Career Transition Fellowship Scheme: Academia

These awards are designed to increase the competitiveness of candidates in securing the next stage of their academic career, for example a post-doctoral position. Due to limitation of funds awards will be made on a competitive basis.

Objectives

The Career Transition Fellowship for Academia gives students the opportunity to:

1. Undertake research to complete one or more first author publications;

AND / OR

2. Learn a new technique, becoming skilled on novel equipment or developing a new avenue of research.

Eligibility criteria

• Only students in their final year of PhD funding (year 4) are eligible to apply.
• Students must have submitted their theses before starting the award

Application process

Applicants must submit the following by the relevant deadline for each MRC DTP student cohort (with the exception of students who have taken a break in their studies who can apply at a later date):

• a completed application form;
• applicant’s CV (no more than two sides of A4);
• a letter of support from the academic supervisor;
• a letter of support from the fellowship supervisor (if different from the academic supervisor);

The deadline for application is Friday May 2^nd 2025. Applications should be sent by email to mrcdtp@warwick.ac.uk

Student status

Fellows will remain as University of Warwick students up until the point that all thesis corrections have been submitted and the award of PhD conferred. At this point the fellow will be given a visiting academic status until the end of the fellowship period. The stipend level will remain the same regardless of student or visiting academic status. Fellowships are available only on a full-time basis and fellows should not have any other employment during the award period.

Fellowship funding

Fellowships will be awarded at current UKRI student stipend rates for up to a total of six months. Consumables (RTSG) up to £500 / month can be requested but this needs to be fully justified. If the research opportunity is at an organisation other than the University of Warwick, it is expected that the host research organisation will cover the cost of the consumables and other training needs. However, the cost of travel to and from the research organisation or accommodation can be claimed so long as these are via the most economical routes and means and that accommodation will be in the form of a rented room within a shared house or apartment. In exceptional circumstances, for example for fellows with dependants, sole occupancy apartments will be considered. The fellow can also claim the costs for travelling to job interviews if this isn’t already covered by the organisation you are applying to.

Conditions of a fellowship award

Fellows are expected to:

• Conduct experiments and to write and submit research publications.
• Explore grant funding opportunities and develop fellowship proposals.
• Develop their CV, prepare job applications and seek employment.
• Continue to contribute to DTP cohort activities, if remaining at Warwick.

Assessment

Applications will be considered by a panel consisting of the DTP Leadership Team and three members of the DTP Steering Committee. Assessment of the application will be based on:

• Alignment to the remit and strategic priorities of the Medical Research Council
• Potential outputs from the fellowship (e.g. papers, presentations, patents & spinouts)
• Alignment with the applicant’s career intentions and ambitions;
• Potential to enable the applicant to secure next employment;
• The applicant’s prior commitment to and engagement with MRC DTP events and activities including recruitment, offer holder and induction days, annual student conferences, chalk talks, visiting speaker seminars and skills workshops.

Questions concerning this scheme should be directed to mrcdtp@warwick.ac.uk.

Please click here for the application form associated with this CTF.

Career Transition Fellowship Scheme: Industry

These awards are designed to increase the competitiveness of DTP students who wish to transition to careers in industry. Due to limitation of funds awards will be made on a competitive basis.

Objectives

By giving PhD students, and recent PhD graduates, the opportunity to work with industry partners the industry fellowships aims to:

• Encourage and facilitate knowledge exchange via academic and industry;
• Facilitate potential career transitions from academia to industry;
• Promote translation of the fellow’s research and that of their teams for the economic, societal or cultural benefit of external stakeholders;
• Enable the establishment of networks of collaborators who would participate in and benefit from future research projects;
• Promote transfer of innovations, expertise and research capabilities to non-academic collaborators in alignment with the UK’s industrial strategy;
• Identify commercialisation opportunities for Warwick-derived research.

Eligibility criteria

• Only students in their final year of PhD funding (year 4) are eligible to apply.
• Students must have submitted their theses before starting the award

Application process

Applicants must submit the following:

• A completed application form;
• Applicant’s CV (no more than two sides of A4);
• A letter of support from the academic supervisor;
• A letter of support from the industry supervisor stating that they agree to host, train and supervise you at the industry partner and cover the research costs of the placement.

The deadline for application is Friday May 2^nd 2025. Applications should be sent by email to mrcdtp@warwick.ac.uk

Student status

Fellows will remain as University of Warwick students up until the point that all thesis corrections have been submitted and the award of PhD conferred. At this point the fellow will be given a visiting academic status until the end of the fellowship period. The stipend level will remain the same regardless of student or visiting academic status. Fellowships are available only on a full-time basis and fellows should not have any other employment during the award period.

