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The McDonald Fellowships 2026 provide a funded two-year research placement for early-career multiple sclerosis (MS) researchers from low- and middle-income countries. The fellowship is offered by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) and allows researchers to work at a research institution outside their home country.
Selected fellows will receive €55,000 per year for two years. The fellowship funding is paid to the host institution and then used to support the fellow. The program also covers one return flight to the host country.
The McDonald Fellowship is designed for researchers who want to develop expertise, conduct part of a joint research project, or strengthen their research and professional networks in the field of multiple sclerosis.
Applicants must have a suitable host institution and supervisor outside their own country before starting the application. The proposed research must be relevant to multiple sclerosis, while projects with a clear benefit for people with MS in low- and middle-income countries will receive priority.
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Quick Overview of McDonald Fellowships 2026
- Host Organisation: Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF)
- Fellowship Name: McDonald Fellowship
- Eligible Countries: Low-, lower-middle-, and upper-middle-income countries
- Duration: 2 years
- Funding: €55,000 per year
- Host Institution: Must be outside the applicant’s home country
- Academic Requirement: At least MSc, preferably PhD or MD
- Application Deadline: 1 December 2026
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Benefits of McDonald Fellowships 2026
The McDonald Fellowship provides financial support for researchers undertaking a two-year international research placement.
- Fellows receive €55,000 per year for two years.
- The fellowship covers one return flight to the host country.
- Funding is paid to the host institution for the fellowship placement.
- Fellows can gain research expertise at an institution outside their home country.
- The program supports joint research projects and international research collaboration.
- Fellows can develop professional networks in multiple sclerosis research.
- The fellowship can support researchers who intend to continue MS research or patient care in low- and middle-income countries.
- Projects with clear benefits for people with MS in low- and middle-income countries are prioritised.
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Eligibility Criteria for McDonald Fellowship
Applicants must meet the academic, research, nationality and location requirements established by MSIF.
Academic Requirements
Applicants must be educated to postgraduate level in a field relevant to multiple sclerosis. The minimum qualification is an MSc, while a PhD or MD is preferred.
Research Experience
Applicants must have fewer than five years of postdoctoral research experience.
MSIF states that career breaks and other circumstances that may have affected or delayed a candidate’s research career will be considered.
Nationality Requirements
Applicants must be citizens of a low- or middle-income country according to the World Bank classification.
For the current World Bank classification, low- and middle-income economies include low-income, lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income economies. For fiscal year 2027, the World Bank defines these groups using 2025 GNI per capita figures.
Current Location Requirement
Applicants must be:
- Working or studying in a low- or middle-income country at the time of application; or
- Working or studying in another country on a project that started within six months before the application.
Applicants who have previously received an MSIF Du Pré Grant can subsequently apply for the McDonald Fellowship.
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Who Can Apply for the McDonald Fellowship?
The fellowship is intended for early-career researchers working in multiple sclerosis research.
Suitable applicants may include researchers with backgrounds in areas relevant to MS, provided their proposed project directly contributes to understanding multiple sclerosis.
The fellowship can also be used to partly fund a PhD programme. To qualify for this option, the candidate must already have been accepted into a recognised PhD programme within six months before applying and must not have sufficient funding to cover the full cost.
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What Research Projects Are Eligible?
The proposed research must be relevant to multiple sclerosis.
Research involving related neurological conditions may also be considered. However, applicants must clearly explain how research involving conditions such as NMOSD or MOGAD contributes to understanding multiple sclerosis.
MSIF gives priority to projects that have clear potential benefits for people with MS in low- and middle-income countries.
Applicants should therefore explain:
- The research question.
- Why the research is relevant to multiple sclerosis.
- What gap the project addresses.
- Why the proposed host institution is suitable.
- What expertise the applicant will gain.
- How the research could benefit MS research or patient care in low- and middle-income countries.
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Host Institution and Supervisor Requirements
A host institution is required before the application can be completed.
Applicants must identify:
- A suitable research institution outside their home country.
- A host supervisor.
- A research project or topic.
- A project proposal agreed with the host supervisor.
The McDonald Fellowship is a joint application between the candidate and the host. MSIF requires the proposed host supervisor to submit a supporting statement after the applicant submits their section of the application.
The host supporting statement must be submitted by 1 December 2026.
Applicants should contact potential supervisors well before the deadline because MSIF recommends allowing the host at least two weeks to review the application and complete the supporting statement.
Documents Required for McDonald Fellowship
Applicants should prepare the required application information and supporting documents before submitting the application.
The application process includes:
- Online application form.
- Research project proposal.
- Host supervisor supporting statement.
- Two reference letters.
- Lay summary of up to 500 words.
- Academic and research information requested in the application form.
The two referees must be different people from the host supervisor. Reference letters must be sent to research@msif.org before the application deadline.
How to Apply for McDonald Fellowship 2026?
Applicants should follow these steps:
- Identify a suitable MS research project or research topic.
- Find a suitable host institution outside your home country.
- Contact a potential host supervisor and discuss the research project.
- Agree on the research proposal with the host supervisor.
- Complete all sections of the online McDonald Fellowship application.
- Submit the applicant section of the application.
- The proposed host supervisor will then receive instructions to complete the supporting statement.
- Ask two referees, who are different from the host supervisor, to submit their reference letters.
- Ask the referees to send their letters to research@msif.org before the deadline.
- Review the McDonald Fellowship terms and conditions.
- Prepare the 500-word lay summary carefully.
- Submit the complete application before 1 December 2026.
MSIF states that the host supporting statement and reference letters must be received before the deadline. Applications may be rejected if these supporting documents are missing after the deadline.
How to Write the McDonald Fellowship Lay Summary
The application includes a 500-word lay summary.
The summary should explain the research proposal in language that can be understood by someone without specialist knowledge of multiple sclerosis research.
MSIF recommends starting with an introduction to the research topic and its background. Applicants should then explain the problem their research addresses, before describing the potential impact on people affected by MS.
Tips for Writing the 500-Word Lay Summary
- Use simple and familiar language.
- Explain technical terms instead of assuming the reader knows them.
- Avoid unnecessary scientific terminology.
- Give concrete examples where appropriate.
- Use analogies to explain complicated scientific concepts.
- Clearly describe the research problem.
- Explain why the research matters.
- Connect the research to people affected by multiple sclerosis.
- Focus on the main research idea rather than detailed technical methods.
- Use the full 500-word limit where possible.
- Ask someone without an MS research background to read the summary before submission.
For example, if technical terms such as myelin, demyelination or remyelination are necessary, explain them in straightforward language.
How Are McDonald Fellowships Awarded?
Applications are reviewed by the MSIF McDonald Fellowship panel.
The panel includes scientists, clinicians and people affected by multiple sclerosis from different parts of the world. The panel considers the applications and selects the successful candidates.
The quality and relevance of the proposed research, the applicant’s background and the suitability of the host research environment are therefore important parts of the application.
McDonald Fellowship Reporting Requirements
Successful fellows have reporting requirements during and after the fellowship.
A short report must be submitted at the end of the first year. Continued second-year funding depends on submission of this report.
At the end of the fellowship, fellows must submit:
- A final report.
- An expenditure summary.
- Electronic copies of relevant research papers.
- Abstracts and posters resulting from the fellowship-funded work.
Research papers produced through McDonald Fellowship-funded research must acknowledge the fellowship and include the MSIF website address.
When Does the McDonald Fellowship Start?
The McDonald Fellowship should begin within 12 months of the funding being awarded. Successful candidates and host supervisors are also required to read and sign the fellowship’s terms and conditions.
