The Trainee Fellowship: the journey from MSc to DPhil student

Hello! I’m Evelynne Fulda, a current Biomedical Sciences DPhil student in Oxford Population Health. I first joined the department in 2022 when I enrolled in the MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology programme. At the time, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in research, but I wasn’t sure what area I wanted to focus on or how to secure funding to pursue this career path. 

My experience in the MSC GHSE

I joined the MSc programme in October 2022. I knew I was interested in applying for a DPhil, but I hadn’t yet homed in on what I wanted to study (and the turnaround time from starting the master’s and submitting a DPhil application is short!). Part of the reason I chose this MSc programme is that it offers:

• Exposure to a wide range of topics and research areas in population health, and
• Provides an opportunity to undertake a research project during the Trinity Term

The course becomes more focused as it progresses. The first term lays the groundwork: you learn the fundamentals of global health science and research ethics, alongside essential quantitative skills in epidemiological and statistical methods. In the second term, you get to tailor your experience by choosing modules aligned with your interests. Finally, the third term is dedicated to a 12-week research project on a topic of your choice, which forms the basis for your dissertation.

Students can either propose their own research topic or work on a project submitted by faculty. The project list is really helpful because it gives students an overview of topics that the department is working on and highlights priority areas.

I found my project through this list and had the opportunity to work with Professor Aiden Doherty, Associate Professor Derrick Bennett, and Dr Laura Portas in the Oxford Wearables Group. My project investigated associations between accelerometer-measured step count and the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

I really enjoyed working on this project and it affirmed my interest in pursuing a DPhil. However, I faced a timing gap between finishing my MSc in August and the start of the DPhil application process in December. This is where research fellowships, like the Trainee Fellowship, can be incredibly helpful!

The trainee fellowship

What is the trainee fellowship?

The departmental Trainee Fellowship is an opportunity to pursue a year-long self-driven research project supported by the department and its faculty members. It’s part of the broader departmental fellowship scheme, which offers research fellowships aimed at early- and mid-career researchers. The Trainee Fellowship is aimed at MSc graduates (from any institution, not just Oxford), especially those who are interested in pursuing a DPhil or PhD.

It’s a fantastic opportunity; not only to gain research experience but also to build the foundation for a successful DPhil project. It provided me with the support and mentorship to successfully apply for a funded DPhil.

SOUNDS GREAT, HOW DO i APPLY?

The application process for the Trainee Fellowship is pretty straightforward.

Find a supervisor (or supervisors):

• Begin by finding one or more potential supervisors you’d like to work with
• A great place to start is the DPhil project list; often these projects can be adapted to fit the one-year fellowship
• However, if you don’t see a project that interests you, there’s always an opportunity to propose your own. For this, I’d suggest looking through the profiles on the website to find potential supervisors who might be a good fit for your work. For my fellowship application, I was able to continue my work with the Oxford Wearables Group!

Draft a research plan:

• Once you have an idea of what research topic you want to work on, you will draft a proposal of what you hope to accomplish during the fellowship. I definitely recommend working closely with your supervisor(s) on this application; their feedback is invaluable!

Submit your application:

• The application process consists of submitting an application with your research plan, a CV, a statement of interest, and the names of two referees

Attend an interview:

• If shortlisted, you’ll be invited to an interview where you’ll give a brief presentation on your research plan and answer questions about your project and your motivations
• Practice, practice, practice! Consider doing a mock interview with your supervisor or even friends or family. Check out some of the other blog posts for interview tips. Many of these are written for prospective MSc or DPhil students but the advice is broadly applicable even if the formats vary

How do I know if the fellowship is right for me?

The fellowship is a fantastic opportunity to build on skills developed during your MSc, develop a clear DPhil proposal, and work with preeminent researchers on important population health topics. However, it may not be for everyone, especially if:

•  Your research of interest is outside the scope of the department. There are so many interesting research areas in the department (okay…I may be a little biased!), however, if your research interests don’t align with research at Oxford Population Health, it might not be the best match
• You already have a DPhil application prepared, it’s one month before the application deadline, and you are ready to submit. The Trainee Fellowship is a great opportunity to gain research skills and it can act as a bridge between two degrees, the MSc and the DPhil. However, you don’t need to complete the Trainee Fellowship to be accepted onto a DPhil at Oxford Population Health, and for some applicants it may make more sense to apply directly to the DPhil

After the Fellowship

The Trainee Fellowship gave me the time, mentorship, and confidence to take the next step in my academic journey. It’s a unique chance to grow as a researcher, refine your interests, and prepare for a DPhil in a supportive and intellectually vibrant environment. This last application cycle, I was accepted as a DPhil student in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. I hope my experience helps others considering this path ─ and I encourage you to explore it if you’re curious!

I also want to thank my supervisors for their support throughout this journey:

• MSc: Professor Aiden Doherty, Dr Derrick Bennett, Dr Laura Portas
• Trainee Fellowship: Professor Aiden Doherty, Dr Anya Topiwala, Professor Cornelia van Duijn, Professor Sarah Lewington, Professor Tom Nichols, Associate Professor Sarah Floud
• DPhil: Professor Aiden Doherty, Dr Anya Topiwala, Dr Joshua Denny