1. Training & Career Development: MRC Clinical Fellowships and Awards Dr Paul Colville-Nash Programme Manager, Medical Research Council Academic Opportunities for Junior Doctors Imperial College, London 17 th November 2011

2. Encourage and support high-quality research with the aim of improving human health Produce skilled researchers Advance and disseminate knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness in the UK [and worldwide] Promote dialogue with the public about medical research MRC mission

3. MRC funding MRC funding for research - £758m (2009/10) 50% of funding is directly to MRC research establishments 3 institutes, 28 units (2 overseas) 50% of funding is to universities and centres 22 centres, research grants, training awards and fellowships £78m pa on training and career development People Supports 5,700 staff 350 research fellows and 1,500 students

4. Research Changes Lives MRC Strategic Plan 2009-2014 Over the next five years the MRC aims to support medical research which increases the pace of the transition to better health. We will achieve this through: Strategic Aim One: Picking research that delivers Strategic Aim Two: Research to people Strategic Aim Three: Going global Strategic Aim Four: Supporting scientists

5. Delivering MRC strategy New frontiers Stratified medicine Regenerative medicine Systems medicine Living a long and healthy life Mental health & wellbeing Lifestyle behaviours and health Global and population health E-health Infections Safeguarding the UK skills base Industry CASE PhD Industry Collaborative Postdoc Fellowships MRC Fellowship Priorities Integration of biological & engineering technologies Development & application of innovative maths & stats methods Innovative methods at the interface of preclinical & clinical medicine and in population health sciences Postdocs developing careers at the academic-industry interface

6. Discovery & Exploratory ResearchApplication & Delivery Research MRC leadHealth Departments’ lead Pharmacogenomics Animal/human models Regenerative medicine Genetics/genomics Structural biology Imaging Systems medicine Global health Ageing: lifecourse Stem cells Infections Population science Experimental medicine Methodology Global health Stratified medicine Public health E-health HTA Trials EME Trials (Late stage III) Programmes in Applied research Research for Patient Benefit Service Delivery and Organisation NIHR (England) CSO (Scotland) WORD (Wales) HSCNI (Northern Ireland) MRC & NIHR: Delivering research with societal and economic impact to benefit patients & the public

7. MRC’s positioning in research training & careers Our strategic focus Research leaders of tomorrow Strategic skills gaps At key stages of a career Our brand Excellence - of the individual, research & training Responsive Strategic partnerships (industry, OSCHR, charities) – Healthy relationships Adding value to the development of early career scientists Our positioning Different to other RCs Shared interests: Roberts agenda; interdisciplinary capacity building Differences: Clinical research & emphasis on postdoc training & careers Partnerships NIHR fellowships: enabling and applied research MRC, NIHR, Wellcome Trust, medical charities: coordination & leadership Remembering that potential fellows have choices!

8. MRC Clinical Research Fellows Potential research leaders of the future -Outstanding candidates (potential not just project)) -Vision (appropriate to their career stage) -Synergy between clinical & research training Development through excellent research Intellectually demanding Using advanced methods, skills & technologies Access to essential research facilities & resources Development in an excellent environment Inspirational leadership & supervision High quality and impact science Engagement in research translation Access to national & international excellence Great mentorship Enabling career choices and advancement As clinician and researcher

9. Research Fellowships Extraordinary opportunities An MRC fellowship enables you to do something truly out of the ordinary… Great outcomes MRC postdoc Clinical Fellows report More collaborations per award… More instances of further funding… More impact on policy Citation analyses Clinical Fellows’ papers more cited than ‘expected’ Career destinations Class of 1991: 17% are Fellows of the AMS (11/61)

10. Patrick Maxwell’s RTF class of ‘91

11. Our website www.mrc.ac.uk should be your first port of call

12. Opportunities for Clinical Scientists

13. Clinical Research Training Fellowships Early career entry for those with minimal previous lab experience Combining research with clinical training  2 clinical sessions/week (3 for surgeons)  12 month abeyance of award for concentrated training Personal salary Research expenses - £15K p.a. plus animal costs Overseas training allowance 2 rounds p.a. (Jan & Sept) Research overseas (1yr)/ 2nd UK Centre/UK Industrial Training Exceptionally, will provide post-doctoral “catch-up” time

