Oxford-BMS Fellowship
This prestigious 3-year Fellowship (formerly Oxford-Celgene Fellowship) aims to stimulate new scientific discovery and translation and to facilitate skills and people transfer between researchers in academia and industry.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) is a global biopharmaceutical company making advancements in oncology, haematology, immunology and cardiovascular disease. BMS are dedicated to helping patients prevail over serious diseases through a diverse and promising pipeline and new scientific platforms.
BMS acquired Celgene in 2019. Prior to 2019, in partnership with the Oxford Medical Sciences Division, Celgene co-developed and provided support for fellowships which will continue as the Oxford-BMS Translational Research Fellowship Programme.
The goals of this scheme are to stimulate new scientific discovery and translation and to facilitate skills and people transfer between researchers in academia and industry.
This programme offers fellows an opportunity to gain exposure to the field of commercial drug discovery and development. Fellows will have an assigned company mentor and where appropriate be encouraged to spend some time based in BMS laboratories.
Funding will be awarded to Oxford Principal Investigators to support 3 year fellowship projects for early career researchers that demonstrate a clear translational value to the advancement of therapeutics. Three to four awards are made annually.
Who can apply?
Principle Investigators should apply for fellowship funding to support clinical (Grade E64) or basic research scientists (Grade 7/8) committed to translational science and interested in obtaining experience with drug development in an industrial setting.
Fellowship applications may include a named fellow, but this is not mandatory. It is expected that a suitable fellowship candidate will be identified by the Principle Investigator within 6 months of notification of successful project selection.
New for 2022: Principle Investigators can have a maximum of 2 Oxford-BMS Fellowships running at any one time (though you can be a co-investigator on other fellowships if you are already lead investigator on 2 projects).
The proposed fellowship needs to align with BMS’s fields of interest as listed below:
1. Novel targets, biomarkers, cellular therapeutic approaches, or translational models in one of the following areas:
- immuno-oncology;
- solid tumour targets including drug resistance
- neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, FTD and MS;
- fibrosing disorders including IPF, scleroderma, and Renal Fibrosis;
- rheumatic and dermatologic disorders including RA, SLE, spondyloarthropathies, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis;
- hematologic disorders including AML, Myeloma, DLBCL;
- chronic heart failure (either with preserved or reduced ejection fraction).
2. Methods for evaluating biochemical, cellular, tissue and phenotypic consequences of modulating epigenetic targets.
3. Methods for immuno-phenotyping of human subjects in oncology and autoimmunity
4. Novel imaging approaches to measuring disease activity in the above areas.
now open for new applications
Prospective Principle Investigator applicants should read this application guidance
Stage 1 - Pre-application and meeting with BMS
The Oxford-BMS Fellowship Programme strongly encourages you to take pre-application steps before submitting your full application.
The pre-application steps ensure that your proposal is in line with BMS’s areas of research interest and involves a pre-application form and a meeting with BMS (held virtually).
Stage 2 - Full application
Full applications are made on the full application form and should be emailed, along with the draft X5 costing to amira.burshan@medsci.ox.ac.uk.
Please consult the guidance document for details on the application process.
Come along to one of five information sessions to find out how to apply for an Oxford-Bristol Myers Squibb (formerly Celgene) Fellowship. We will talk you through the background to the fellowships scheme, give details about BMS areas of interest and explain the application process. This will be followed by a Q&A session.
Sessions will take place in Dec 2021 and Jan 2022 on the following dates. To join please click directly on the 'join meeting' link to take you to the Zoom meeting:
- Wednesday 1st December 12 noon – Join Zoom Meeting
- Friday 3rd December 12 noon – Join Zoom Meeting
- Wednesday 15th December 12 noon – Join Zoom Meeting
- Thursday 6th January 12 noon – Join Zoom Meeting
- Tuesday 11th January 12 noon – Join Zoom Meeting
Oxford-BMS Fellowships 2022 deadlines
Stage 1 - Pre-application form deadline - Monday 24th January 2022 at 5pm
Stage 2 - Full application deadline - Thursday 7th April 2022 at 5pm
Please refer the guidance linked in the 'How to apply' section for more information about what is required at each stage.
For all enquiries please contact Amira Burshan, Industry Engagement Facilitator, Medical Sciences Division, Business Partnerships Office
JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE
Professor Sir Marc Feldmann (Oxford)
Professor Fiona Powrie (Oxford)
Professor Irene Tracey (Oxford)
Professor Chas Bountra (Oxford)
Dr. Maxine Allen (Oxford)
Dr. Rupert Vessey (BMS)
Dr. Leon Carayannopoulos (BMS)
Dr. James Carmichael (BMS)
Dr. Anjan Thakurta (BMS)