Eligibility

Lister Prize Fellowships are awarded to up and coming researchers undertaking high quality biomedical research, and are designed to assist scientists in situations where the prize money will have a significant beneficial impact on their work and career. Prizes are ideal for researchers just starting their own independent research group, or for group leaders looking to research new areas not covered by current awards.

The full eligibility criteria for prize applicants are detailed below:

• Any tenured or non-tenured researcher (scientist or clinician) (excluding full professors) working in an eligible UK or Irish institution is allowed to apply; provided that their personal salary is secure, from another source, and guaranteed for a minimum of the first three years of the award.

• Applicants must hold a PhD or MD (relevant research qualification)

• The recipient does not need to be a UK national, but they must have a position in a UK or Republic of Ireland (ROI) institution for at least the first three years of the award.

• The individual must, at the time of applying for the award, have a minimum of three or a maximum of ten years’ research experience (Post doc). Allowance will be made for career breaks.

• The individual may concurrently hold awards, such as a fellowship, programme, or project grant(s), from other organisations, or be employed by them.

• Applicants may be scientifically trained undertaking full-time research, medically qualified still undergoing some speciality training and/or leading a research project with more than three but less than ten years post-doctoral experience (post PhD or MD, whichever is the earlier).

• Applicants who take up a prize must have a substantive independent position (be the principle investigator of your group).

Please read the FAQ’s before contacting us with any questions. If you have an eligibility question please send your CV along with a summary of your situation to secretary@lister-institute.org.uk. If relevent, include a short summary of your time away from research in years and months and your reason for it e.g. working clinically or maternity leave. You will need to evidence that your time away from research keeps you within the 3-10 years criteria.

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.