Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellowship
The Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellowship provides financial support for UK based gynae-oncologists to undergo a fellowship to deepen their skills and experience as future leaders of ovarian cancer care.
The objective of this initiative is to reduce regional variation of treatment and survival rates by supporting facilitation of best practice sharing and cross-UK collaboration.
The Fellowship is based in Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London.
Fellowships are being offered exclusively to gynae-oncologists towards the end of their sub-specialty training or those who have recently started a consultant role.
The Fellowship is made up of three (3) parts:
- Two (2) Month Observational Visit at a selected Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellowship accredited Centre based in the UK.
- Contribution to costs of a pre-approved Maximal Cytoreductive Surgery Training Course
- QI Grant for applying learnings and improvements to their home Centre.
1. Observational Visit
The Observational Visit will last for 2 months at a selected Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellowship accredited Centre based in the UK. As this is a new initiative, at this time fellowships can only be supported at the first Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellowship accredited Centre -Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London.
The Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellow will observe and take part in all activities of the West London gynaecological cancer team, including theatres, clinics and multidisciplinary team meetings, audits and research activities of the centre. He/ she will not have any clinical or on call responsibilities and will be free to choose which areas interest him/ her more to observe.
Our preference is for the Fellow to conduct their visit in one block, however we understand this may not be possible for all applicants and can discuss possible flexibility if required. This cannot be guaranteed. The start date will be agreed with successful applicants depending on availability.
2. Contribution to Training Costs
Successful Fellows will also receive a contribution to the costs of a pre-approved surgical training course. These include the Advanced Course in Cytoreductive Surgery for Gynecologic Peritoneal Surface Malignancies at the University of Oslo and in Los Angeles.
3. QI Grant for applying learnings and improvements to their home Centre.
Successful Fellows will receive a grant to conduct a QI project to embed learnings from the Fellowship. For SST applicants, this will be available after commencing a consultant role. Proposals will be reviewed by an appropriate committee. Applicants do not need to provide ideas for their QI Grant proposal at this stage.
Evaluation
This is a pilot initiative and successful applicants will be expected to work with Ovarian Cancer Action to support the evaluation of this programme.
Conditions and Criteria
- Applicants must be either a gynae-oncologist towards the end of their sub-specialty training, or a newly qualified consultant (within three years of finishing training).
SST Applicants
This fellowship program is not RCOG recognized and can therefore not count towards the RCOG accredited subspeciality time. Applicants who are still in their SST programme may have to apply for an OOPE, and should discuss locally this before applying for the Fellowship. Observational Visits must be conducted no earlier than the last six months of your training.
- Applicants must be able to undertake the fellowship within 12 months of application.
- Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and be committed to continuing their career in the UK.
- Applicants must take part in Ovarian Cancer Action evaluation initiatives after the Fellowship is complete.
How to apply
Send:
- CV & Covering Letter
- Letter of recommendation from Subspecialty Training Programme Supervisor
- LOG book of sub-speciality training so far
Timeline
Application window opens – 27th July 2026.
Application window closes – 19th August 2026.
Application review & interviews – Late August / Early September 2026.
Notification of outcome – Early September 2026.
Financial Support
| Fellowship grant | To support all fellowship costs (salary, accommodation, travel etc). Paid in two instalments. Second instalment will be paid on completion of the fellowship. | £10,000 |
| Training Course contribution | To support attendance at an advanced course in ovarian cancer surgery. | Up to £2,000 |
| QI Grant | To support a QI initiative when Fellow commences a Consultant post to implement learnings. | £10,000 |
If the full Fellowship Grant is not required by applicants, unspent funding can be reallocated towards training course or QI Grant Costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have there been any previous Surgical Fellows who I can talk to about their experience?
Yes, two (2) Surgical Fellows have completed their Observational Visits. If you would like to discuss the programme with them before applying please get in touch and we can introduce you.
Where can I undertake the Surgical Fellowship?
This is a new initiative, therefore at this time fellowships can only be supported at the first Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellowship accredited Centre -Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London.
If the programme is rolled out beyond its pilot stage we will consider expanding the fellowship to support fellows at additional UK Centres. If you would like your Centre to be considered for future Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellowship opportunities, please contact research@ovarian.org.uk.
Will this be an ongoing initiative?
At the moment the Ovarian Cancer Action Surgical Fellowship is a pilot initiative, and funding is available to support three additional Fellows. If the programme is successful we aim to roll out the programme wider, however we strongly encourage interested applicants to apply now as we cannot guarantee future opportunities at this stage.
I cannot get a letter of recommendation from my Subspecialty Training Programme Supervisor before the deadline – can I still apply?
Yes, please do still apply with your CV, covering letter and LOG book, and we can receive your letter of recommendation during the review process if necessary.
I would like to apply but don’t quite fit the criteria – what should I do?
Get in touch with us to discuss any individual requirements.
Please send any additional questions to research@ovarian.org.uk . Please note questions sent after this time may not be answered before the application deadline.
