Academic Clinical Fellowships
Clinical speciality training posts in medicine which incorporate clinical and academic training, allowing ambitious trainees to develop research areas suitable for a higher research degree (like a PhD or DM by Research).
The posts provide funded time and supervision for fellows to work on projects that will enable them to apply for external funding to undertake doctoral fellowships with supervision from one of our leading research groups.
The University of Nottingham’s ACF programme posts are funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and are part of the NIHR Integrated Academic Training Programme. We work with Health Education England in the East Midlands which governs clinical training and progression.
Apply for an Academic Clinical Fellowship
The programme
The Nottingham ACF posts are designed to integrate your academic training into your clinical training such that progression in clinical training is continued, with time and support to work on an ambitious research project.
The ACF programme is typically spread over three years (full time equivalent (FTE)) in which you will spend:
- 75% of your time in specialist clinical training
- 25% of your time in research or educationalist training
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply if you:
- are medically qualified
- have successfully completed Foundation training or equivalent
- are at the early stages of your speciality training
- have a strong academic and research interest and background
- are able to demonstrate outstanding potential for a career as a clinical academic
- have a research interest and potential plan in keeping with the specifications of the advertised post
Benefits and opportunities of the ACF programme
Academic supervision and mentorship
- Academic training programme director (senior academic in your medical speciality)
- Mentorship from CATP leads and other academics
- Structured supervision programme and oversight
Facilities and funding
- Office and computer-based facilities at the university
- Associate access to School of Medicine infrastructural support including software, library services and laboratories
- Dedicated administrative team to support training and supervision
- £1,000 a year bursary
Additional training opportunities
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Fully funded places to attend research skills courses including Grant Writing training, the Nottingham Systematic Review Course and Translational Medicine Training Programme
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Free access to all University of Nottingham NTRANS courses
Support for applying to Doctoral Fellowships
- Administrative support for seeking funding (eligibility checks, scope and funder strategy)
- Developing the application (defining the research question, patient and public involvement, Intellectual Property review, linking with NHS/Research Support Service/industry/developing partnerships)
- Support with the application process, bid review, peer review and submission (finances, navigating funder portals, writing institutional supporting statements/letters of support, authorisations/approvals)
- Arranging mock interviews and challenge panels
The NIHR CATP is an excellent opportunity for surgical trainees to build a career in academic surgery. Our previous ACFs have all completed higher degrees.
Don't take our word for it - see what our current ACFs are doing
Find out more about each speciality and the academics who work within it via the pages linked below.
We also offer ACFs in:
How to apply
Posts are advertised nationally on the website for doctors in training in October and November each year. The posts begin in August the following year. For example, posts for 2024 were advertised in 2023.
Find out more about Health Education England in the Midlands
Find out more about the NIHR guidance for completing an ACF post
Apply online for an Academic Clinical Fellowship