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Nuffield Medical Fellowships: How to apply

Person sat at a computer

Click here to access the application portal

Click on the link to first create an account with submit.com. You will then proceed to the Stage 1 Application page where you can click Apply to start a new application, or continue a saved application. 

Your answers ware automatically saved upon changing question. 

There is a two stage application process for the Nuffield Medical Fellowships, with shortlisting at each stage followed by in-person interviews.  

  1. The Stage 1 application portal opens in July 2026 and closes on Monday 19th October 2026 at 12noon BST.  

  2. After the Stage 1 application deadline, all applications will undergo initial eligibility checks by the Fellowship scheme managers.  

  3. All eligible applications will then go through to an internal review panel comprising a subgroup of the Nuffield Medical Trustees and senior academics from the Medical Sciences Division. The panel will shortlist applications against the assessment criteria 

  4. When a shortlist has been agreed by the panel, applicants will be matched with a host department by the panel and scheme managers in negotiation with the departments. The shortlisted applications will be shared with the relevant Heads of Department or their delegates for review, and departments will approve in principle their support for hosting the Fellow.  

  5. Invitations will be sent to shortlisted candidates to submit a stage 2 application. The Stage 2 application portal is expected to open in January 2027 and close in April 2027. Applicants who have not been shortlisted will be notified in January 2027. 

  6. Stage 2 applicants will be formally connected with their prospective host departments while they prepare their stage 2 application. The applicant and host department will have initial discussions about their Fellowship programme, and colleagues in the department will work with the Fellow to create their research costing. 

  7. All Stage 2 applications will be reviewed by the internal review panel and representatives of the host departments, and other specialist reviewers as appropriate. The reviewers will assess Stage 2 applications against the assessment criteria 

  8. The panel will shortlist the applicants, and shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in-person interview in Oxford. Applicants who have not been shortlisted will be notified.  

  9. Interviews will be held in Oxford, expected to be held in July 2027. Interviewees must book their own travel and accommodation for the interviews; reasonable costs of attending the interview will be reimbursed. 

  10. The top candidates will receive a verbal offer of a Fellowship after the last interview. The University will contact their named referees for references at this point. 

  11. A full job description and contract of employment will be prepared for the candidate. Once the job description is finalised, the host department will work with the University's Staff Immigration team to initiate the visa application process (if required). 

Please do not contact departments directly during this stage.  

At Stage 1 the application portal collects the following information:  

  • Personal data – name, contact email address, phone number, ORCID, current title, current employing institution, current country of residence, nationality, gender  

  • Details of higher research degree (date conferred, awarding institution) (e.g. PhD, DPhil, DM/MD, MDRes, DSc(Med)). 

  • Your research journey - Summarise your current and previous research, highlighting key outcomes and impacts. Explain how you have independently developed your current research ideas and pursued new directions. 

  • Evidence of contributions to research - describe the contributions that you have made to your research area, including, for example, your main publications, patents, impacts on health practice or policy. 

  • Your key publications as a Senior (last) and/or First author (most recent first). Provide the authorship list, title, journal, date of publication, and DOI. Include only papers that are published or in press, not pre-prints.   

  • Research funding - describe your track record of securing and managing competitively-awarded research funding. 

  • Leadership experience - describe your experience of line management and/or supervising graduate students and how you have supported professional development.    

  • Brief research proposal - summarise the medical research project that you wish to pursue during the Fellowship, covering objectives, methods, and expected impact after 5 years. The proposal should be accessible to a non-specialist audience. The scope of your proposal should be informed by what is likely to be fundable within the £500,000 per year of direct costs that are funded through the Fellowship. See the Fellowship Funding page for more information.

  • Commonwealth partnership - describe your current or planned partnership with a university or research organisation in a Commonwealth country outside the UK, and explain the role it will play in delivering your research vision. 

  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - describe your approach to embedding EDI principles in your work, e.g. mentoring, collaboration, open research practices, staff and student wellbeing. 

  • Extenuating circumstances (optional) - outline any career interruptions you wish the panel to consider, such as career breaks, parental leave or caring responsibilities. 

