dr kieran lee - nihr research training opportunities

NIHR Research Training Opportunities

Dr Kieran Lee

NIHR TCC

The research arm of the NHS

• The NIHR

• Career Pathways

• NIHR Fellowships Programme

• HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Programme

• NIHR Integrated Academic Training Programme

– Academic Clinical Fellowships

– Clinical Lectureships

– Clinician Scientist Award

• Grants

– AMS Starter Grants

– Research for Patient Benefit

Overview

www.nihr.ac.uk

National Institute for Health Research

The research arm of the NHS

• Established in 2006 as a vehicle for

implementing Government’s strategy

for applied health research

• £1b annual spend

Vision

• To improve the health and wealth of

the nation through research

www.nihr.ac.uk

www.nihr.ac.uk

The NIHR Health Research System

Infrastructure

Clinical Research

Facilities, Centres &

Units

Clinical Research

Networks

Research

Research Projects &

Programmes

Research Management

Systems

Research Information

Systems

Systems

Patients

&

Public

Universities

Investigators &

Senior Investigators Associates

Faculty

Trainees

Research Schools

NHS Trusts

www.nihr.ac.uk

The Research Pathway

• People and patient based clinical, applied health, or social care research

• Patients, samples or data from patients, people who are not

patients, populations, health technology assessment or health

services research

• No basic research or work involving animals and/or animal tissue

• Clearly demonstrate the potential to have an impact on the needs

of patients and the public within 5 years of its completion

• NIHR is also prepared to support research into medical

education

– Decoupled from ‘patient benefit within 5 years’ criterion but

must have practical application: www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/medical-education-research.htm

NIHR Remit

www.nihr.ac.uk

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/medical-education-research.htm





If the work involves biomarkers:

• research that tests whether application of new knowledge can

improve treatment or patient outcomes, and has obvious

potential benefit within 5 years, is within remit; this might include

application of known biomarkers, or other prognostic factors, to

refine and test novel therapeutic strategies.

• research that aims only to elucidate mechanisms underpinning

disease, or identify risk factors for disease or prognosis

(including search for biomarkers) is out of remit.

NIHR Remit

www.nihr.ac.uk

NIHR Research Career Pathways

www.nihr.ac.uk

NIHR Fellowships Programme

www.nihr.ac.uk

Personal research training awards www.nihr.ac.uk/fellow

The funding covers:

• Salary

• Full tuition fees (for PhD at Doctoral level)

• Research costs

• Full training and development programme

• Awards are 3 yrs FT (PT options of 75% or 60%), or up to 5 years

for SRF

• Can be based at HEI or NHS Trust

• Annual competition for all levels

• Round 9 launch October/November 2015

• Shortlisting ~ April 2016

• Interviews ~ June/July 2016

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/fellow

Postdoctoral Fellowship

NIHR PDF

• Early postdoctoral fellowship

(≤ 3 yrs WTE post-doctorate)

• 3 yrs FT (4 or 5 yrs PT)

Applicant

• PhD/MD or have submitted and been

awarded by 29th April 2016 (for Round

9 applicants)

• Output from research

• Evidence of commitment to research

career

Doctoral Research Fellowship

NIHR DRF

• Doctoral training award

• 3 yrs FT (4 or 5 yrs PT)

Applicant

• Some previous research

experience

• Some outputs from research

• Evidence of commitment to

research career


www.nihr.ac.uk

Senior Research Fellowship

NIHR SRF

• Most senior NIHR fellowship

• 5 years ( Chair)

Applicant

• Significant postdoctoral experience

• Outstanding publication record

• Independence

• Leadership potential

• Record of research capacity

• development

Career Development Fellowship

NIHR CDF

• Later postdoctoral award

(≤ 7 yrs WTE post-doctorate)

• 3 years FT (4 or 5 years PT)

Applicant

• PhD/MD and postdoctoral

experience

• Significant output from research

• Evidence of increasing

independence

• Experience of developing research

skills of others


www.nihr.ac.uk

Transitional Research Fellowship

NIHR TRF

• Postdoctoral award (≤ 5 yrs WTE post-doctorate)

• 18 – 24 month duration (FT or PT)

Applicant

• PhD/MD and maybe postdoctoral experience

• Individuals from any scientific discipline wanting to contribute to improving

health or healthcare. E.g.

• basic or experimental scientists moving to applied health or clinical

research

• Applied clinical or health researchers on a significant career break with

clear training needs

• Proposed research must be within the NIHR remit


www.nihr.ac.uk

Doctoral Research

Post Doctoral

Career Development

Senior Research

Transitional Research

Total

Round 3 (Awarded 2010)

158 32

59 7

35 4

10 1

- 262 44


155 28

82 16

58 11

19 2

- 314 57


217 34

105 16

41 6

19 2

- 382 58


185 30

86 15

44 5

19 3

3 1

337 54


185 34

99 11

55 10

10 0

18 3

367 58


162 33

96 11

61 8

11 2

5 0

335 54



www.nihr.ac.uk

www.nihr.ac.uk

Personal Training awards for Non-Medical Clinical Academic

Healthcare Professionals

HEE/NIHR ICA Programme

• Healthcare Scientists

• Allied Health Professionals

• Nurses

• Midwifes

• Health Visitors

• Dental professions

• Pharmacists

• Osteopaths

• Optometrists

• Clinical Psychologists

• Operating Department Practitioners

• and others! (contact ICA Team if unsure)