Fellowship funding

Fellowships will be awarded at the UKRI student stipend rate for up to six months. The costs of travel, accommodation to and from the industry partner and other exceptional costs (such as visas) can be claimed. It is expected that travel costs will be via the most economical routes and means and that accommodation will be in the form of a rented room within a shared house or apartment. In exceptional circumstances, for example for fellows with dependants, sole occupancy apartments will be considered. The fellow can also claim the costs for travelling to job interviews if this isn’t already covered by the organisation you are applying to. Fellows are encouraged to attend the Innovation to Impact (Warwick i2i) development training programme which provides training in entrepreneurship, commercialisation and technology transfer.

Conditions of a fellowship award

• The PhD thesis must be submitted prior to the end of the funding period (normally 30th September of the fourth year) and before taking up the award;

• A contract between the University of Warwick and the industry partner is in place prior to the start of the fellowship.

• A one-page progress report is submitted to the DTP at the end of the fellowship

Assessment

Applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of two members of the DTP leadership team and two independent academics. Assessment of the application will be based on:

• Academic ability and outputs from PhD /research (e.g., papers, patents, presentations);
• The strength of the research and training opportunity including potential outputs;
• Alignment with the applicant’s career intentions and ambitions;
• Potential to enable the applicant to secure next employment;
• Potential to enhance engagement between UoW and industry;
• Alignment to the remit and strategic priorities of the Medical Research Council;

• The applicant’s commitment to and engagement with MRC DTP events and activities including recruitment, offer holder and induction days, annual student conferences, chalk talks, visiting speaker seminars and skills workshops.

Please click here for the application form associated with this CTF.

Career Transition Fellowship Scheme: Allied Careers

These awards are designed to enhance the competitiveness of DTP students who wish to transition to allied careers in science, medicine or health outside of the academia or industry. Due to limitation of funds awards will be made on a competitive basis.

Eligibility criteria

• Only students in their final year of PhD funding (year 4) are eligible to apply.
• Students must have submitted their theses in order to take up the award.

Acceptable placements or internships in the following areas include:

• Technology Transfer e.g. Warwick ventures
• Patent Law

• NHS clinical careers e.g. pathology

• Scientific Publishing
• Science Policy e.g. Office of Science and Technology
• Science Funding Agencies e.g. MRC, UKRI or Wellcome Trust

• Health policy e.g. World Health Organisation
• Other allied careers in science, medicine or health

Application process

Applicants must submit the following by the relevant deadline for each MRC DTP student cohort (with the exception of students who have taken a break in their studies and can therefore apply at a later date):

• A completed application form:
• Applicant’s CV (no more than two sides of A4);
• A letter of support from the academic supervisor;
• A letter of support from the placement provider stating that they agree to host, train and supervise you at the placement setting.

The deadline for application is Friday May 2^nd 2025. Applications should be sent by email to mrcdtp@warwick.ac.uk

Student status

Fellows will remain as University of Warwick students up until the point that all thesis corrections have been submitted and the award of PhD conferred. At this point the fellow will be given a visiting academic status until the end of the fellowship period. The stipend level will remain the same regardless of student or visiting academic status. Fellowships are available only on a full-time basis and fellows should not have any other employment during the award period.

Fellowship funding

Fellowships will be awarded at the UKRI student stipend rate for up to six months. The costs of travel, accommodation to and from the training partner and other exceptional costs (such as visas) can be claimed. The fellow can also claim the costs for travelling to job interviews if this isn’t already covered by the organisation you are applying to. It is expected that travel costs will be via the most economical routes and means, and that accommodation will be in the form of a rented room within a shared house or apartment. In exceptional circumstances, for example for fellows with dependants, sole occupancy apartments will be considered.

Conditions of a fellowship award

• The PhD thesis must be submitted prior to the end of the funding period (normally 30th September of the fourth year) and before taking up the award;

• A one-page progress report is submitted to the DTP at the end of the fellowship

Assessment

Applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of two members of the DTP leadership team and two independent academics. Assessment of the application will be based on:

• Academic ability and outputs from PhD /research (e.g., papers, patents, presentations);
• The strength of the training opportunity;
• Alignment with the applicant’s career intentions and ambitions;
• Potential to enable the applicant to secure next employment;
• Alignment to the remit and strategic priorities of the Medical Research Council;

• The applicant’s commitment to and engagement with MRC DTP events and activities including recruitment, offer holder and induction days, annual student conferences, chalk talks, visiting speaker seminars and skills workshops.

Please click here for the application form associated with this CTF.