14. Jointly Funded Clinical Research Training Fellowship Charities Alzheimers Society Asthma UK British Association of Dermatologists, British Skin Foundation British Infection Society British Lung Foundation, Mick Knight Mesothelioma Fund Chronic Granulomatous Disorder Research Trust Cystic Fibrosis Trust Kidney Research UK Fight For Sight MND Association Lady Edith Wolfson Fellowships Multiple Sclerosis Society Novo Nordisk UK Diabetes Research Foundation Pancreatic Cancer UK Prostate Cancer Charity Stroke Association Target Ovarian Ulverscroft Vision Research Group Royal Colleges Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Royal College of Ophthalmologists John Lee Fellowship Royal College of Physicians Dinwoodie Trust Royal College of Radiologists Royal College of Surgeons of England and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Welsh Assembly Clinical Research Training Fellowships

15. The MRC’s Clinician Scientist Fellowships aim to develop outstanding medically and other clinically qualified professionals who have gained a PhD/DPhil to establish themselves as independent researchers. They will demonstrate a rigorous and insightful approach to research, and the ability to relate their research to clinical medicine and to the improvement of health. They will have a clear sense of how they wish to develop their careers as clinicians and scientists and show the potential to become research and/or clinical leaders in the future. The proposed project and centre will provide valuable training experience and the applicant will gain generic and transferable skills Clinician Scientist Fellowship

16. The MRC’s senior clinical fellowships aim to develop outstanding medically and other clinically qualified professionals such that they become research leaders. They will have a strong track record of challenging, original and productive research; of effective collaboration; and of training in robust research methods and technologies. They will demonstrate scientific vision, insight and originality; the ability to relate their proposed research to clinical medicine and the potential to lead other scientists. It is expected that applicants’ clinical work helps to inform and strengthen their research work. There is not the same expectation to move centres. Senior Clinical Fellowships

17. 17 Not clear what impact the research will have (“so what…?”) “Worthy” “solid” (but dull) More of the same, duplicative, unambitious No clear hypothesis or important question Unfocused. Overambitious – too much, no clear plan Methodology insufficiently detailed, limitations not appreciated Lack of preliminary data / appropriate experience Modest publication record (for experienced researchers) Inadequate knowledge and expertise Lack of collaborators, supervision & mentorship Common reasons why proposals fail

18. 18 Being successful Understand the funder Science: remit and opportunities Administrative: Forms; CV; page length & number; finance & signatures… Be bold Ambitious, original… and NOT boring Plan well & be realistic You will be over-optimistic ! A complex study will roll out slower than you think. Agreements and authorisations will take time. Not everything will work. Clarify dependencies, risks and plan contingencies

19. 19 Being successful Discuss and learn Draw on experienced colleagues, mentors, research Board members, funding officials & patient groups Learn from “failure” and feedback (<25% of proposals may be funded) Present clearly: person, project, ‘place’ Be specific: what you aim to achieve, why and how You will need to inform and persuade a diverse audience Explain and justify research question / hypothesis design / strategy delivery (methods, collaborations, management); ethics resources

20. Remember… Your application will only be as strong as its weakest link Deliverability Resources Design Need & Potential for Impact Ethics

21. Overview: Applying for Your Grant 1.Plan your options vis-à-vis published Fellowship competitions & dates Advertised 1 or 2x pa 2.Identify remit/scope, eligibility, criteria, process & dates. 3.Develop proposal well ahead: take advice 4.Applications forms = web-based 5.Submission through web, CD or internet. Sign off = critical 6.Admin check by funder. 3-5 expert referees assigned. Referees write report & score Shortlisting by referees’ scores 25-50% declined Panel Meeting Two(+) designated Panel members present the proposal Discussion Scoring Ranking Outcome within days

22. Clinical Scientist Fellows Senior Clinical Fellows Years post PhD 50 awards (+8 Clin Pharm/Path) 10 3 Clinical Research Training Fellowships Clinical Training / CL Clinical Training / ACF Clinical Training / SCL MRC Fellowships for Clinical Researchers 2009/10 -3 -2 0123456789

23. Thank you! Contacts General Enquiries MRCPolicyandOps@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk Scientific queries via Programme Managers Details on MRC web-site under each Research Board ( http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Ourresearch/Boardpanelsgroups/index.htm )