Commonwealth Medical Fellowships are for mid-career academic medical staff from low and middle-income countries to enhance their clinical skills. Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Medical Fellowships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development. The CSC awards around 750 scholarships and fellowships for postgraduate study and professional development to Commonwealth citizens each year.

The CSC’s Secretariat is provided by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, based in London; overseas services are provided by the British Council.

Purpose:

To provide mid-career medics with the opportunity to enhance their clinical skills, and to have catalytic effects on their workplaces.

Intended beneficiaries:

Mid-career medics working in teaching hospitals affiliated to universities in low and middle-income Commonwealth countries.

Commonwealth Medical Fellowships are offered under the second of the CSC’s six themes:

1. Science and technology for development
2. Strengthening health systems and capacity (The fellowship will develop the clinical skills that will improve health provision or outcomes for disadvantaged groups in low and middle-income countries. It is expected that the beneficiary will disseminate the skills and knowledge gained on return home.)
3. Promoting global prosperity
4. Strengthening global peace, security, and governance
5. Strengthening resilience and response to crises
6. Access, inclusion, and opportunity

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:

• Academic merit of the candidate
• Quality of the proposal (minimum 200 words)
• The potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country

The fellowships will develop the clinical skills that will improve health provision or outcomes for disadvantaged groups in low and middle-income countries. It is expected that the beneficiary will disseminate the skills and knowledge gained on return home.

Medical Fellowships are intended to provide access to specific skills/expertise that is not easily obtained in the applicant’s home country. Applications clearly demonstrating this will be looked upon favorably.

Awards are tenable for a 4-6 month period at any approved UK university hospital.

Location:

 United Kingdom

 Benefits

Each fellowship provides:

• Approved airfare from the applicant’s home country to the UK and return at the end of his/her award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependents, nor usually the cost of journeys made before the award is finally confirmed)
• Research support grant, payable to the host university hospital
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,696 per month, or £2,104 per month for those at university hospitals in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2019-2020 levels)
• Reimbursement of the fee for a single English language test and the fee for General Medical Council (GMC) registration
• Warm clothing allowance
• Study travel grant towards the costs of approved travel within the UK
• If the applicant is widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child allowance of £466 per month for the first child, and £114 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if he/she are accompanied by his/her children and they are living with them at the same address in the UK
• If you declare a disability, a full assessment of your needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered
• The CSC’s family allowances are intended to be only a contribution towards the cost of maintaining your family in the UK. The true costs are likely to be considerably higher, and you
  must be able to supplement these allowances in order to support any family members who come to the UK with you.

 Eligibilities

The applicant is required to meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country eligible Commonwealth country
• Have an academic appointment in an eligible Commonwealth country at one of the medical schools by the World Directory of Medical Schools, employed by a hospital affiliated to the Medical School where he/she has the academic appointment
• Be available to start the fellowship in the UK between October-December 2020
• Have qualified as a doctor before 1 October 2005
• Have qualified at a medical school recognised by the World Directory of Medical Schools
• Have met the English language requirements of the General Medical Council (GMC) by August 2020
• Have verified his/her primary medical qualification independently by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) for General Medical Council (GMC) registration by 31 August 2020
• The award is undertaken at an approved UK university hospital

Eligible Regions: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia

APPLICATION PROCESS

• One must make his/her application directly to the CSC using CSC’s online application system. The application must be submitted to and endorsed by the Dean of the Medical School which you have the academic appointment The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the CSC’s online application system.
• Only one application per applicant for these fellowships will be accepted.
• Supporting documentation: You must provide the following supporting documentation by 16:00 (BST) on 14 April 2020 in order for the application to be eligible for consideration:
  • Proof of citizenship or refugee status; a copy of your valid passport (or national ID card) showing your photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship – uploaded to the online application system
  • Full university transcripts and certificates detailing the dates of qualification for your primary medical degree – uploaded to the online application system
  • Academic reference from the Head of your Teaching Hospital Department outlining how the skills gained are required. All references are to be submitted directly by the referees to the online application system (referees will be sent an email request)
  • An Endorsement by the Dean of the Medical School at which you have the academic appointment confirming your academic appointment submitted directly by the Dean to the online application system (the Dean will be sent an email request)
  • Supporting statement from your first choice proposed supervisor in the UK university hospital – submitted directly to the CSC (supervisors will be sent an email request)

The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted outside the online application system.

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