UNIVERSITY INTERNAL MEDICINE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Department of Medicine External Research Fellowship Competition
Room 450, Bethune Building
Department of Medicine
QEII Health Sciences Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada B3H 2Y9
EXTERNAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP GUIDELINES
The Department of Medicine has established a Research Fellowship program for clinicians to obtain
research training external to Dalhousie University following the completion of their residency
training programs in the Department of Medicine. The main purpose of this award is to attract and
foster the development of promising individuals as researchers. Priority will be given to those who
have a pre-established faculty position within the Department to return to at the completion of their
external fellowship training.
Each application will be considered a joint effort of the applicant and their supervisor. A letter of
support from the Head of the Division for whom the applicant will return to work must be included.
Successful applicants may be required to sign a contract / letter of intent mutually agreed upon by
the applicant, the Division Head and the Department Head. Please note, contracts will vary
depending on the individual’s and the Division’s particular needs.
Applications must be completed in accordance with the guidelines given; application forms and
supporting documents must be filed electronically with the Department of Medicine Research
Office at kathryn.nelson@nshealth.ca by November 15th.
Incomplete submissions or those received after the deadline date will not be considered.
Tenure:
The Research Fellowship will commence the first of July and continue for a two or three-year
period depending on the external research program and/or Division’s request
During tenure, the Fellow shall devote not less than 75 % of his/her time to the purposes of the
award in the chosen field of endeavour. The awardee may engage in, and receive remuneration for
other activities, including undergraduate teaching, that may contribute to the development of a
researcher’s career. These ancillary activities should not interfere with the primary research
purpose of the award.
An award may be terminated at any time for proper cause by either the awardee or the Department
of Medicine. The Research Fellowship must be renewed annually. A letter of support for renewal of
the application must be submitted by the supervisor and it must clearly indicate the progress made
during each year of the fellowship. Also required for renewal of this fellowship is a letter from the
applicant, not to exceed one single-spaced typewritten page, indicating progress to date. Both of
these letters must be submitted to the Research Office by January 15 of each year of the award.
Revised June 2015
Salary and Allowances:
The basic stipend is dependent upon academic, clinical and research experience. In general, the
remuneration will follow the guidelines established by Dalhousie University for post-graduate Ph.D.
and by the Maritime Resident Doctors for M.D. trainees. Applicants are expected to apply to other
local, national and international research fellowship competitions. Awards from external funding
agencies should be accepted in preference over UIMRF funding. In some instances where an
external award is less than the equivalent of UIMRF remuneration, UIMRF may subsidise funding.
Eligibility Criteria:
The M.D. candidate must be eligible for Royal College certification in Internal Medicine or one of
its disciplines. This fellowship will normally be the first fellowship held by the candidate. Ideally,
the successful applicant will be within five years of obtaining professional qualifications, (MD,
Ph.D., and FRCPC). These fellowships are open to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants.
Application Process:
Department of Medicine External Research Fellowship submission deadline: on or before
November 15th.
Send completed application to kathryn.nelson@nshealth.ca in the Department of Medicine
Research Office.
The Department of Medicine Research Fellowship application form must be used.
The application must be submitted electronically and shall include:
1)
Checklist.
2)
Completed application form (attached) which must be signed by the applicant, the
supervisor and the Division Head.
3)
A transcript of the applicant's academic marks with standing.
4)
A letter from the Division Head appraising the candidate, the proposed research program
and a brief outline of the candidates anticipated role upon returning to the Division.
5)
A letter of support from the supervisor appraising the candidate and the proposed research
program along with a description of the nature and extend of any other work to be carried
out by the awardee during the tenure of the proposed application, including a summary of
resources and funding source(s) for the proposed project.
6)
A copy of the supervisor's curriculum vitae.
7)
Three additional (sealed) letters of recommendation from professors or instructors under
whom the candidate has taken previous training and which specifically evaluate the
candidate for the proposed Dalhousie award.
8)
A clear and concise description of the proposed research, not to exceed two single-spaced,
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typewritten pages; this should be written by the applicant in consultation with the intended
supervisor. The research proposal should include a clear statement of hypothesis and
methods to be used in the project, and a statement of expected outcome.
9)
List of applicant and supervisor’s published articles within the last five years which are
relevant to this proposal.
10) Proof of citizenship/landed immigrant status.