  • Research keywords (5–10 words) describing your area of specialism, to assist in identifying the most suitable host department. If you are shortlisted, the shortlisting panel will liaise between you and prospective departments. 

Clinically active applicants only: 

  • GMC number for license to practice in the UK, or  

  • If qualified and practising outside the UK, describe your current medical qualifications that demonstrate you are practising at fully qualified Consultant-level, and which will confer eligibility for registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) within 6 months of interview 

Documents to upload as PDFs 

  • CV including a full history of education and employment, list of all academic publications, awarded grants (including dates and amount held by you, stating clearly if you were Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator) and other indicators of your record as a research leader (for example invited lectures, committee or editorial positions, awards or prizes). 

  • List of figures or references with numbers as referred to in the text. 

For shortlisted candidates who are invited to apply

At Stage 2 the application portal collects the following information: 

Statement of Purpose and Personal Development 

This statement should explain why your research experience and career ambitions make you a strong candidate for the Nuffield Medical Fellowship. It should address the following: 

  • Why this Fellowship - explain why the Nuffield Medical Fellowship is the right vehicle for your career goals, rather than a conventional academic appointment, and how you will make the most of this opportunity to establish an independent research career. 

  • Your future career path - outline your intended career trajectory and how the Fellowship fits within it, including where you aim to be by the end of the Fellowship period. 

  • Research and leadership development - identify the specific research and leadership skills you aim to acquire or develop during the Fellowship. Be as specific as possible. The host department will use this to design a bespoke training package tailored to your needs. 

Detailed research proposal

Set out your proposed research project, including a detailed five-year plan and a broader eight-year vision and strategy. The proposal should cover:  

  • Brief background and rationale for the project 

  • Clear research objectives 

  • How the Commonwealth partnership will be utilised during the Fellowship to deliver the research goals 

  • Experimental methods and techniques, including data analysis where applicable 

  • Milestones and timescales

  • An indicative budget and justification for costs 

The proposal should describe step by step how you intend to carry out your research. It may be written for a scientific audience, but should remain accessible to non-specialists.  

Images are welcome where they add value and are clearly reproduced and should be uploaded as a separate document of figures and references with numbers as referred to in the text. 

Key publications

Provide details of three to five publications (published or in press) that are most relevant to your proposal. For each, include a statement of up to 100 words on its significance and relevance to the Fellowship. If you are not the first or senior author, specify your individual contribution (up to an additional 100 words per publication). 

Wider benefits statement

Outline how you will ensure that your Fellowship has broad impact, beyond standard academic dissemination. This might include engagement with the public, patients or policymakers, or capacity building in your field. 

Departmental Support statement

Upload a letter of support from the Head (or their delegate) of your agreed host department confirming their willingness in principle to host your Fellowship and support the proposed programme, if selected.  

Two referees

Include the names and contact details of two referees, at least one of which must be from your current employing institution, who will be contacted to provide a reference if you are offered a Fellowship.

Applications will be assessed against:    

  • The applicant's fit to the selection criteria in the Job Description. Applicants are encouraged to clearly demonstrate how their skills and experience align with the selection criteria. 

  • The strength of their proposed Fellowship programme. A competitive research proposal will be: 

    • Bold – aiming to deliver a significant shift in understanding and/or providing a significant advance over existing methodologies, tools or techniques. It will have the potential to stimulate new and innovative research. 

    • Novel – developing and testing new concepts, methods or technologies, or combining existing ideas and approaches in a new way. 

    • High quality – being well-designed, clear, supported by evidence and with feasible proposed outcomes/outputs. 

The University is committed to ensuring fairness, consistency, and transparency in its selection processes. All members of selection panels are briefed on the principles of equality of opportunity and the importance of acknowledging and mitigating unconscious bias. The selection panel will include both female and male members. 

Applicants who have taken career breaks or have had an unusual career path are welcome to disclose this in their application. The selection panel will take such circumstances into consideration, recognising that research output may be affected as a result. 

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