Eligible Professions Include:

www.nihr.ac.uk/hee-ica

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/hee-ica



www.nihr.ac.uk

Masters in Clinical Research

• HEIs are given funding to

advertise and award places

• Until 2017, 100 studentships

per annum are available

• 1 yr FT or 2 yrs PT

• Studentships are only

available to NHS/publicly

funded healthcare provider

employees

• Studentships cover backfill

costs and course fees

Hosts

10 places each per annum

The University of Manchester

University of Nottingham

University of Leeds

The City University London

University of Southampton

University of Brighton

Kingston University London

University of Plymouth

University of East Anglia

Coventry University


www.nihr.ac.uk


Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship

• PhD while working and developing clinically

• 3 years FT (4 or 5 years PT)

• Covers salary, PhD tuition fees, research costs, and training &

development costs (both professional and academic)

Applicant

• Must be based at an English NHS Trust, HEI or other healthcare organisation

• Must have at least 1 year of professional experience and Fellows must hold

current registration

• Research experience/training that prepares for a PhD

• Evidence of commitment to a clinical academic career

• Good clinical and academic support

www.nihr.ac.uk

Clinical Lectureship

• Postdoctoral award

• Clinical practice and academic research

(50:50)

• 3 yr FT (4 or 5 years PT)

• ˂5 years WTE postdoctoral research

experience

• Min 1 year WTE in clinical practice,

current registration and PhD

• Up to 50% of salary plus full research,

training and development costs

Senior Clinical Lectureship

• Senior (pre-Chair) award

• Clinical practice and academic research

(50:50)

• 5 yr FT or PT

• >5 years WTE clinical experience and

high research output

• Up to 50% of salary plus full research,

training and development costs

• Excellent or exceptionally promising track

record as clinical academic researcher

(outputs & grants)


ICA awards require support from a partnership of an English HEI and an

NHS trust, which must both commit to support the applicant post award.

www.nihr.ac.uk

Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship


Senior Clinical Lectureship

Annual competition for all levels Launch – March 2016

Close – May 2016

Shortlisting ~ September

Interviews ~ November/December

Queries: [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

www.nihr.ac.uk


Clinical Doctoral

Research Fellowship Clinical Lectureship

Senior Clinical

Lectureship

Round 3

(2012/13)

65 applied

12 awarded

18 applied

6 awarded

13 applied

6 awarded

Round 4

(2013)

62 applied

20 awarded

14 applied

6 awarded

3 applied

1 awarded

Round 5

(2014)

78 applied

15 awarded

10 applied

4 awarded

5 applied

0 awarded

ICA Round 1

(2015) 84 applied 21 applied 7 applied

CA

T

Webinar

• Tuesday 10th November

• 11 am start!

• Check the ICA webpages for details of how to register

next week www.nihr.ac.uk/hee-ica

• Overview of the Programme

• Trainee perspective

• Hints and tips for applying

www.nihr.ac.uk





Know the process and the remit

• Look at the website

• Read the guidance

• Contact NIHR TCC with any queries

• Don’t add PPI as an afterthought!

Know your audience

• Look up previous award holders, panel members, topics

Start early

• Identify supervisors and collaborators

• Talk to the NIHR Research Design Service http://www.rds.nihr.ac.uk/

• Talk to current awards holders, senior academics, methodologists,

finance office, colleagues etc.

Pre-application advice

www.nihr.ac.uk

http://www.rds.nihr.ac.uk/

http://www.rds.nihr.ac.uk/

Application advice: assessment criteria

Person

• Trajectory

• Career outputs

Project (programme of research)

• Scientific quality, methodological rigour

• Appropriate scale, scope, and impact

Training and Development

• Meets needs of candidate and project

Place (host environment, supervisor(s), mentor)

• RAE rating

• Track record in relevant field

• Time and commitment

www.nihr.ac.uk

Online application system

To Apply follow the link to access application forms and supporting

documentation: https://tcci.nihr.ac.uk

www.nihr.ac.uk

https://tcci.nihr.ac.uk/

• Register on TCCi as soon as the round opens

• Liaise with your local finance office and required signatories in

advance of the deadline

• Give full consideration to your Plain English Summary and Patient

and Public Involvement sections

• Have your application peer reviewed before you submit

• Review the guidance notes (again)

• Do a comprehensive spelling and grammar check

Do not miss the deadline!

Fellowships = 1pm Wednesday 20th January 2016

Application Submission

www.nihr.ac.uk

Practice

• Mock interviews are usually the worst

Presentation

• Not too many slides

• Don’t go over time

Behaviour

• It is OK to be nervous

• Confident but not over confident

• Don’t get defensive

• Admit what you don’t know and be happy to take advice

• Relax and be yourself

Interview

www.nihr.ac.uk

The project

• Know it inside and out

• Has anything altered since submission?

