Wellcome Prime Scholarships – Award Criteria

Wellcome Prime scholarships aim to support the most productive and innovative Early Career Researchers at Nottingham, including those returning from career breaks (such as parenting or carer’s leave) in Schools across the University. The awards provide a framework for supporting original, internationally recognised research and for pump-priming new (interdisciplinary) collaborations via mechanisms that include the buy-out of teaching time, bridging funds to ensure research continuity, or funding research costs to facilitate collaborative new projects.

In addition to funding, scholars will receive support from a senior academic mentor with an established research track record, will receive university-based training in research leadership, and will be required to contribute towards a public engagement event each year as part of their career development. A list of mentors who have signed up to support scholars is included at the end of this document. The formation of a Wellcome Prime network, along with other Welcome funded researchers at Nottingham, will create a local collaborative network for sharing of expertise, peer support and self-mentorship.

The Wellcome Trust award and matched funding from the University provide a total of £1million over the next 5 years for Wellcome Prime scholarships. Research proposals can come from any Faculty across the University, but the researcher’s interests should align with Wellcome Trust’s remit.

Eligibility - Time in post

Applicants should be able to demonstrate research excellenceand have held a permanent academic position for not more than 10 years. Applicants should not currently hold a full professorship.

The scheme is also open to Early Career Researchers returning to work after a period of leave in excess of three months (for example, parenting or carer’s leave) who satisfy the criteria above. The period of leave should have ended within a calendar year of the application deadline (or pro-rata for those who are part-time).

Eligibility - Funding

Faculties of Science and Medicine and Health Sciences: applicants would be expected to hold, or have recently held, funding of at least £250,000 as Principal Investigator or as Co-Investigator with an equivalent funding split.

Faculties of Arts and Humanities: applicants would be expected to hold, or have recently held, funding of at least £50,000 as Principal Investigator or as Co-Investigator with an equivalent funding split.

Funding available

Early Career Researchers can apply for a maximum award of £50,000 over 2 years or £25,000 over 1 year.In both cases, these funds can be used for:

  • Buy-out of teaching and administrative commitments. Note: if funds are not to be used for teaching buy-out the maximum award available is up to £20,000 per year.
  • Provision of bridging funding for research continuity: for example via provision for funding of a PDRA (or similar) in the scholar’s lab for a short time (e.g. 3-9 months) to encourage research continuity whilst further funding is secured.
  • Funds to develop collaborative research: for example for collaborative projects and visits to world-leading laboratories and/or other research environments within the UK and abroad.

Assessment criteria

Scholarships are intended to support future research leaders in delivering the highest quality, internationally recognised research with the potential to deliver significant wider impact. The Awards should support applicants in developing and/or enhancing their international profiles and represent a good strategic fit to School and University Research Priority Areas. Each Wellcome Prime application is reviewed solely on its own merit and the potential to enable Scholars to enhance their research portfolio and support future funding. Applications should:

  • Have the potential to lead to a high-quality research output, including 4* publications for REF.
  • Clearly demonstrate the added value the funding will provide, and fully explain how the funding will contribute to delivery of a successful application for significant external funding or contribute to delivering another indicator of esteem.
  • Have a high quality project plan
  • Align with the Wellcome Trust’s research priorities ( and provide a good strategic match to those of the University, as well as the potential to deliver wider societal impact.

Eligible costs

Eligible costs: directly incurred staff costs (including teaching buy-out costs), consumables, travel, equipment, software licences, meeting costs

Ineligible costs: FEC-related costs, directly allocated (academic) costs

Projects must be spent by the specified end date. There will not be any ability to roll funding into future years.

Application process

Please complete the separate application form and submit it by Tuesday 30thMay 2017 to

Decision making process

Applications will be reviewed by the Selection Panel at a meeting to be held shortly after the application deadline. The panel includes representatives from across the University.

Further Information

For further information please contact:

Sara Sleigh, Research and Business Development Manager, School of Life Sciences()
ext30075

Mentors

Professor Mike Slade – Professor of Mental Health Recovery & Social Inclusion

Professor Heather Wharrad – Professor of e-learning & Health Informatics

Professor Fiona Bath-Hextall – Professor in Evidence Based Health Care

Dr Anna Greenwood – Associate Professor of History

Dr Naomi Sykes – Associate Professor in Zoo archaeology

Dr Christina Lee – Associate Professor in Viking Studies

Dr Heike Bartlett – Associate Professor in German Studies

Professor Peter Bartlett – Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Professor of Mental

Health Law

Professor Matthew Smallman-Raynor – Professor of Analytical Geography

Professor Alison Pilnick – Professor of Language, Medicine & Society

Professor Paul Crawford – Professor of Health Humanities

Dr Pru Hobson-West - Assistant Professor in Welfare, Ethics and Society

Professor Morgan Alexander – Professor of Biomedical Surfaces

Professor David Brook - Professor of Human Genetics

Professor Paul Williams - Professor of Molecular Microbiology

Professor Liz Sockett - Professor of Bacterial Genetics

Professor John Armour – Professor of Human Genetics

Professor Victoria Chapman – Professor of Neuropharmacology

Professor Ricard Emes - Professor of Bioinformatics

Professor Paul Greenhaff - Professor of Muscle Metabolism