas, please contact the NIHR Academy office to discuss your proposed application.

Fellowships are between 2 and 5 years WTE in duration and may be taken up on a part-time basis between 50% and 100% WTE. Individuals are eligible to be awarded up to two Advanced Fellowships sequentially, not normally totalling more than 8 years WTE of funding.

Advanced fellowships include full salary support and research costs, allowing researchers protected time to concentrate on their research, as well as supporting the development of a bespoke training and development programme to meet their individual needs and career trajectory.

Applicants who are active clinicians (defined as being either a registered doctor, dentist or non-medical clinician eligible to apply for the Integrated Clinical Academic programme) or social workers, are able to request up to 40% of their time be dedicated to clinical service/​development/​practice, which will be covered by the fellowship.

Beyond the fellowship award, the NIHR also provides a range of leadership and mentoring programmes to complement training programmes, regular networking opportunities, bespoke workshops and events, as well as personal advice and guidance on funding opportunities.

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