1. Professor Anne Forster
A Career in Research
Professor Anne Forster

2. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both,
and I, I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.

3. Atypical career or Typical career?
Employed as Research Physiotherapist on a Stroke Association Grant; (“24 hour a day job”)
Used that work as a basis for a PhD
Wrote second grant =successful
Succession of short term contracts (17 years)

4. More, larger grants = more staff = need to win more grants!
Research Cycle
Win a grant
Implement
Write up
Write a grant
Lose a grant
More, larger grants = more staff = need to win more grants!

5. Requirements:
Compatible research colleagues
Good environment

6. Requirements: Burning desire Thick skinned and resilient Patience
Tenacity
Competitive
Keep focused/Opportunist
Multidisciplinary including patients

7. Career in Research
Research team in Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Part of University of Leeds
John Y appointed Chair, AF, Reader
Won MRC funding
Won NIHR funding
NIHR formed

9. National Institute for Health Research
Infrastructure
Clinical Research Facilities & Centres
Clinical Research Networks
Research
Research Projects & Programmes
Research Governance Systems
Research Information Systems
Systems
Patients & Public
Universities
Investigators & Senior Investigators
Associates
Faculty
Trainees
Research Units & Schools
NHS Trusts
National Institute for Health Research

10. National Institute for Health Research
Infrastructure
Clinical Research Facilities & Centres
Clinical Research Networks
Research
Research Projects & Programmes
Research Governance Systems
Research Information Systems
Systems
Patients & Public
Universities
Investigators & Senior Investigators
Associates
Faculty
Trainees
Research Units & Schools
NHS Trusts
National Institute for Health Research

11. National Institute for Health Research
Infrastructure
Clinical Research Facilities & Centres
Clinical Research Networks
Research
Research Projects & Programmes
Research Governance Systems
Research Information Systems
Systems
Patients & Public
Universities
Investigators & Senior Investigators
Associates
Faculty
Trainees
Research Units & Schools
NHS Trusts
National Institute for Health Research

12. Career in Research
“assist in the co-ordination and delivery of clinical research studies”
Recruitment of patients; quality assurance; data collection..
R & D Officers
Research Nurse
Research Managers
Lead Nurse
Research Delivery Manager
Chief Operating Officer
NIHR Clinical Research Network
Hospital Trusts

13. National Institute for Health Research
Infrastructure
Clinical Research Facilities & Centres
Clinical Research Networks
Research
Research Projects & Programmes
Research Governance Systems
Research Information Systems
Systems
Patients & Public
Universities
Investigators & Senior Investigators
Associates
Faculty
Trainees
Research Units & Schools
NHS Trusts
National Institute for Health Research

14. Infrastructure Research Systems Faculty
Clinical Research Facilities & Centres
Clinical Research Networks
Research
Research Projects & Programmes
Research Governance Systems
Research Information Systems
Systems
Patients & Public
Universities
Investigators & Senior Investigators
Associates
Faculty
Trainees
Research Units & Schools
NHS Trusts

15. Fellowships/Scholarships
A wide range of Fellowships
Postgraduate Fellowships
Postdoctoral Fellowships
For outstanding postdoctoral nurses and allied health professionals
Joint Stroke Association/ British Heart Foundation Clinical Study in Stroke
For clinicians specialising in stroke with a vascular link
Universities

16. Academic Career a dedication to their subject;
“Those interested in pursuing an academic career will benefit from the following:
a dedication to their subject;
resilience in the face of a tough job market;
confidence to deal with criticism;
stamina in the face of heavy demands especially in the
early stages of a career.”

17. Allied Health Professional
Research Career for an
Allied Health Professional
Drop in pay Short term contract
“Do not expect to come back here”
“Won’t last six months”
Negative perceptions of a career in research

18. Progress? Appointed: February 2006 Clinical Lead,
Yorkshire Stroke Research Network
Replacement advert: September 2014
“Other novel models will be considered for example a senior nurse or AHP may support the lead.”

19. Fantastic Research Community
Ask for help
Do appropriate scoping work
Be realistic and pragmatic
Take time to prepare well
Always work closely with patients and consumers

20. CRAG Group

21. Professor Anne Forster a.forster@leeds.ac.uk
A Career in Research
Professor Anne Forster
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE