Funding: Academic Clinical Fellowships
3 March 2006
New Academic Clinical Fellowships providing fresh training opportunities for doctors and dentists with an interest in research and teaching have been announced today by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration and NHS-based Modernising Medical Careers team.
Universities, local NHS Trusts and Postgraduate Deaneries across England and Wales will host 104 programmes for the new Academic Clinical Fellowships. Over the next five years nearly 600 new Academic Clinical Fellowships will be created.
These Fellowships are a key part of new flexible and integrated training academic training schemes set out in the report 'Medically and dentally qualified academic staff: Recommendations for training the researchers and educators of the future'.
Wellcome Trust Director Dr Mark Walport, who chaired the group that produced the report, said:
"These new posts provide an unprecedented opportunity for the training of clinical academics. They offer flexible training pathways for doctors and dentists who want to combine a clinical career with research and educational work.
Research funders, the NHS and those who regulate clinical training must continue to work in close partnership to ensure the success of these new career pathways for the training of clinical academics."
The Academic Clinical Fellowships will support doctors and dentists in the early years of specialist training and help them to compete for a training fellowship for a higher degree. The Fellowships will part-fund the basic salary (25 per cent) and allow trainees to set aside time to develop academic skills. Funding is for a maximum of three years (four years for GPs).
The Research Capacity Development Programme website has a full list of the Fellowships on offer in England and Wales. Applications and appointments will be administered by local appointment committees across England and Wales.
