Professional doctorate: clinical research training fellowship
Professional doctorate: clinical research training fellowship supports healthcare professionals’ doctoral research to improve human health and develop clinical academic careers.
This grant was recently updated
Applications are now open, running from 21 October 2026 at 9am to 13 January 2027 at 4pm UK time, replacing the 10 June–2 September 2026 round. Eligibility wording now specifies UK statutory registration; international-applicant guidance adds home-rate-only tuition fees, and other details also changed.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: January 13, 2027, 4:00pm UK time (Closing date)
Funding Amounts: Salary, tuition fees or supervisor time, and up to £25,000 annually in project costs; usually three years
Summary: Supports healthcare professionals undertaking doctoral research within MRC’s remit to improve human health and develop clinical academic careers.
Key Information: Applicants need UK professional registration and an eligible UK host, with plans for UK clinical activity during or after the award.
Description
The Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, provides protected research, training and development time for clinically active healthcare professionals undertaking a PhD, MD or similar higher research degree. Applicants must demonstrate ownership of their project and ambition to pursue a clinical academic career. Clinical work is expected to inform and strengthen the research.
The fellowship supports basic disease-mechanism studies through translational and developmental clinical research. Areas include infections and immunity, molecular and cellular medicine, population and systems medicine, neurosciences and mental health, translation, global health, methodology and public health. Global health and underpinning methodology must align with MRC’s biomedical discovery-to-early-translational remit. Research placements overseas, at another UK organisation or in industry are supported.
