Nuffield Medical Fellowship FAQs
What is the purpose of the Nuffield Medical Fellowships scheme?
The NMF scheme offers full-time support to exceptional early-career researchers who are either transitioning to or have recently achieved full research independence.
Do I need to have a PhD to apply?
To be eligible you must have a PhD or equivalent higher research degree (for example a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil), Doctor of Medicine by Research (MDRes), Doctor of Science [Medicine] (DSc(Med)).
Is there an age limit?
No, there is no age limit for eligibility for a Nuffield Medical Fellowship. There is also no limit on the minimum or maximum number of years since completing your PhD (or equivalent qualification) or starting your first independent research position. However applicants must have significant postgraduate research experience and be transitioning or have recently transitioned to full research independence. Applicants who only recently completed their PhD, or who are senior researchers with a large group and/or funding portfolio, are less likely to be competitive for a Fellowship.
how do I know if my research area is in scope for a Fellowship?
To be eligible you must be conducting research that aims to benefit human physical or mental health and that fits with the remit of any department in the University of Oxford's Medical Sciences Division. Eligible research fields include any field within clinical medicine, surgery, neuroscience, epidemiology, population health, primary care, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, psychiatry or experimental psychology. If you are not sure if your research area would be eligible for a Nuffield Medical Fellowship, please contact the coordinators of the Nuffield Medical Fellowships call by email.
Can candidates conducting research outside the medical sciences apply?
Fellows must have a track record of conducting research in any biomedical field. Applicants must present a proposal that aims to “progress medical knowledge” through outcomes that are expected to benefit human physical or mental health.
The Fellowship must be hosted within a Department of the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford. If an applicant is currently employed by a department, institute or centre that is not specifically in medical sciences (e.g. Humanities, Social Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering), they are eligible to apply if they are conducting research that is a good strategic fit with a department in the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford, and if their research aims to benefit human health.
I don't currently have a collaborator in a commonwealth country. Can Oxford support me with this?
It is the candidate's responsibility to establish a collaboration with a partner research institution in a Commonwealth country outside the UK. This collaboration can be established at the time of application, or may be developed during the course of the Fellowship. The strength and feasibility of the collaboration will be assessed during the application process.
What kind of collaboration with a Commonwealth partner is eligible?
There are no fixed requirements for the nature of the collaboration with the research organisation in the Commonwealth country outside the UK. However the collaboration must be mutually beneficial to the Fellow and their partners, and allow them to share knowledge while conducting world-leading medical research.
Do I have to submit my application in English?
Yes all applications must be written in English and submitted through the application portal.
Can I apply via email?
Applications will only be accepted via the application portal and submitted before the deadline. Applications submitted late or incomplete, or submitted outside the portal, will not be considered.
How can I correct errors in my application?
The application portal allows candidates to make changes to the application while it is still in draft. The platform will automatically save your application after each question until you are ready to submit.
If you identify errors after submitting your application, please contact the coordinators of the Nuffield Medical Fellowships by email. They will be able correct very minor errors, or revert the application back to Draft status for more work. You must resubmit your updated application before the final deadline.
How should I present my publication History in the application?
Complete the table of publications in the application portal to describe all of your key publications as a Senior (last) and/or First author, with the most recent first. Applicants are expected to have at least one publication as Senior or First author.
Your CV should also include a full list of publications on which you are an author or co-author.
Will I need to submit a budget for my proposed Fellowship research project as part of my application?
At Stage 1 you do not need to include a costing, but you must submit an outline research proposal that summarises the research project that you wish to pursue during the initial 5 years of your Fellowship. You must consider the standard rates for the types of costs that you wish to include in your Fellowship, to inform the scale of what will be affordable under the annual funding awarded to your Fellowship. See the Fellowship Funding page for more information.
If invited to apply to Stage 2, you will work with your host department to prepare a full costing for the first five years of your Fellowship, including departmental overheads.
If I am unsuccessful, can I re-apply to a future round?
Yes you can resubmit your application to a future round of the Fellowships, provided that you still meet the eligibility criteria. If you were rejected due to ineligibility, please do not reapply unless you feel you have become eligible since the previous application.
