Pre-Doctoral fellowships: why, what, how?

Why do a pre-doctoral fellowship? Protected time to develop research skills, undertake preliminary research and prepare for a doctoral application and/or funding bid Foundation for a clinical academic career Opportunity to build networks and collaborations research CV confidence and skills

Key points Part or full salary (NB backfill required) Time out of current role Funds for training (usually) 3 Ps Person Project Place

Common to all Fellowships are as much about the applicant and the host institution as they are about the research itself Applicants need to demonstrate that they are serious about a clinical academic pathway Online submission, so early registration and familiarisation is essential Signatories may also have to register and need time Won’t accept applications after the specific deadline i.e. midday on xxx

Things to remember It takes time – start as early as you can Get support early – mentor, supervisor, manager, finance, signatories READ THE GUIDANCE DOCUMENT Make time for peer review and changes Don’t leave everything till the last minute Thank people who have helped you Let them know the outcome Rejection is common – it doesn’t mean you don’t have the potential and won’t get it next time!

Different fellowships NIHR PCAF – Pre-doctoral clinical fellowship – open February, deadline April Imperial Healthcare Charity / BRC Pre-doctoral fellowship – open October, deadline January RM Partners fellowship – open now https://rmpartners.nhs.uk/pan-london-cancer-research-fellowships-available-for-2019-20/

NIHR PCAF Eligibility Applicants must belong to one of ICA programme’s eligible professions have one year’s experience post graduation be employed in the NHS (or other free at point of use healthcare provider) spend at least 50% of time delivering healthcare services free at point of use May already have Master’s degree but not expected www.nihr.ac.uk

NIHR PCAF - Organisational context Partnership between NHS and HEI Clinical & Academic hosts required but only one employing organisation (can be either host) Host organisations must show commitment to the fellow’s academic training Host organisation statement Approval of ‘Clinical Support’ person Sign off by Head of Department

What the NIHR PCAF offers 50% salary (including on-costs) – F/T or P/T < £5,000 towards Master’s level training may ask for supplementary funding if a whole Masters is needed <£1,000 bursary for conference/meeting expenses <£1,000 towards supervision & mentorship costs NO research costs

What you have to do CV – qualifications, jobs, grants, publications, prizes/awards, ORCID ID Research career (1000 words) Training and development programme (1000 words) Supervisor (1000 words) Research support (600 words) Collaborations (500 words) Host organisation statement (1000 words) Detailed budget

Research career Aptitude, commitment to a research career & research leadership potential Involvement in / contribution to research Methods experience Leadership Teaching, supervision PPI Research skills and training

Training and development - think BESPOKE Tailored to specific needs and fully justified Formal courses e.g. MSc modules Short skills courses / workshops e.g. Stats, Qualitative research, Leadership Placements with other research groups Conferences Preliminary research may be conducted Application for competitive doctoral fellowship is expected

Assessment criteria the quality of the academic training the provision of a strong academic environment the suitability and commitment of the applicant to a career as a clinical academic the arrangements for ensuring protected time for the applicant to undertake the academic training proposed coupled with ensuring the continuation of clinical service demonstrable track record of the host Academic Higher Education Institute (HEI) Department in training clinicians who have gone on to develop academic careers

Imperial Charity Up to £65,000 over 12 months FT or 24 months PT Open to ICHT employees only – medics & healthcare professionals outside of medicine, including Clinical Research Practitioners 1. Personal details 2. Project summary and research proposal 3. Supervisor 4. Fit with the charity’s strategic objectives 5. Project outcomes and career plans 6. Project costs 7. Application support and declarations

Charity’s Strategic Objectives to improve patient care, safety and experience to enhance the Trust/ NIHR Imperial BRC as a leader in clinical research, education and service development to improve the health status of the local community, including patients and staff, and address health inequalities

Pan-London Cancer Research Fellowships Full time (12 months) or part time over longer period Research project briefs submitted by potential supervisors early diagnosis; reducing variation; cancer in older people; living with and beyond cancer; end of life & palliative care Applicants contact supervisor and discuss Supervisor selects preferred applicant Joint application submitted Interview shortlisted applicants

Think about YOU – research & clinical experience, responsibilities & role, career ambitions Your SUPPORT – who, what, why, when Your TRAINING – what, why, when Your RESEARCH – purpose, background, research plan, timescale, potential problems (supported by evidence) Your COSTS – salary, training, research expenses (checked carefully by finance) JUSTIFY everything – costs, support and supervision, training

The whole package You Host Training Supervision Mentorship

I would say definitely some positives! Experiences so far…. Although it was extremely stressful as the deadline was within a very short tight frame and there was no example of a previously filled out application form to look at, it was also an interesting exercise - particularly having to find the right courses to attend - and in terms of receiving support and positive comments from other/senior clinicians/managers. I would say definitely some positives!

Experiences so far… It was certainly an added pressure to an already busy schedule, but provided a great opportunity for me to get to know different academics and research support staff within the trust. I was able to work with senior clinical academics to develop a loose plan of a PhD topic (for into the future), and plan for what skills/training I would need to make that work. It was also beneficial as a reflective episode; I really checked in with what I had done in the past and surprised myself that I actually had a stronger research background than I thought! Finally, the process of completing the application was useful – and hopefully great practice for doing this into the future.

mary.wells5@nhs.net