Renewal application:
The applicant must submit a letter requesting renewal. The supervisor will also submit a separate
letter of appraisal of the awardee, including a statement of progress to date. These documents must
be received by the Research Office on or before January 15th. Renewal submissions made at other
times of the year will be permitted only under special circumstances and with the specific approval
of the Head of the Department and the Research Committee.
Adjudication:
The Research Committee of the Department of Medicine will review all applications for scientific
merit and will make recommendations of priority rating. Factors affecting the merit rating will
include: training, experience and previous performance of the applicant and supervisor, the
proposed protocol and the research environment. The Research Committee reserves the right not to
award a fellowship in a given year.
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APPLICANT CHECKLIST
UIMRF External Research Fellowship
Complete and return with application to kathryn.nelson@nshelath.ca .
Applicant:
Date:
To be checked by applicant:
1. Checklist
2. One electronic copy (including all attachments and appropriate signatures) of the
fellowship application.
3. Transcript of applicant’s academic marks with standing.
4. Letter from Division Head (content specified in guidelines).
5. Letter from Supervisor (content specified in guidelines)
6. Copy of Supervisor’s curriculum vitae.
7. Three additional (sealed) letters of recommendation from professors or instructors
under whom the candidate has taken previous training and which specifically evaluate
the candidate for the Dalhousie award.
8. A clear and concise description of the proposed research (maximum two typewritten
single-sided pages).
9. Reprints and pre-prints of applicant’s and supervisor’s published articles within the last
five years which are relevant to this proposal.
10. Proof of Canadian citizenship/landed immigrant status.
In completing application:
 All answers must be typewritten.
 Attach additional sheets where response space is limited; indicate applicant’s name on the top
right-hand corner of each additional page.
 Submit complete application as one PDF file to DoM Research Office.
Revised June 2015
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UIMRF EXTERNAL FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION FORM
Name of applicant:
1.
Date:
Present address:
Telephone:
2.
Present appointment:
Title
Department
Institution
Date
3.
Name any other agencies to which application for support has been or will be made:
4.
When will applicant be free to take this award if granted?
5.
Supervisor, department and institution (with address) at which applicant has arranged
to undertake research training:
Supervisor
Department
Institution
6.
Title of research project:
7.
Give no more than five key words or phrases which identify your research project:
8.
Ultimate career goals:
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9.
Education: (include degrees/certifications expected in the next 12 months):
Degrees
Course
University
Year
10. Experience (academic, clinical and research):
Date
Position
Supervisor/Dept.
Institution
11. Distinction and awards (undergraduate/graduate awards, type and dates):
Award
Type
Date
12. Current research interests:
13. Membership in professional and scientific societies:
14. Publications Peer Reviewed (published papers and abstracts):
a) Total number:
Papers:
Abstracts:
b) Of the above total, give details of the publications (authors, titles and journals) for the past
five years. If not first author, indicate the applicant’s role. List abstracts separately.
Publications Non-Peer Reviewed (published papers and abstracts):
a) Total number:
Papers:
Abstracts:
b) Of the above total, give details of publications (authors, titles and journals) for the past
five years. If not first author, indicate the applicant’s role. List abstracts separately.
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15. Applications must include a transcript of the applicant’s academic record and three
letters of recommendation from supervisors with whom the applicant had previous
research or clinical training. These should be sent under separate cover.
1) Name/Position Held
Address
2) Name/Position Held
Address
3) Name/Position Held
Address
16. A copy of the proposed supervisor’s curriculum vitae and letter of critical appraisal are
required under separate cover.
17. Applicant agrees to abide by the regulations governing this award, if granted.
Date:
Signature:
18. We recommend that this candidate be considered for this award to undertake research
training at
at the current level of stipend set by the Department.
Date:
Signature of Supervisor:
Date:
Signature of Division Head:
Date:
Signature of Department Head:
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19. Assurance is given that any human experimentation will be acceptable to the institution
on ethical grounds and that in the care of laboratory animal experimentation, the
guiding principles enunciated by the Canadian Council on Animal Care will be adhered
to and that the proposed research will not be undertaken until it has been accepted as
meeting the requirements regarding biological and chemical hazards as outlined in the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research “Guidelines for the Handling of Recombinant
DNA Molecules and Animal Viruses and Cells”.
Signature of Applicant
Date
Signature of Division Head
Institution
20. Nature of Proposed Research
Describe the rationale, objective and experimental approach of the proposed research. Begin
summary on this page and attach one additional sheet if necessary. Do not exceed two singlespaced, typewritten pages.
Append pre-print and re-prints of applicant’s publications relevant to this research proposal.
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