The Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance
Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh
Early Career Fellowships for Researchers in India
Purpose
This scheme provides a unique opportunity for the most promising postdoctoral researchers to carry out research in India.
Applicants are expected to identify an important biomedical research question and design a project that would help answer this question. The proposal would also suggest how the proposed work would help develop the applicant's future independent research program.
Submitted proposals are expected to be globally competitive. Applicants may wish to set up long term training or collaborative visits (work outside Host Institution) for up to 24 months. These visits may be to other leading laboratories, anywhere in the world.
What's included
The fellowship is for four years, full time and provides:
- Personal support for the fellow. For details see costing policies.
- Research expenses (materials and consumables; animals; support to attend scientific meetings; and small items of equipment, e.g. laptop)
- Additional allowances (travel and overseas subsistence)for work outside the Host Institution; these are scientifically justified visits of up to 24 months.
Support funds for research staff or large equipments are not typically provided. It is expected that applicants will choose appropriate laboratories/ environments where majority of the necessary equipment and facilities are already available.
Eligibility
You must be in the final year of your PhD studies or have no more than four years of postdoctoral research experience from the date of your PhD viva to the full application submission deadline. Time spent outside the research environment (i.e., career breaks) will be considered but has to be clearly mentioned in the application.
You do not have to be an Indian national or of Indian origin. You need not have undertaken your PhD in India.
You must have shown significant promise in your scientific career to date, which includes, but is not limited to; strong academic record, visits to conferences and workshops, and importantly, the vision to develop as an independent researcher.
It is mandatory that applicants carry out their Fellowship project in a laboratory that is not their Thesis laboratory. If you have compelling reasons to continue in or return to your thesis laboratory, please contact the Office.
Fellowships may not be taken up prior to the completion of a successful PhD viva. The Fellowship must be started within one year of being awarded.
The final year or a majority of the final year of the Fellowship must be spent in host institution in India.
You may apply even if you already hold another Fellowship. However, please note that if awarded, you will be required to make a choice between your current Fellowship and the India Alliance Fellowship. The India Alliance does not permit Fellows to overlap their India Alliance Fellowship with any other national or international Fellowship.
Sponsorship and supervision
You must have an eligible sponsoring institution (Host Institution) in India that will administer the Fellowship for the full duration of the award. The following roles are identified on the application:
Fellowship supervisor: in whose laboratory you intend to carry out the Fellowship project. This individual must have a contract of employment at the sponsoring host institution in India and have tenure beyond the duration of the proposed Fellowship. They should guarantee you access to laboratory space and resources required for the project; as well as provide relevant scientific guidance for the tenure of the Fellowship. This is mandatory for the preliminary and the full application.
Sponsor: Established senior researcher at the host institution; normally the head of department or director of the sponsoring host institution. They should:
- Support the application by agreeing that
- if an award is made, you will be granted the status and prerogatives of other academic staff of similar stature
- You will not have to spend more than two hours per week on activities unrelated to the fellowship (e.g. teaching duties);
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- hold a contract of employment that extends beyond the grant;
- Sign up to the Award Conditions & Policies.
Please note that the Sponsor is required only for the Full application. In some cases, the Sponsor and Fellowship supervisor may be the same individual.
External Sponsor(s): The individual in whose laboratory you wish to utilize your “Work outside the host institution” provision. They should be able to guarantee that the applicant will have access to the facilities required and provide the required scientific support. A letter of support from this role is mandatory at the full application stage.
Mentor: This role has been specifically created for the applicant to provide a letter of recommendation in addition to the letter provided by the Fellowship Supervisor; therefore, the Mentor cannot be your Fellowship supervisor. They would typically be an established researcher who has known you for a significant period of time and can provide a detailed letter of recommendation on your abilities. They may be your thesis guide or current supervisor. In some cases, the External Sponsor and Mentor may be the same individual. A letter of recommendation from this role is mandatory for the preliminary and the full application.
Collaborator(s): Scientific/medical/academic colleagues associated with a research proposal and named in the body of the application. Typically these are individuals who will supply reagents, assist in specific protocols, provide resource services etc. They should be able to provide signed consent letters detailing the extent of their participation towards your research program, at the full application stage.
Resubmission Policy
Regardless of your previous applications to the India Alliance, all applicants have to make a preliminary application to every competition.
Based on your eligibility, competitiveness and remit, the Office will invite short-listed candidates to make a full application. To learn more about our processes, visit Process.
If you are not short-listed to submit a full application, you are not restricted from re-applying to the same scheme, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria for the scheme.
If you are invited to make a full application, but wish to withdraw, you will have to submit a fresh preliminary application to the next round of the competition. The Office will not automatically defer an invitation to submit a Full application. Future invitations are also not guaranteed.
If you submit a Full application and were not short-listed for an interview, or recommended for an award, you may not re-apply to the same scheme without an invitation from the Office. Invitations to resubmit are only at the discretion of the Selection Committee and the Office will let you know if the Selection Committee has recommended that you re-submit. Please note that resubmissions are only in exceptional cases and are rare.
Application process
To complete a preliminary application use our online system. Please ensure that the form is submitted by the published deadline.
The India Alliance is currently transitioning to a new online system (IASys). The Early Career Fellowship Preliminary application is now available. Click here to avail the form by registering with IASys.
Your preliminary application will normally be assessed within one month of the submission deadline. If successful, you will be invited to submit a full application.
Your full application will be peer reviewed and considered by the appropriate Selection Committee and, if successful, you will be short-listed for interview.
Short-listed candidates will be notified two weeks before the interview date.
Applicants are not permitted to apply to multiple Fellowship schemes within the India Alliance in parallel. Only one application to one scheme will be entertained, at a time.
Application advice
You should give careful thought to your choice of Fellowship Supervisor and External Sponsor.These individuals will typically possess strong track records in research and mentorship.
The proposed research should fall within the India Alliance’s remit which is
“to support biomedical research that is relevant to human and animal welfare”.
The Fellowship project would typically be a confluence of number of considerations: the main research question you wish to answer; your current skill set and what you may need to successfully answer the proposed question; and, the intellectual and resource contributions that your supervisors and Host Institution environment can make. With the assistance of your Supervisors, you should drive the identification of a research question and the development of the proposal.
Reviewers typically assess:
- your track record
- the importance of the research question
- your choice of appropriate supervisors
- the feasibility of the approach
- your vision of how the fellowship will contribute to your career development
- your long term aspirations
The Fellowship encourages mobility; Applicants are advised to give serious thought to enlisting an External Sponsor.
Deadlines
This is an annual competition.
- Preliminary application deadline: 17 August 2011
- Invited full application deadline: October 2011
- Selection Committee short-listing: January 2012
- Interviews for short-listed candidates February 2012
Contacts
Queries and completed preliminary forms should be sent to info@wellcomedbt.org
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