Parkinson’s UK Senior Research Fellowshi
ps are for people who want to specialise in Parkinson’s research by establishing their own independent research group.
Deadlines
The deadline for preproposal applications is Wednesday 2 July 2025, by 4pm.
The full application deadline will be Wednesday 8 October 2025, by 4pm for applicants who are sucessful at the preproposal stage.
The senior research fellowship preproposal form will be made available in 2025 on our online application system. Applicants who are successful at the preproposal stage will then be invited to submit a full application via our online application system.
Online interviews are likely to take place in the week commencing Monday 24 November 2025.
Workshop
Sign up to our virtual workshop on Thursday 27 March 2025 at 10.00am-11.30am to hear more about how to apply for a senior research fellowship.
Duration and value
Senior research fellowships are initially offered for up to £300,000 for 3 years.
Funding can cover:
- the cost of the applicant’s salary
- appropriate start-up and running costs
- support for additional research assistance such as a technician or research assistant
- well justified costs for training opportunities such as attendance at relevant conferences or short courses
Senior research fellowship award holders can formally apply for a further 2 years of funding at least 6 months before the end of the award.
Fellowships awarded for more than 3 years may be dependent on the host research institution committing some funds towards the latter stages of the fellowship.
Eligibility
Applicants should have a strong track record of original and productive research in their area which shows impact across past appointments (typically at least one previous post-doctoral appointment). They should be able to demonstrate:
- the progress they have made in moving towards independence through diverse collaborations and partnerships independent of their sponsors and past supervisor
- receipt of small amounts of independent funding (such as a previous intermediate fellowship) and/or a track record of effective management of a small number of their own laboratory staff.
Supervisors should hold employment contracts that extend beyond the period of the grant.
Researchers who hold tenure are not eligible to apply.
Grants are tenable only at a UK university, NHS Trust, statutory social care organisation or other UK research institution.
Co-applicants and collaborators may be based at institutions outside the UK or at pharmaceutical or biotech companies.
We actively encourage people from all sections of the community to apply for grants, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, or religion.
Review process
Preproposals will be independently reviewed by three scientific members of our College of Experts as outlined in the information for applicants.
Full applications will be independently reviewed by three scientific members of our College of Experts and a group of lay grant reviewers, who are people affected by Parkinson’s.
Success rates
There was a 50% success rate at the full application stage in 2024.
In 2024, the charity received 7 preproposal applications, 4 of these were invited to submit a full application, and 2 applications were recommended for funding.
You can also download the latest list of all our active research projects.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/our-senior-research-fellowships)
