Clinical research career developmentIan HallChair, MRC Clinical Training Fellowship Panel

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