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Enterprise fellowships

Application deadline: 4 May, 2010

Funded by BBSRC and delivered by The Royal Society of Edinburgh, these enable researchers to concentrate on, and be actively involved in, commercialising research that was largely funded by BBSRC.

They provide:

business training to help development of a business plan
a year’s salary hosted at the fellow’s university or research institute
access to mentors, business experts and professional advisors

Eligibility

Academic and research staff and postgraduates with relevant experience are eligible to apply if employed by a:

UK Higher Education Institution (HEI), or
Institutes of BBSRC

We will provide a salary within the scales for research staff in HEIs, grades 22-37 (between £23,577 -£35,663). In exceptional cases, we will consider higher salaries where it is fully justified and the host institution demonstrates a commitment to the fellowship.

How to apply

Fellowships are awarded competitively.

Application forms and regulations are available from:

External contact (below)
The Royal Society of Edinburgh website (see external links)

Case study

Dr Martin Wickham - Institute of Food Research

The ‘Model Gut’ is a new research tool that will enable the food and pharmaceutical industries to predict digestion of real foods and medicines within the human stomach and small intestine.

The Model Gut will shed light on the fate of nutrients and medicines taken orally and interactions between foods and medicines. It will also provide an alternative to some animal experiments and human studies.

“The Enterprise Fellowship has provided me with the tools to build the foundations of a successful business, and to progress the Model Gut from what is essentially an academic idea, towards a fully developed system tailored for commercial exploitation. Through training and business networks, I have managed to collect the detailed market and financial information that has allowed me to determine user requirements, survey market opportunities and identify potential customers and relevant business contacts. The final stages of the mechanical build are currently underway and access to the Model Gut will be available from August 2006, when it is launched as a service business.”