NOW OPEN
Royal College of Anaesthetists
British Oxygen Company Advanced Fellowship
Applications are now open for the 2025 BOC Advanced Fellowship
The deadline is Friday 5 September 2025
In 1958, the British Oxygen Company (BOC), made a charitable donation in support of anaesthesia research. The BOC Chair of Anaesthesia Fund was created using this donation and is a subsidiary charity of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA). The object of the charity is the endowment of a research fellowship in a department of Anaesthesia.
On behalf of the RCoA, the National Institute of Anaesthesia (NIAA) is inviting applications for this grant.
Scope
We are looking for ambitious but deliverable research programmes in anaesthesia, perioperative care, critical care, pain medicine and related disciplines. We welcome applications focusing on any part of the translational research pathway, from discovery science through to policy research, and everything in between.
Award
We will award up to two fellowships. Each award is for a maximum of £320,000, to be used over a maximum of four years. This can be used for:
Salary support for the applicant
Costs of the proposed research
A support post or posts (maximum 1.0WTE in total)
Training and development needs for the applicant (up to a total of £10,000 of the overall budget)
The following costs are not eligible:
Directly incurred costs for the applicant or any other staff
Institutional direct costs (overheads)
Applicant criteria
The RCoA is utilising these funds in support of those working towards an advanced fellowship or developing a credible application for a Chair in the next five years.
Applicants must either hold a doctoral degree or be able to demonstrate a commensurate level of research experience, including through publications, previous grant success and impact.
Up to two awards will be made:
At least one award will be offered to a clinician, of any discipline or specialty, for a research programme within scope.
A second award will be offered, with the intention of supporting a non-clinician researcher, for a research programme within scope. This may include any scientific discipline, including (but not limited to) discovery (laboratory) science, engineering, social, statistical or data science.
The NIAA has received few applications from non-clinician researchers in the past. We are committed to reaching out to talented researchers of any background who can deliver research aimed at improving our clinical fields within scope; however, if no applications of sufficient quality are provided by non-clinician researchers, the NIAA reserves the right to fund two clinician scientist awards.
Criteria for assessment
The Candidate
Track record:
o Grants
o Publications
o Relevant prizes or other academic awards
o Impact of previous research
o Career trajectory (this will include an assessment of mitigation where required to understand the impact of less than full time working, time away from work for parental, carer or sick leave etc)
o Suitability of the candidate to undertake the proposed programme of work
Career ambitions
o Five-year plan
o The impact that the award would have on your career
We will take into consideration how much dedicated research time the candidate has had in their job plans, and their academic achievement given these and other circumstances.
2. The project
Scope:
o Investigation of any type with relevance to the fields of anaesthesia, perioperative care, critical care or pain medicine
o Originality
o Deliverability
o Potential scientific and/or patient impact
3. The research environment and support arrangements
o Where the research will be based, the institutional/departmental suitability to support the career development of the candidate and their track record of supporting early/mid-career researchers
o Arrangements for supervision and mentorship from both the host institution and externally
o Evidence of institutional support (letter to be provided by host institution)
How to apply
Carefully read the details on scope, eligibility, applicant and assessment criteria on this page, and download the application form below. Contact us if you have any queries.
Complete all required details on the application form and submit by email to the address listed.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview with a panel of NIAA members (date TBC).
Closing date for applications: Friday 5 September 2025