Deans Prize to support career development of outstanding interdisciplinary scientists, clinicians, technologists and methodologists.
The Dean's Prize Award is a Faculty-run programme offering funding for clinical, applied health, pure science, technologists and methodology researchers who are looking to apply for significant external funding, including prestigious individual Fellowships or interdisciplinary team funding awards.
About the Dean's Prize
The goal of the awards is to provide pump-priming funds for outstanding researchers from clinical, applied health, or pure science and technology/methodology backgrounds. We encourage applications from interdisciplinary researchers, technologists and methodologists with cutting-edge research skills. The aim is to appoint researchers who are looking to apply for externally funded, prestigious fellowships (or equivalent significant funding) from UK and international/ national funding bodies such as UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), European Research Council, The Wellcome Trust (WT) or National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
This distinguished award is part of our programme focused on promoting and developing research culture across disciplines and offers pump-prime funding to promote the careers of aspiring researchers by bridging that difficult career gap between excellence as a research associate and research independence. We recognise that outstanding applicants from different fields may have varying background and the diversity of career paths that are required for clinicians, technology and methodology-focussed applicants.
Funding
We are offering salary plus up to £10,000 per annum support costs for two years. Applications for external funding will be expected by the end of the first year, or early in the second year.
Fellows will be expected to secure substantial funding for their research and complete research outputs of international excellence.
Eligibility
The award is available for clinical, applied health, pure science, technologist and methodologist applicants as a stepping stone to intermediate or senior level fellowship. All applicants should already hold a PhD.
While flexible, in broad terms, we anticipate clinical, applied health, pure science, technologist and methodologist applicants will typically have 3-7 years of post-PhD experience.
Hospital-based medical/clinical applicants
Hospital-based medical applicants will be about to complete or have just completed clinical specialist training or equivalent. However, we do understand that not everyone's circumstances/research career pathways are the same. You may have taken time off for maternity/paternity leave, or changed research direction for example.
We want you to apply at the best point in your career, when you are on an upward trajectory in terms of research outputs, when time and resources to focus on your research will enable you to develop externally funded applications.
For the hospital-based clinical/medical applicants, The University of Manchester will support basic salary up to 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) with the remaining 0.5 FTE salary reflecting clinical duties by the most appropriate NHS partner of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC).
This clinical component of the salary needs to be agreed in principle by the relevant NHS Trust/MAHSC Partner prior to submission.
It is likely that successful candidates will have clear intellectual links to current Faculty members in order to benefit from appropriate mentorship, advice and support.
The award is open to internal candidates and those applying from outside the University.
If awarded, we expect your Dean's Prize to commence before 1 January 2025. However, if your proposal falls slightly outside of this, we would potentially consider this on an individual basis, if discussed prior to the submission date.
We are delighted that a total of twelve applicants have been awarded a Dean's Prize fellowship over the past two years. Example summaries of their research (PDF) are available to read.
How to apply
Please read the below guidance and apply by downloading and completing the application form.
Please submit the form by email to FBMHfellowshipacademy@manchester.ac.uk by 3pm on Friday, 24 May 2024.
Dean's Prize Clinics
If you have any questions regarding the Dean's Prize, we will also be running Dean's Prize Clinics in April and May 2024. Please sign up to one of the sessions via the Eventbrite links below:
- Tuesday 23 April: 11.00am – 2.00pm
- Monday 29 April: 1.00pm – 4.00pm
- Friday 10 May: 10.00am – 1.00pm
Dean's Prize launch event
A launch event will also take place via Zoom on Monday 15 April 2024, 12.30pm-1.30pm, where you will have the opportunity to hear about the scheme, see short presentations from successful Dean's Prize Fellows and ask any initial questions you may have.
Details of the Zoom link will be shared before the event to individuals who have registered.
Contact us
If you have any enquiries, please contact Kerrie Webb, Project Support Officer.