• Know the methods and identify the expertise

• Think through alternatives

Training and Development

• Identify your training needs

• How will the training support your project and future career

intentions

The future you

• Be clear where you want to be

• What does this fellowship mean to your career?

Interview

www.nihr.ac.uk

Remit

• Failure to show that research addresses important areas for the

NHS and will produce results that are likely to generate significant

and quantifiable benefit for NHS patients and/or the public within 5

years of the funding period.

Clarity & Details

• Research questions not clear; don’t show the relevance of the aims

and objectives; not enough detail and depth.

Overambitious

• Research programme not suitable for a Post-doc; not achievable

within time frame.

Common weaknesses

www.nihr.ac.uk

Applicant

• Person not quite experienced enough for level they are applying

(research outputs, independence, etc.); not your project

Training

• Programme too generic and not suited/specific to the applicant’s

needs and project; too centred around host organisation.

Value for Money

• Budget unrealistic and/or failure to justify requested resources.

Common weaknesses

www.nihr.ac.uk

If in doubt

ASK!

www.nihr.ac.uk


www.nihr.ac.uk

Integrated Academic Training for Doctors and Dentists

www.nihr.ac.uk

NIHR ACF NIHR CL

NIHR & others

PhD

Fellowships

Other CL

NIHR & others

Clinician

Scientist

CCT

Clinical

Academics

Clinicians

Clinicians with

Research PAs

www.nihr.ac.uk/iat

http://thebrodskyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/academic-medicine.jpg

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/iat

Institutional awards

Apply to LETB/NHS/University

• NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF)

• NIHR Academic Clinical Lectureship (CL)

Personal awards

Apply to NIHR TCC for funding

• NIHR In-Practice Fellowship (IPF)

• NIHR Clinician Scientist Award (CS)


www.nihr.ac.uk

Academic Clinical Fellowship

www.nihr.ac.uk/acfs

• Academic and clinical training

• For entrants to specialty training

• 3 yr award, 25% academic research

• Support in making application for training fellowship

leading to higher degree

• 4 yrs for GPs to CCT

• £1000 pa bursaries

• Structured Research Training Programme (RTP)

April 2009 - £1000 for travel

September 2009 –research training

programme


www.nihr.ac.uk

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/acfs


www.nihr.ac.uk/cls

• Postdoctoral award

• 50% academic and 50% clinical

• ST3 and above

• 4 yr award duration, or until you reach CCT, whichever

is sooner

• £1000 pa bursaries


www.nihr.ac.uk

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/cls

Clinician Scientist Award

www.nihr.ac.uk/cs

• Postdoctoral award, 5 years duration (open to StRs/SpRs/consultants)

• Applicants retain clinical duties appropriate for gaining CCT

• Up to 4 NHS clinical sessions per week post CCT

• Pays for salary, research costs and training

• Pays research assistant salary (3 years only)

Applicant

• PhD/MD (or have submitted) with good output from research

• Evidence of commitment to research career

• Expectation of ongoing employment at the end of award

Launch annually (Round 16 ~ May 2016, Closing ~ July 2016)


www.nihr.ac.uk

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/cs


www.nihr.ac.uk

NIHR Clinician Scientist Award, 2010-2014

Eligible Candidates Shortlisted for

Interview Fundable Awarded

Rounds Medical Dental Medical Dental Medical Dental Medical Dental

Round 10, 2010 21 2 11 2 5 2 5 2

Round 11, 2011 28 2 10 1 6 1 6 1

Round 12, 2012 29 0 12 0 6 0 6 0

Round 13, 2013 25 1 12 0 6 0 6 0

Round 14, 2014 20 1 11 1 6 1 5 1

http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/careers/funding-schemes/starter-grants/

£30K award, 1-2 yr duration

Eligibility

• Be a research-active Clinical Lecturer and hold an NTN or NTN(A).

• Have a PhD or MD.

• Hold a medical or dental undergraduate degree and be registered

with the General Medical Council or General Dental Council.

• Be within higher specialty training.

• Have secured protected research time throughout the proposed

project.

www.nihr.ac.uk

AMS Starter Grants







www.nihr.ac.uk/rfpb

• Response-mode funding programme for small grants

• Maximum award £350k for up to 3 yrs

• Overall programme funding of up to £25 million per

year

• Awards made to NHS organisations in England with

subcontracts to academic partners

• 8 Regional Advisory Committees and a national

Programme Director

• 3 funding competitions per year

• 2 stage application process

• > 520 awards made to date totalling

over £100m

Research for Patient Benefit

www.nihr.ac.uk

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/rfpb

www.nihr.ac.uk

NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre Leeds Innovation Centre 103 Clarendon Road Leeds LS2 9DF Tel: 0113 346 6260 Fax: 0113 346 6272 http://www.nihr.ac.uk/development @OfficialNIHR We’re currently tweeting our top tips for applying – check out our twitter feed @NIHR_Trainees

NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/the-trainees-coordinating-centre.htm

dr kieran lee - nihr research training opportunities

Health & Medicine