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BRC Predoctoral Bridging Fellowships

The NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) has funds available to support Predoctoral Bridging Fellowships for internal candidates within the University of Southampton/University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Partnership.

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Scheme Outline

 

The funds will be used to support the salary of the successful applicant for up to 9 months to enable applicants to apply for an externally funded doctoral training fellowship. The expectation is that the award would make applicants competitive for an external doctoral training fellowship application (e.g. MRC, NIHR, Wellcome Trust) relevant to their research experience, which would then support the applicant beyond the funded period.

 

It is expected that the bridging fellowship period will be used to generate data to support external fellowship applications, or to support those awaiting the outcome of an external fellowship application. Emphasis may vary across themes, so potential applicants are encouraged to talk to Theme Leads before making an application. All successful awardees are expected to be active in making external fellowship applications during their award. 

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There is no provision for the cost of consumables or training in the predoctoral Fellowships. Please provide details of how these costs will be met in the relevant section of the application form (if applicable). If the applicant has a clinical background, it may be possible to combine this award with clinical commitments/training. However, applicants will need to have secured permission to be released from the appropriate UHS clinical division and considered their position beyond the end of BRC support.

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In this round, the topic of the planned research application must align with the following BRC Theme research priorities and accompanying SMART Objectives or planned future experimental theme work:​ 

 

  • Perioperative & Critical Care (PCC)


Topics involving more than one theme are encouraged. The proposed doctoral training fellowships must fit within the NIHR and BRC remit, with particular emphasis on experimental medicine which does not include animal research. Theme Research Strategy and SMART objectives can be found here.

 

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Theme Leads to discuss their projects before making an application to ensure project alignment.

 

Theme Leads:

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Application Criteria

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Candidates whose proposed doctoral research programmes align with the scientific programmes of the BRC are eligible to apply for these bridging funds.

 

Applicants must not already be registered for an MD or PhD programme.

 

To apply, please send the following to BRC-applications@uhs.nhs.uk by 12:00, 12th July 2024 for peer review.

 

  • Predoctoral Fellowship application form with all sections completed and word limits respected. Please use this version of the form. Please send the timeline/GANTT chart as a separate document if needed.

 

  • A summary CV (max two sides of A4, size 11 font). The CV should contain basic information about education, employment history and academic responsibilities, as well as a list of the most relevant publications from the last five years.

 

  • A letter of support from the proposed supervisor(s). The letter should indicate the supervisor’s level of supervisory experience, how well the supervisor knows the applicant and familiarity with the planned research project.

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Applicants will be notified of outcomes by early August.

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For further information, please contact BRC-applications@uhs.nhs.uk. 

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