the wellcome trust’s support for clinical academics academic training day, imperial college london...

The Wellcome Trust’s Support for Clinical Academics

Academic Training Day, Imperial College London

17 November 2011

James HardenClinical Activities Manager

The talk

•Why do research ?

•The Wellcome Trust and its schemes

•Tips on writing a good application

•The interview

Academic Training Day, Imperial College London Wellcome Trust

Why do research?


Slide title here


GMC Good Medical Practice

•‘Good doctors make the care of their patients their first concern: they are competent, keep their knowledge and skills up to date, establish and maintain good relationships with patients and colleagues, are honest and trustworthy, and act with integrity’

•Themes covered under three headings relate to the doctor as…..

•A scientist and scholar•As a practitioner•As a professional

A new environment…Academic Training Day, Imperial College London Wellcome Trust

Collaboration & organisation• UK Clinical Research Collaboration• Office for Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research• NIHR• Ring-fenced fund for R&D• Tooke Report• Darzi – Next Stage Review

Infrastructure• Clinical Research Facilities• Clinical Research Networks• Biomedical Research Centres• Flexible Academic Career Pathways

Science• Genetics• Medical Imaging – physiology• Medical engineering• Genomic and proteomic analysis• e-health and informatics

The Wellcome Trust and its Schemes


The Wellcome Trust•Independent research-funding charity

•Established in 1936

•Funded from a private endowment

•Spend approx £600M/year on grants

•Our interests range from science to the history of medicine to public engagement

•Our vision is to achieve extraordinary improvements in human and animal health.

•Our mission is to support the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities.


Clinical Fellowships

Principal Research Fellowships

Senior Research Fellowships in Clinical Science

MB/PhD Postdoctoral Fellowships

Clinical PhD Programmes

Research Training Fellowships

Academic career development

Senior Investigator Awards

New Investigator Awards

Integrated Training Fellowship for Veterinarians

Veterinary Postdoctoral Fellowships

Early Career Postdoctoral Fellowships

Intermediate Clinical Fellowships

Academic Training Day, Imperial College London

Why Apply for a Fellowship?


• Allows protected research time

• All of our current Senior Clinical Fellows have previously held competitive fellowships from a major funder during their research career

Research Training Fellowships


• For medical, dental and veterinary graduates who have little or no research training but who wish to develop a career in academic medicine

• Applications from individuals who wish to undertake a high-quality research training leading to a PhD

• High-quality research project that balances provision of training with the opportunity to advance knowledge in a given area

• Research Training Fellowship – up to 3-year award (Clinical salary and research expenses)

Considered three times a year with interviews in December, March and June/July - no preliminary application.

Next deadline for full applications: 3 February 2012

PhD Programmes for CliniciansAcademic Training Day, Imperial College London Wellcome Trust

• Complement Research Training Fellowships

• Tailored to the unique needs of clinician-scientists

• Programmes provide:•a structured, well-mentored environments

•access to high-quality research environments

• 170 training slots over five years - 30-35 training slots available annually

•University of Oxford

•University of Cambridge

•Imperial College London

•University of Edinburgh

•University of Dundee

•University of Liverpool

•London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

•University of Birmingham

•Institute of Cancer Research

Interdisciplinary Training Programmes for Clinicians in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics


• High-quality integrated research training programmes for clinicians

• Will provide clinicians with the expertise to design and conduct studies that aim to develop and evaluate novel therapies in humans

• Partnerships: from a single academic institution and industrial partner

• Programmes provide a range of training opportunities tailored to a clinician's needs at several levels

• Imperial• Edinburgh• Cambridge• Newcastle

Who has been successful?


Postdoctoral opportunities and beyond…


•Postdoctoral Training Fellowship for MB/PhD Graduates

• Early Postdoctoral Training Fellowship forClinician Scientists

•Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers

•Intermediate Clinical Fellowship

•Senior Clinical Fellowship

Early Postdoctoral Training Fellowship for Clinician Scientists


•A new fellowship opportunity for the most promising clinician scientists who have recently obtained a higher degree.

