Submission and assessment of fellowship applications
This page provides advice on how to submit your application, and on what happens during the short-listing process.
Applications for other fellowships or grants
Simultaneous applications for more than one type of MRC fellowship, or for a fellowship and an MRC grant application involving the same research project, cannot be accepted.
Applications proposing the same or significantly similar research should not be submitted to more than one research council or NIHR at any one time. Applications that are considered to be closer to the field of another research council will be referred to that council, and applicants will be informed accordingly.
Similar applications may be made to other funding organisations, such as charitable bodies, but you must mention them in your application to the MRC.
Assessment of applications
All applications for MRC fellowships are assessed by independent scientific experts in the relevant fields. They assess the quality of the proposed research environment, the potential of the applicant, and the scientific excellence of the proposal.
Applications are short-listed and candidates are invited to interview by the relevant Training and Career Development Panel. Comments from the expert referee are used to assist the panel’s decision-making. If a research proposal does not fall within the scientific expertise of the existing panel members, we co-opt new members specifically for the interview.
Interviews are most likely to take place at MRC Head Office London. The MRC makes a contribution towards the costs of interviewees' return travel by the most economic route. The MRC cannot pay for meals during journeys, nor for taxis unless our Research Career Awards group agrees this taxi travel in advance of the interview date.
Applicants will be informed as soon as a final decision has been made about their application. Successful candidates are asked to confirm whether they wish to take up the award within two weeks of an offer being made.
Feedback is provided to all applicants that are declined at the short-listing stage, in the form of a letter and copies of comments from referees at the peer-review stage.
Candidates who are unsuccessful at interview also receive copies of referees' comments, plus any additional feedback identified by the panel. The MRC’s shortlisting and interview decisions are final and not open to appeal.
Unsuccessful fellowship applicants may submit one re-application only, which will be assessed in open competition with first-time applicants. As competition will be strong, we recommend that re-applicants pursue alternative funding options as well.
Contact: Fellowships team
Telephone: 01793 867 017
Email: MRCFellows@ssc.rcuk.ac.uk