Deadline: 14-Jan-2026
The UK Research and Innovation is inviting applications for its Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Fellowship Programme to advance their research expertise while maintaining clinical engagement, fostering a new generation of clinician-scientists dedicated to improving human health through medical research.
Eligible research areas include infections and immunity, molecular and cellular medicine, population and systems medicine, neurosciences and mental health, translation, global health research (which must align with MRC’s core scientific remit spanning biomedical discovery research to early translational research), methodology, and public health.
The fellowship covers 100% of justified costs, including salary, tuition fees at the standard home student rate, and up to £25,000 annually for consumables, equipment, and travel.
Additional funding may be requested for training at an overseas or second centre, animal purchase and maintenance costs, healthy volunteer studies, or costs related to human imaging or experimental interventions not covered by local clinical research networks.
The duration of the fellowship is typically three years, with the possibility of up to four years for patient-oriented projects that require additional time for sample collection or follow-up assessments. Awards may be held full-time or part-time, depending on clinical responsibilities and personal commitments.
This fellowship is designed to support clinically active healthcare professionals in developing their research careers through higher research degrees such as a PhD or MD. Applicants must be registered healthcare professionals—such as doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, pharmacists, clinical psychologists, veterinarians, or general practitioners—and be at an appropriate stage in their clinical training to undertake a PhD.
They must also demonstrate ownership of their proposed project, ambition to pursue a clinical academic career, and a clear plan to complete their specialty training. The fellowship requires support from an eligible UK-based research organisation, such as a higher education provider, research institute, NHS body, public sector research establishment, independent research organisation, or Catapult centre.
Applications are open to candidates of all nationalities, provided the fellowship is hosted by a UK-based research organisation and the applicant holds, or will hold by the award start date, the necessary professional registration. Individuals who have applied for this fellowship within the last year, applied twice before, or have a pending UKRI fellowship application under assessment are not eligible to apply.
The assessment process includes an eligibility check, expert review, shortlisting, and interview. Applications will be evaluated based on the vision for the fellowship, the approach (including reproducibility, statistical design, and data management), career development, the applicant’s capability to deliver the fellowship, the level of institutional support, ethical considerations, and the appropriateness of requested resources.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews, expected to take place on 1 to 2 July 2026, with final decisions announced shortly thereafter. Successful fellows are expected to start their awards between August 2026 and January 2027.
The deadline for applications is 14 January 2026.
For more information, visit UKRI.