BESS Fellowships

The Allied Health Professional (AHP) award enables BESS AHP members with an interest in the treatment of shoulder and elbow conditions to travel to one or more centres to further their experience and knowledge in therapy. The fellowship can take the form of a travelling fellowship, postgraduate education or research support. BESS is keen to hear from AHP members who wish to undertake a postgraduate qualification, or a series of visits to an institution to gain experience with a mentor either clinically and/or academically. The committee will be offering two or three candidates a small grant of up to £500 to support these types of activities, with the remaining amount of approximately £2,000 being used towards a larger project. The total funds available will be £3,500.

Guidance is available below. Our AHP committee members have put together some useful information here.

The BESS Elbow fellowship provides support for attendance at the annual Elbow Instructional Course at the Mayo Clinic (provisional on COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time of attendance). Delegates are by invitation only and places are much sought after. Eligible applicants include ST 7/8 Orthopaedic trainees, post-CCT fellows in shoulder and elbow surgery and Consultants within their first three years of appointment. One fellowship of up to £3,500 will be awarded to the successful candidate.

Two Travelling Fellowships are available for travel to one or more centres either within the UK or overseas. These fellowships are specifically intended to enable the advancement of clinical skills in shoulder and elbow surgery and not for research. Eligible applicants include ST7/8 Orthopaedic trainees, post-CCT fellows in shoulder and elbow surgery and all Consultants at any stage of their career. It is advisable that applicants seek an agreement in principle that can be submitted in support of their application. Two equal fellowships of up to £3,500 each will be awarded to the successful candidates.

The application form is online and will be available once the process is open.

Your form must include:*      

• Proposal that the applicant wants funding towards (travelling fellowship, postgraduate education, research)*           
• Dates and costed plans for travel and accommodation if applicable. Claims for subsistence will not be met.*           
• How your practice may be improved through this award*          
• Short Curriculum Vitae (2 pages ONLY, full CVs will not be accepted)

Please ensure you have read the guidance above relevant to your fellowship application. Shortlisted applicants will hear from us no later than the beginning of May 2024 by email. Short-listed applicants will be invited to interview at the BESS annual scientific meeting at the P&J Live TECA in Aberdeen. The interview time has been set for (time to be confirmed). Interviews will last no more than 15 minutes and you will be allocated a timeslot between. The panel will consist of two members of the BESS Education Committee. Successful candidates must submit a finalised plan to the Education Committee for approval within three months of the award. This must include evidence of approval of the visit by each host hospital. To qualify for the release of funds, the Fellowship must be concluded before the 2025 annual scientific meeting. In addition to submission of receipts for travel and accommodation expenses incurred, the recipient is required to submit a summary of their experience for publication on the BESS website (max 1,000 words and four images).

The deadline for applications in 2024 is:

APPLICATIONS FOR 2024 ARE NOW OPEN

The closing date for applications is 23:59, Sunday, 21 April 2024

Please email education@bess.ac.uk with any questions regarding the application process.

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