The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and Kidneys for Life, a kidney charity based at Manchester Royal Infirmary, fund a young nephrologist from a lower-resource country to train at that hospital in the UK.
Kidneys for Life picks its candidate first; that candidate then applies through the general ISN Fellowship and, after training, returns home to develop renal care there.
Benefits & funding
- One long-term fellowship a year, of up to 12 months (ISN long-term training runs 7–12 months).
- An ISN grant sized to training length and host-country costs, meant to cover or offset the fellow’s travel, accommodation and living (not family); no amount is published.
- Duty: return home within three months and work at the home institution at least three years, or repay the grant.
Eligibility
- Living and working in a low-, lower-middle- or upper-middle-income country (World Bank list).
- Postgraduate internal medicine training completed in your home country.
- ISN full or trainee member; home and host mentors must be full ISN members.
- A public home institution guaranteeing re-employment, a home mentor’s nomination and national (or regional) society endorsement.
- An English qualification such as IELTS or OET, held or planned: the UK General Medical Council requires one for practising fellowships.
- 12-month clinical training: the ISN Foundation Course must be completed first.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“Have you completed training in post-graduate Internal Medicine in your home country?” Eligibility
Residence required
Afghanistan · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Central African Republic · Chad · DR Congo · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gambia · Guinea-Bissau · North Korea · Liberia
+ 119 more
Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mozambique · Niger · Rwanda · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Sudan · Sudan · Syria · Uganda · Yemen · Angola · Bangladesh · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Cambodia · Cameroon · Comoros · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Eswatini · Ghana · Guinea · Haiti · Honduras · India · Kenya · Kiribati · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Lesotho · Mauritania · Morocco · Myanmar · Namibia · Nepal · Nicaragua · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Solomon Islands · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tunisia · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Palestine · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Albania · Algeria · Argentina · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belize · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Cabo Verde · China · Colombia · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Fiji · Gabon · Georgia · Grenada · Guatemala · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Jamaica · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kosovo · Libya · Malaysia · Maldives · Marshall Islands · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Moldova · Mongolia · Montenegro · North Macedonia · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Samoa · Serbia · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Suriname · Thailand · Tonga · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Ukraine · Vietnam
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
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Application process
- 1By 1 July, email Kidneys for Life your CV, a reference from your home mentor or institution director, a personal statement on your goals in Manchester and back home, and your English qualification status.
- 2If Manchester Royal Infirmary selects you, agree a training plan with your host mentor there.
- 3Submit the full application on the ISN Fellowship portal by the October deadline; every document must be in English.
Program timeline
Kidneys for Life documents due (the page also lists 1 February, for a former 1 May round)
Jul 1, 2026
2026 portal deadline (the page states 1 October)
Oct 12, 2026
Results by email
January 2027
Next Kidneys for Life cut-off
Jul 1, 2027
Next ISN deadline
Oct 1, 2027