Guarantors of Brain, the charity behind the journal Brain, has opened its 2027 fellowship round. There are three schemes: Entry clinical fellowships that bridge the gap before a PhD or MD, post-doctoral clinical fellowships for clinicians who have finished a higher degree, and non-clinical post-doctoral fellowships for basic scientists working inside clinical neuroscience teams.
Applications close at 17:00 on 27 October 2026. Shortlisted candidates will hear in late December 2026, and interviews are in person in London on Friday 22 January 2027. Fellowships must start on or after 1 April 2027. All three schemes are for research based in the UK.
Entry clinical fellowships (up to 12 months)
Bridging salary for up to a year for early career clinicians who are working towards a research fellowship for a PhD or MD. The award covers your full-time basic clinical salary on the Specialist Registrar scale, at your current NHS pay point, including superannuation, national insurance and London weighting.
You must be eligible for, or already in, higher specialist training in neurology, neurosurgery, neurophysiology or neuropsychiatry in the UK, and show both a clear intention to pursue clinical academia and realistic prospects of a training post, research fellowship or lectureship. Entry fellowships will not fund one-year MPhil or MSc study.
Post-doctoral clinical fellowships (up to 12 months)
This scheme incorporates the former Exit fellowships. It pays up to a year of salary for early and mid-career clinicians after a PhD or research MD, either straight after the degree or after a spell of clinical training. You must have submitted your thesis by the time of interview. Part-time applications are welcome, so you can split your time 50/50 between research and clinical training.
You need to be in higher specialist training in one of the same four specialties. Candidates just reaching CCST can apply, but established consultants and academics in faculty posts cannot. The funder is clear that this is not a way to extend a PhD or fellowship that has run late: it wants to see new research and added value, which can include following up discoveries made during your PhD or MD.
Non-clinical post-doctoral fellowships (up to 36 months)
Up to three years of salary, to a maximum of £70,000 a year, for non-clinical scientists working in a translational neuroscience setting in the UK, typically alongside clinical neurology and related specialties. Only salary is covered, not consumables or travel. You need at least two years of postdoctoral experience at the point of applying and must be no more than eight years past your PhD.
Your supervisor must be research active at the same institution and will have to set out how you will be supported towards independence, then report on the fellowship at the end. Clinically qualified researchers should apply to the post-doctoral clinical fellowship instead. Informal contact with the Secretary and Treasurer of Brain is encouraged if you are unsure about eligibility.
How to apply
Applications go through the Guarantors of Brain online system. Every scheme asks for a two-page CV, a research outline, a one-page statement of career intentions, a letter of support from your head of department or institute director, and a financial summary confirming the host can cover consumables and other costs. The non-clinical scheme allows a three-page research outline including a timeline, and needs a supervisor letter using the funder’s template. Make sure none of your PDFs are password protected or permission-restricted.
If this is your first fellowship, it is worth reading one researcher’s account of putting together a fellowship application after the PhD, and our guest blog on writing a fellowship application. Read the full details and the fellowship terms and conditions on the Guarantors of Brain website.
Visit funding web page
(https://guarantorsofbrain.org/grants/post-doctoral-brain-entry-fellowships/)