Junior clinical academic roles at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals
The Clinical Academic Career Development Programme is seeking to fund the research component (50%) of 2-3 non-medical Junior Clinical Academic roles at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, using funding obtained for one year from the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity.
These pre-doctoral posts will be within clinical departments at the hospitals, and will have a 50% clinical, 50% research role. The clinical component will be funded by the applying department, and the research component by this scheme.
Applications are open to cases where the post will be filled by an existing member of staff as a one-year secondment, but also to areas which wish to use this funding to create and advertise a fixed term clinical academic role. Support will be available with developing job specifications if required (see FAQ 11 below).
The application must be made by the proposed line manager of the role. The programme will accept more than one application per clinical area.
The expectation is that at the end of funding, the post holder will have gained experience and skills in research and will have made an application for further doctoral or pre-doctoral funding.
You can read more about last year's awardees here.
For more information on the programme and application process, including costing support, please contact us at clinicalacademic@rbht.nhs.uk.
Download the application form here. Please also complete the equality monitoring form.
Submissions will be accepted until midnight on 24 October 2022. Please send your completed application and equality monirtoring form to clinicalacademic@rbht.nhs.uk.
The line manager of the proposed role should make the application, with support from a research supervisor as appropriate.
These posts must be based at the Royal Brompton or Harefield hospitals.
The clinical portion of role should be an NHS salaried post at one of these two hospitals. Honorary appointments are not eligible. The research role must be pre-doctoral.
The roles are Band 5-7 and must be for a non-medical healthcare professional. The research component will be matched to the clinical salary (in terms of banding and step).
When a candidate is already in post but their suitability is uncertain, please send their brief CV to clinicalacademic@rbht.nhs.uk no later than 10 October and their eligibility will be assessed. Candidate CV’s will not be reviewed beyond this date so please engage early.
Application window opens: 26 September 2022
Application window closes: 24 October 2022, midnight
Submission outcome: Before 30 November 2022
50% of a Band 5-7 post. The research component must be at the same WTE as the clinical component. For example, if the candidate works at 0.8 WTE, they can apply for funding to support 0.4 WTE of the role.
1 year from start of post, see FAQ 12 for expected timelines.
The proposals will be judged on several criteria including:
- The support available to the candidate to develop as a clinical academic
- The potential to apply for further academic funding
- The scope for the development of clinical academic roles within the department
- The research training available.
1. What is a clinical academic role?
A clinical academic role is a role split between providing clinical services to patients as a healthcare professional, and undertaking research that impacts and improves patient care, outcomes or experience. Clinical academics can be drawn from any healthcare background, not just medical doctors, and frequently undertake doctoral and post-doctoral study as they progress through their career. This scheme is specifically aimed at pre-doctoral non-medics working across the two hospitals.
2. How many posts are being funded?
This will depend on the banding of the posts but is expected to be 2-3 posts across the two hospitals.
3. Are there any examples of previous awardees?
You can read about last year's awardees here.
4. Can a cost extension be applied for at the end of the 12 month funding?
No. Funding is exclusively for 12 months. Beyond this, applicants are expected to have applied for external fundign to support their salary and any other research costs.
5. I’m a line manager and I’d like to create this as a new role without a candidate in place, will that disadvantage my application?
No, applications are encouraged for new roles to be advertised as well as cases with a candidate in place.
6. We have a great role and project plan but don’t have strong university links and a proposed academic organisation, does this mean we can’t apply?
No, but we would expect links with a higher education institution to be developed during the project, and we can provide help with this. Please contact clinicalacademic@rbht.nhs.uk for further details.
7. Can the role be part time?
Yes, although the 50:50 split between clinical and research much be preserved for the 12-month duration. Applying departments will need to provide assurances on award that they can commit to protecting the 50% research component.
8. I would like a clinical academic role but I don’t have the support of my line manager, can I apply anyway?
Unfortunately, these roles are a joint clinical-research role so we would need the support of the clinical area for them to go ahead. However, please do contact us at clinicalacademic@rbht.nhs.uk if you find yourself in this situation as we may be able to offer further advice.
9. I work at the hospitals but I’m university salaried rather than NHS salaried, can I apply?
At this time the funding is only for NHS posts substantively employed within Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, but if you would like further advice on moving into a clinical academic role please do contact us at clinicalacademic@rbht.nhs.uk.
10. Can clinical areas put in multiple applications?
Yes, multiple applications can go in from a department or clinical area. However, these roles will be considered individually rather than as a programme of work.
11. Is there support available for writing job descriptions or person specifications for research roles?
Yes, please contact clinicalacademic@rbht.nhs.uk.
12. Does the further funding application have to be made during the year?
We expect candidates to make their application within the 12 months of the award, or directly in the 3 months following it. For applications to the NIHR’s Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) funding stream, the suggested timelines for each appropriate award are below.
Obviously for some clinical areas other funders (such as the Medical Research Council) may be more appropriate, in this instance we would expect a similar plan to be drawn to match their schedules.
For those aiming for the NIHR's ICA Predoctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (PCAF):
Notification of Clinical Academic Career Development Programme award: November 2022
Candidate in post / start of award: no later than March 2023
End of Award: no later than March 2024
PCAF submission: March 2024
For those aiming for the NIHR’s ICA Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF):
Notification of Clinical Academic Career Development Programme award: November 2022
Candidate in post / start of award: Between March - June 2023
End of Award: no later than June 2024
DCAF submission: June 2024