McDonald Fellowship 2027 Application Process Discussion Open
If you are an early-career multiple sclerosis researcher from a low- or middle-income country, I would start preparing now for the McDonald Fellowship 2027 rather than waiting for the application portal to open.
The next competition is expected to open in September 2026, with a deadline of 1 December 2026. The fellowship supports a two-year research placement outside your home country and provides €55,000 per year, plus one return flight to the host country.
The biggest point to understand is this: you cannot treat this as a normal scholarship where you apply first and arrange the research later. You need a host institution, host supervisor and agreed MS-related project before submitting your application.
McDonald Fellowship 2027: Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Fellowship | MSIF McDonald Fellowship |
| Field | Multiple Sclerosis research |
| Career Stage | Early-career researchers |
| Eligible Countries | Low-, lower-middle- and upper-middle-income countries |
| Minimum Qualification | At least MSc; PhD/MD preferred |
| Postdoctoral Experience | Fewer than 5 years |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Funding | €55,000 per year |
| Travel Support | One return flight |
| Host Requirement | Host institution outside applicant’s own country |
| Expected Opening | September 2026 |
| Deadline | 1 December 2026 |
Who Should Apply?
You need postgraduate education in an area relevant to multiple sclerosis, with at least a Master’s degree. Applicants with a PhD or MD are also suitable, provided they have fewer than five years of postdoctoral research experience.
You must be a citizen of a country classified by the World Bank as low, lower-middle or upper-middle income.
Normally, you should also be working or studying in a low- or middle-income country at the time of application. There is an exception if you recently moved elsewhere for a project that started within the previous six months.
What Kind of Project Has the Best Chance?
Your proposal must be clearly relevant to multiple sclerosis.
Research touching related conditions such as NMOSD or MOGAD can still qualify, but you need to explain how it contributes to understanding MS.
From an applicant-strategy perspective, I would pay particular attention to impact in low- and middle-income countries. MSIF says projects with clear benefits for people with MS in these settings will be prioritised.
So do not submit a technically impressive proposal without explaining why the work matters to patients, clinicians or researchers in lower-resource environments.
Do You Need a Host Before Applying?
Yes. This should be your first preparation step.
You must identify a suitable host institution outside your own country and agree the project with a host supervisor before completing the application.
After you submit your sections, the host supervisor is contacted to provide a supporting statement.
If the host statement is missing by the deadline, your application can be rejected.
One McDonald Fellowship is offered with ECTRIMS for projects hosted in Europe, while another is offered in partnership with FranceSEP.
How Much Funding Do You Receive?
The fellowship provides €55,000 per year for two years, potentially worth €110,000 over the full award, plus one return flight.
However, the funding is paid to the host institution, which then uses it to support the fellow.
I would therefore discuss practical details such as salary, living costs and institutional deductions with the proposed host before finalising the application.
The fellowship can also be used to part-fund a PhD programme where the applicant has recently been accepted but lacks enough funding to cover the full programme.
What Will Strengthen Your Application?
The strongest applications will connect four things:
your existing MS research experience → the expertise you still need → why the chosen host can provide it → how you will use that expertise afterward.
You also need two referees, separate from your host supervisor.
Another important component is the 500-word lay summary. This should explain your research in language understandable to a non-specialist.
My advice is simple: give the summary to someone outside MS research. If they cannot explain your project back to you, rewrite it.
McDonald Fellowship 2027 Deadline
The complete application deadline of new McDonald Fellowship is 1 December 2026. That includes the online application, the host supporting statement and both reference letters.
MSIF recommends allowing the host at least two weeks to complete their section. I would aim to have your own application submitted by mid-November, not the final week.
If you are serious about the McDonald Fellowship 2027, start with the hardest part now: finding the right host and designing an MS project that has a clear benefit beyond the laboratory.