If your application was rejected at Stage 1 and you want to re-apply, you must update your application to reflect recent progress, and further develop your research proposal. You must implement any feedback provided by the call coordinators on your initial application.
What references do I need to provide?
If you are invited to submit a Stage 2 application you must provide the contact details of two academic references, at least one of whom must be from your current employing institution. These referees will only be contacted after the interview and if you are verbally offered and accept a Nuffield Medical Fellowship. Your offer of employment through the Fellowship will be subject to satisfactory completion of the reference process.
Should I submit letters of support with my application?
At Stage 1 you should not include any letters or statements of support from collaborators or peers. If these documents are submitted they will be excluded from the review process.
At Stage 2 you will need a statement of support from the Head of Department (or their delegate) of your host department in the Medical Sciences Division. You will also need a statement of support from your collaborator in the Commonwealth country outside the UK, describing the status of your collaboration and confirming their intention to work with you on your Fellowship project.
At Stage 2 you will also need to name two academic referees who will be contacted as part of the standard pre-employment reference checks if you are offered a Fellowship.
Can I apply for other fellowships at the same time as the Nuffield Medical Fellowship?
Yes you can apply for other funding opportunities at the same time as the Nuffield Medical Fellowship.
Please be aware of the application Stages and timeline. If you are successful in securing an alternative role or funding after submitting your Stage 1 application and wish to withdraw your application for a Nuffield Medical Fellowship, please notify the team by email.
If you are appointed as a Nuffield Medical Fellow, you will be supported as far as possible to transfer your existing grants to the University of Oxford. If you have an ongoing Fellowship at the point of being appointed as a Nuffield Medical Fellowship, you must negotiate with your existing funder(s) and host department about ending your previous Fellowship and taking up the post of a Nuffield Medical Fellow.
How do I find a host department for my Fellowship?
Successful candidates will be matched with a host department within the Medical Sciences Division of the University of Oxford by the shortlisting panel at the end of the Stage 1 assessment process. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the MSD departments before applying to Stage 1, and can indicate a preference for a host department in their Stage 1 application in the Key Words section.
The proposed Fellowship project must be a strategic fit to the research areas of the host department. If a suitable and willing host department cannot be found for a candidate, they will not be able to progress to Stage 2.
What is the role of the host department?
All Fellows will be hosted by a department within the Medical Sciences Division. The department will provide access to their facilities and networks, as well as career development support during the Fellowship.
Can I spend time outside Oxford during my Fellowship?
Fellows are expected to be based in Oxford during the course of their Fellowship. However Fellows may spend part of their Fellowship period at partner institutions, within or outside their collaborator in a Commonwealth country, if this is necessary for effective delivery of the research programme. Significant time away from Oxford must be agreed with the host department and the Nuffield Medical Trustees.
I don't currently have the right to work in the U.K. - Will I be able to get a visa?
Candidates appointed to a Nuffield Medical Fellowship will be eligible to apply for a Global Talent Visa. The host department and the Oxford Staff Immigration Team will support Fellows with the visa application process.
You can request visa-related expenses as part of your Fellowship costing.
Please note that while assistance is provided, it is the candidate’s responsibility to submit their visa application in a timely manner and to ensure that they meet all relevant requirements.
Will there be more application rounds of the Nuffield Medical Fellowships?
The intention is to run an annual call for the Nuffield Medical Fellowships in the long-term. Funding has been provisionally committed for two rounds in the first instance, one each in 2026 and 2027. Future rounds will depend on availability of funding, and will be announced publicly.
Can I request feedback on my Nuffield Medical Fellowship application?
For applications that are unsuccessful at Stage 1, the call coordinators are unfortunately not able to provide detailed feedback. If you are rejected for ineligibility, the grounds for this will be provided. High level feedback will be provided if possible, depending on the number of applications.
For applications that are unsuccessful at Stage 2 or after interview, applicants may request feedback which will be provided as soon as possible.
Who do I contact if I still have questions?
Contact the coordinators of the Nuffield Medical Fellowships by email.