Eligibility

Lister Prize Fellowships support outstanding early to mid-career biomedical researchers working in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The awards are designed to help researchers establish an independent research programme or develop a new area of research where flexible funding would have a significant impact on their work and career.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Hold a PhD, MD or equivalent research qualification.

• Be employed by an eligible UK or Republic of Ireland institution.

• Have a personal salary that is funded and guaranteed from another source for at least the first three years of the award.

• Have between three and ten years of postdoctoral research experience on the date the competition opens (6 July). Counted from when you were awarded your research degree.

• Hold, or be on a clear pathway to holding, an independent research position and be able to act as the Principal Investigator for their research programme.

• Be undertaking biomedical research. Applicants may be scientists or clinicians and may concurrently hold fellowships, programme grants or project grants from other funders.

Please read our Frequently Asked Questions for more information regarding eligibility.

Additional Information

• Applicants do not need to be UK or Irish nationals.

• Applicants must hold a position at a UK or Republic of Ireland institution for at least the first three years of the award.

• Individuals holding the title of full Professor are not eligible to apply. (Associate Professors are still eligible)

• Career breaks and periods away from research will be taken into account when assessing eligibility.

Calculating Research Experience

Research experience is calculated from the date on which your PhD or MD was formally awarded to the opening date of the competition (6 July).

Applicants must have at least three years and no more than ten years of postdoctoral research experience on this date.

Where an applicant has both a PhD and an MD, eligibility will normally be calculated from the qualification that first enabled them to undertake independent research.

Periods spent away from research may be deducted from the calculation since being awarded the PhD/MD, including:

• Parental leave

• Long-term sick leave

• Clinical training where research was not undertaken

• Caring responsibilities

• Other approved career breaks

Research experience = Time from PhD/MD award date to 6 July, less any eligible periods away from research

Before contacting us for an eligibility assessment

To help us assess your eligibility as quickly as possible, please send:

• Your CV

• Your PhD and/or MD award date

• Details of any career breaks or periods away from research

• A calculation of the total time away from research (using the calculator examples below)

• A short explanation of the circumstances

• Send information to secretary@lister-institute.org.uk.

Examples

Example 1 – Eligible

• PhD awarded: July 2020

• Research experience on 6 July 2026: 6 years

Outcome: Eligible

Example 2 – Eligible following a career break adjustment

• PhD awarded: January 2015

• Research experience on 6 July 2026: 11.5 years

• Parental leave: 2 years

Adjusted research experience: 9.5 years

Outcome: Eligible

Example 3 – Not yet eligible

• PhD awarded: October 2024

• Research experience on 6 July 2026: 1.9 years

Outcome: Not eligible

Example 4 – Not eligible even with a career break

• PhD awarded: July 2013

• Parental leave: 2 years

• Research experience on 6 July 2026: 11 years

Outcome: Not eligible

Terms & Conditions

The Award

Recipients of the Research Prize will normally be expected to start the award period within three months of entering into the formal Research Prize Agreement. All the funds must be committed by the end of the fifth year or returned to the Institute.

Although the use of the funds is flexible and within the control of the Prize Fellow, outline spending plans should be submitted at the time of application. These can be altered with the Institute’s approval at any time. By way of example, the money can be spent on equipment, travel, consumables, salaries for a replacement lecturer, visiting scientists, post-docs or PhD students etc. The money must not be spent on providing or augmenting a personal salary. The money will be paid in advance to the Prize Fellow via the host institution. Annual statements of expenditure must be produced by the host institution and be endorsed by the Prize Fellow.

As a member of the AMRC the Institute’s awards qualify for charity research income support and, consequently, any general overhead charge for indirect costs will not be accepted.

Transferring the Award

The Award will be personal and transferable between all UK and Republic of Ireland research institutions, subject to the Institute’s approval. Any large items of equipment purchased using only the Institute’s funds will be considered as owned by the recipient of the Award and transferable, during the five-year Award, period provided that the recipient remains a Prize Fellow. The transfer of equipment purchased using more than one source of funds will be subject to negotiation between the respective institutions.

Working abroad/away from the host institution

The Prize Fellow must not spend more than six months in any 12-month period or more than a total of one year over the course of the five-year Award period working in a laboratory other than the host institution or abroad without consulting and obtaining the agreement of the Institute.

Reports

Every Prize Fellow is expected to produce a short annual and detailed final report at the end of the fifth year of the Award period and give talks at, and provide abstracts for, the annual Lister Fellows Meetings.

Recipients of the Research Prize will be expected to attend the Institute’s annual Fellows’ meeting, held in September of each year.

Agreement

The Agreement to be signed will make clear that the Prize Fellow and any other people employed using the Institute’s funds are not Lister employees. It is for the host institution to ensure that all activity carried out using Award funds is carried out in accordance with applicable heath and safety, legal, ethical and regulatory requirements.

Publications

All publications by the Prize Fellow relating to research funded in part or in whole by the Award must acknowledge the financial support of the Institute through the Award.

Support from other sources

All other grants and “core funding” must be detailed in the application. The Institute accepts that Prize Fellows will seek additional support for their work from other sources.

Commercialisation

The Prize Fellow will be required to notify and disclose to the Institute all commercial agreements already entered into and particularly to those relating to the assignment of patents and other similar rights. All intellectual property arising from activity carried out using Award funds will vest in the host institution who should keep opportunities for the protection and exploitation this property under review with a view to filing patents etc where appropriate. The Institute must be kept informed at all times.For the full Lister Fellowship Terms and Conditions please see Research Prize Terms and Conditions.