Post on 16-Dec-2015
Methodology Development
Three MRC Fellowship groups Non Clinical, Clinical and some of Strategic Skill fellowships
-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Career Development
Award
Senior Non-Clinical
CRTFClinician Scientist
Senior Clinical
ClinicalLectureship Senior Clinical
Lectureship
Population Health Science
Biomed informatics, Biostats, Economics of Health
Yrs Post PhD
MRC has a leading role and complementary partnerships in clinical research training
Specialist Training
Integrated Academic Training Path (England Only)
Academic Position
CCT
CSLA (112)
Further specialty/sub-specialty
training
Senior Clinical Fellowship / Chair
(94)
HEFCE
* There are also 14 NIHR fellowships and 1 MRC bioinformatics training fellowship at the more junior initial post-doctoral level
Academic Clinical
Fellowship (281)
NIHR NIHRClinical
Lectureship (207)
1 2 3 4 5Clinical Training
Following on from Academic
Foundation Year
Research Training
Fellowship (355)
Clinician Scientist
Fellowship*(142)
Fellowships: More than just a grant!
“My fellowship led directly to more opportunities and collaborations…”
MRC Clinician Scientist Fellow
• Resources • Protected time• Connections, networks• Potential to establish
competitive position
• Route to independence• Recognition• Influence
Great opportunities
Outstanding researchers
Example of partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences
£30k CL Starter Grants
3 month Policy Internships
Clinical Fellowships
Clinical Scientist fellowship• Aim to develop outstanding clinically
qualified professionals who have gained a PhD/DPhil to establish themselves as independent researchers.
• Up to 4 years' support (or 5 years if 40% clinical work involved)
• Support: fellow’s salary + research expenses (including research support staff) + travel
• Average cost per award = approximately £1m.
• www.mrc.ac.uk
Clinical Fellowships
Senior Clinical fellowship• Aimed at clinical researchers who are
independent researchers
• Must have a PhD/MD + at least 3 years post-doctoral research experience, and they must not hold a tenured academic position.
• 5 years support….
• Around £1.5-2.0m.
MRC Research Fellows
Fellowships
– The person
– The project
– The ‘place’
Grants
– The project / programme
– The people
– The ‘place (s)’
“The thing I enjoy so much is that my work has direct application to people…”
MRC/Academy of Medical Sciences Clinician Scientist
Great opportunities
Outstanding researchers
Working with industry: Potential benefits
“Ultimately, if you want to have a positive impact on patients, then you need
industry’s support.”
MRC Senior Non-Clinical Fellow
• Advancing shared interests
• Exchange of knowledge• Access to technologies• Access to quality-assured
libraries, banks• Route to translation• Understanding of
commercial needs & decision-making
Great opportunities
Great outcomes for MRC clinician PhDs (CRTFs) training in 1991
57% FMedSci
Professor34%
Reader7%Not
active10%
NHS Consultant38%
Senior Lecturer2%
Industry7%GP
2%
8 FMedSci
Great outcomes for clinician PhDs: Sample of 1993-2003 Clinical Research Training Fellows
• 88% of ex-fellows in academic posts are clinically active
• 65% spend >25% of time on clinical activities
• Most direct or lead research
• ~80% of ex-fellows in fully clinical posts are research active
• Most spend <25% of time on research
• Most contribute to research led by others
• 27% now hold a senior clinical position
• 65% now hold a senior academic position
In developing your career, choose carefully
• Early career researchers are not just ‘pairs of hands’
• Choose inspirational supervisors / leaders
• Take responsibility for your project
• Don’t go any old ‘Bad Project…!’
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl4L4M8m4d0
March 201213
Understand how peer review works
External referees
Committee scores & ranks
Reports & scores
Committee feedback
Shortlisting
3 per 3-yr Proposal
By Committee subgroup
National Institutes of Health (NIH)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBDxI6l4dOA
Learn from your mentors, peers & funders how peer review works
Writing fellowship & grant proposals
1. Don’t be boring (“So what?”)
2. Be ambitious, original and credible
3. Structure a clear, logical plan to achieve challenging objectives
4. Explain pilot data & others’ inputs
5. Risks are inevitable: Have a Plan B
6. Write clearly, for experts & non-experts in your field. Make your proposal easy to read!
7. Invite tough criticism from peers, mentors & friends before you submit
Excite & don’t annoy your reviewers