The Rothamsted International Fellowship Scheme (RIFS) supports scientists from developing countries to train at Rothamsted Research for 6-12 months on a research project they develop jointly with a Project Leader at Rothamsted.
How to apply
- Candidates need to make sure that their project idea is in-line with the research strategy at Rothamsted, which is summarised here: http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/sites/default/files/RRes_Strategy_Leaflet.pdf.
- Candidates must then identify which Project Leader at Rothamsted to approach to develop this idea further. Candidates may identify the Project Leader either through their own direct contact with that person, recommendations via colleagues, scientific literature searches or through the relevant department at Rothamsted (see this webpage for details of the departments http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/departments).
- Once a Project Leader at Rothamsted has been identified, the candidate should complete the application form together with the Rothamsted Project Leader. The application form and further guidance notes should be obtained from the Project Leader at Rothamsted – application forms cannot be downloaded from this website.
- Applications must be submitted by the Project Leader at Rothamsted by 09:00 UK time (GMT) on 14 December 2015.
- This is a competitive scheme and proposals are reviewed by an expert Panel. The Panel's decision is then communicated to the candidate and Project Leader. This typically occurs within two months of the application deadline.
Scientific Scope
Fellowship proposals must be in agricultural, biological, environmental, mathematical or computational sciences, and must be aligned with Rothamsted’s Research Strategy (http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/sites/default/files/RRes_Strategy.pdf). The proposed research should also have direct relevance to development issues in the Fellow's home country.
Length of tenure
Fellowships must be between six to twelve months in duration.
Eligibility
The Candidate must meet the following criteria.
- be of doctoral status, with at least two years post-doctoral experience. Candidates without Higher Degrees must have equivalent research experience to be considered eligible for the scheme. Applications will not be considered where the main objective of the visit is research leading to a higher degree for the Candidate.
- The Candidate must be a citizen of a developing country, or have been based exclusively within a developing country. Please note that developing countries are defined as the countries listed on the DAC list of ODA recipients (http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/documentupload/DAC%20List%20of%20ODA%20Recipients%202014%20final.pdf – also available in the Downloads section).
- It is essential that the Candidate returns to employment in their home country where the work conducted in the fellowship can be applied. Candidates who have extensive and/or continuous employment in a developed country are not likely to be awarded an RI Fellowship. If the Candidate has previously travelled overseas to carry out research, there must be evidence that the skills gained have been applied in their home country.
- The Candidate should know their Rothamsted Project Leader (either directly or indirectly), or have been highly recommended.
- In addition to the support of the Rothamsted Research Project leader, applications must also have the support of the Head of Department where the fellowship will be hosted.
Assessment criteria
- Eligibility and quality of the Candidate.
- Scientific merit of the proposal.
- Clarity of aims and feasibility experimental design.
- Relevance to Rothamsted’s Research Strategy.
- Scope for future collaborations between the Candidate and the Rothamsted Project Leader.
- Social and economic impacts on the Candidate’s home country.
Financial details
The fellowship provides funding for:
- an accommodation and subsistence allowance;
- one return journey between the home country and Rothamsted;
- a contribution towards institute/ project research costs.
Contact
E-mail rothamsted.international@rothamsted.ac.uk for further advice and information on how to apply.
Next application deadline: 09:00 UK time (GMT) on 14 December 2015.