•A chance to gain a postdoctoral research training in the best laboratories in the UK and overseas.

•Support for 3 years. Research time decreased to 50% in the final year to allow re-integration into clinical training.

•Three decision points per annum

Preliminary application deadline for Round 1:

21 November 2011

Intermediate Clinical Fellowships


• For outstanding individuals to continue to develop their research career through a period of post doctoral research training

• Will hold a PhD/MD and have published papers in good quality journals

• Four year award (fellowship salary and research expenses) for applicants who have completed, or are about to complete, their clinical training

• ‘Clinician Scientist’ five year award (fellowship salary and research expenses) allows applicant to complete clinical training

• Considered twice a year with interviews in December and June/July.

Next preliminary application deadline: 20 April 2012

Senior Clinical Fellowships


•For outstanding individuals of exceptional ability to continue their independent programmes of research

•4–~6 years’ postdoctoral research experience

•5-year award funded in full (fellowship salary and research expenses) by the Trust

•Renewable for five-year periods with 50% fellowship salary funded by the host institution

Tips on writing a good application


First hurdle: shortlisting


Before starting your application…


• Read the application form and guidance notes carefully and think about the answers to all the questions

• Check deadlines to avoid rushed applications and accept what the word “deadline” means e.g. it’s not necessarily ready to submit when you have finished with it as it must have been through your admin office too

• Queries? Concerns? Contact the Trust for advice. Also seek local expertise/advice: talk to current Fellows in your institution

A ‘Good’ Application – Part 1


• A strong and original central hypothesis• Evident knowledge of the area

Consider what’s already known, address conflicting opinions, use appropriate citations and references.

• Clear research plan Is the technical approach feasible? Is the timescale

realistic? What are the potential pitfalls and your fall-back plans? Are the requested resources appropriate?

• Convincing preliminary data• Not over- or under- ambitious• Appropriate expertise

A ‘Good’ Application – Part 2


• Easy to understand and read • Consider all readers, avoid jargon and

abbreviations; check grammar and spelling

• All staff, equipment and materials & consumables should be fully justified

• Animal use should be carefully justified and power calculations provided, where appropriate

• Should offer the very best value for money

The assessment criteria…Academic Training Day, Imperial College London Wellcome Trust

Fellowships: person, project, place: • Standing of the candidate, e.g. track record • Candidate’s suitability for the type of fellowship - e.g. vision of how the award will enhance their career developmentand their longer term aspirations• Importance of the research question• Relevance of background information• Strengths and weaknesses of application;

quality of science, feasibility. • Resources requested; are they appropriate?• Candidate’s choice of appropriate sponsor & what that location offers

Comparison with other applications of the same type

– it’s a competition

The interview


Before the interview


• Practice, practice, practice! No substitute

for mock interviews

• Know your application backwards

– own the project!

• Know recent data in the field

• Be prepared to give a concise summary of your proposed project and your research career to date

The interview itself


• Calm, confident, not cocky! Make a positive impression…

• Smile, make eye contact, remember to breath!

• Appearance does matter!

• No trick questions

• Listen carefully, and ensure you answer the question

posed, not something similar

• Answer concisely

• Be prepared to defend, know

when to concede

Final issues to consider


• Have I built a competitive CV?

• Do I have the right sponsor, supervisor and

mentor?

• Is this the ‘right’ project for me?

• When is the best time in my career to do

research?

• Am I being realistic?

• Will I enjoy it?

The last word


Check scheme details and deadlines well in advance.

Our website is a comprehensive source of information, but don’thesitate to contact the Trust Staff if you need advice.

www.wellcome.ac.uk

[email protected]

Good Luck!

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

the wellcome trust’s support for clinical academics academic training day, imperial college london...

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