McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries 2026/2027

The McDonald Fellowship funds researchers from developing countries to work in health and medicine at a host institution abroad. It is a research fellowship in the strict sense: it rests on a defined project carried out at an institution that has already agreed to take the fellow in.

Who can apply

The fellowship is for applicants from developing countries, at Masters or PhD level or as working professionals in the health sector. The field is health and medicine. The host institution requirement means half the work happens before the application: you have to approach the institution and reach an agreement, not simply name one on the form.

What the fellowship covers

The payment is a two-year grant of 55,000 EUR per year, paid to the host institution and then used to pay the fellow. One return flight to the host country is also covered, and the fellowship runs for a full twenty-four months. The route the money takes matters in practice: because it passes through the host institution's administration, the financial arrangements should be agreed with them early rather than assumed.

Deadline and what the file contains

The application deadline, including the online application form, reference letters, and supporting statement from the host, is 1 December 2026. Read that as written: the file is not complete with the form alone. The reference letters and the host's supporting statement fall under the same date, and they are the slowest parts to obtain.

Before you apply

Start with the host institution, because reaching an agreement takes weeks of correspondence. Then warn your referees early. A single late letter sinks a file that is complete in every other respect, and there is no mechanism to add it afterwards.