The clinician scientist innovation fellowship typically offers up to £1.2 - 1.4 million to cover salary, support staff and research expenses over five years.
The scheme aims to support clinician scientists to develop as cross-sector innovators who can accelerate the translation of research into better patient outcomes.
Summary
The Academy of Medical Sciences and LifeArc have come together to launch a clinician scientist innovation fellowship. The scheme is designed to support UK-based clinician scientists working at the interface of academia, industry and the NHS. Backed initially by £6 million from LifeArc, the scheme will focus on rare diseases in the first round (defined as affecting fewer than five in 10,000) and aims to create flexible, potentially transformative fellowships that help researchers move across sectors, drive innovation, and improve long-term patient outcomes. The fellowship would support career development, translation of research, and sector mobility, while remaining adaptable to different career stages and aspirations.
The scheme will differ from other offers by providing:
- Tailored wraparound support, mentoring and development opportunities that help fellows maximise the impact of their fellowship and future careers.
- Provide a cohort of independent researchers with the skills, networks and experience to drive innovation in areas of unmet patient need.
- Allow fellows to undertake work across sectors and/or internationally where appropriate to have the most transformational impact for their research
Who can apply?
Remit
The scheme is aimed at those working in rare diseases which is defined as a disease that affects fewer than five in 10,000 people, this does not include rare endotypes of common diseases. The research can be an extension of your current research or a new area that you are moving into. The Academy of Medical Sciences embraces the broad diversity of clinical and health research, and its Fellows represent the breadth of the field. We encourage applicants from the range of the academies remit, and your work must reflect the Academy’s mission to improve human health through research.
Applicants
Applicants should be clinician scientists
Not just medically trained researchers, with a PhD plus some postdoctoral or equivalent research experience. They should show emerging independence but not yet be too senior. Those based outside academia would be expected to be GMC registered with those based in Academia/NHS also expected to be registered but also with a licence to practise.
Applications will be accepted from those both pre- and post- Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) (Peri-CCT)
Applicants will usually be within two years of CCT, but factors like working part-time can lead to a case-by-case consideration of candidates up to four years post CCT.
Applicants who have already undertaken a five-year or substantive fellowship are not eligible to apply
Examples of substantive funding would include the Wellcome Early Career Award, MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship, CRUK Clinician Scientist Fellowship, and the UKRI Clinical Future Leader Fellowships.
Applicants should plan to include cross-sector working
Candidates would be expected to use the fellowship to work across sectors and provide a clear plan for what they would do and who they would partner with, and how this would be transformative to their research and bring treatments closer to patients.
The first round of the scheme will be aimed at those working in rare diseases
This is defined as a disease that affects fewer than five in 10,000 people, this does not include rare endotypes of common diseases. The research can be an extension of your current research or a new area that you are moving into.
Applicants are allowed to work overseas with limitations
They would be expected to only spend up to one year overseas as part of the fellowship. Requests for longer periods will be considered if fully justified. All fellowship holders are expected to return to the UK for the final year of their fellowship.
Host institutions and organisations
Higher education institutes
These should receive funding from one of the UK higher education funding bodies.
Research institutes
Research councils should have an established, long-term involvement as the major funder, as part of the national research base.
NHS bodies
These should have research capacity and sufficient infrastructure, policies, and procedures to administer grants in full compliance of the terms and conditions.
Other organisations that embody the Academy’s mission to improve human health through research
These organisations should have capacity and sufficient infrastructure, policies, and procedures to administer grants in full compliance of the terms and conditions.
Duration
- Five years
Funding amount
- £1.2-£1.4 million, which can include:
- salary costs for the Fellow for up to five years, including employers’ contributions.
- research costs to include staffing, consumables, other research expenses (including equipment) and NHS research costs of up to £500,000 over five years.
- modest budgets for collaborative travel, relocation allowances (applicant and dependents only) and contingency.
This grant won’t be awarded on a FeC basis but will pay 100% of direct costs, research staff direct costs, research expenses and other eligible costs.
Additional support
- A package of core cohort training and career development support.
- Bespoke training and support for each fellow matched to their own goals over the Fellowship.
- Mentoring support.
How to apply
Read:
You will need to apply using our online grant management system Flexigrant. If you have further questions, please contact [email protected].
Timeline
| Schedule | Date |
|---|---|
| Round 1 Opens | 28 September 2026 |
| Round 1 Closes | 23 November 2026 |
| Interviews | TBC w/c 12 April 2027 |
| Outcome release | May 2027 |
| Award start | Within 12 months of outcome release |
Selection process
Your application will be reviewed in three stages. First, experts in your research field will review your application (peer review), then it will be reviewed by an assessment panel consisting of Academy Fellows and other experts. Finally, shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview.
Supporters
LifeArc