The completed application form and two written references must be received by the Foundation before midnight GMT on the closing date indicated. The schedule for assessing applications is in several stages as described below. The Trustees do not consider appeals against decisions made at any stage.
Immediately after the closing date:
- All applications will be checked to ensure compliance with the eligibility criteria. The following are grounds for rejection of applications without further assessment:
- Incomplete or sloppily written forms (e.g. obvious cut & paste, suspected plagiarism, unfinished sentences, frequent typos, failure to provide word counts).
- Application not typed and/or not in English.
- Failure to print name and date after the checklist and declarations.
- Failure to ensure two references provided by deadline. No reminders will be sent.
- Failure to clearly identify a discrete, stand-alone Project.
- Budget outside the approved range (£5K to £12K) or not in GB£ currency.
- Failure to cost individual line items appropriately or provide sufficient budget details for the Project.
- Proposed Project is not relevant to One Health, does not involve collaboration and/or a transdisciplinary approach, nor involve more than one culture/country.
- Funding sought solely or primarily to attend a conference.
- Those applicants not considered eligible will be notified in writing.
During the next two months:
- All eligible applications will be anonymised, and an initial assessment conducted by at least two reviewers.
- Once assessed, the Trustees meet, and an interview shortlist is agreed. The personal details of the applicant including their Personal Statement and references are considered at this point.
- Those applicants not short-listed will be notified in writing.
During the next two to three months:
- Interviews of shortlisted applicants are conducted, normally online (e.g., Zoom), and a final shortlist is prepared.
- Further enquiries may be sent to the final shortlisted applicants and/or their referees.
- Final decision is taken by the Trustees.
- Rejected interviewees will be notified in writing.
- Successful applicant(s) will be notified in writing and award(s) will be announced.
Successful applicants join the Community of Fellows, an active peer group which holds regular virtual meetings where they share their experiences and provide mutual support. The Community is also an important source of advice to the Board of Trustees and is represented at Board meetings.
In order to receive their first payment, successful applicants must seek assurance from the institution to which the award will be paid (normally either the Primary Affiliated Institution or the Collaborating Centre) that overhead fees will not be levied. It is essential that the entire award should be available to the Fellow for use as outlined in their application budget.
Soulsby Fellows will be required to provide a report to the Trustees within twelve months of Project completion. This must be in a form agreed with the Trustees. Examples may be a published paper, the script/visual material of an invited presentation, or a written report to the Trustees prepared specifically for the purpose. The Trustees may withhold part of the Fellowship funds pending receipt of a satisfactory report.
Any publication or presentation arising from the Project must acknowledge the source of funding in the agreed format. A copy must also be provided to the Trustees.
