Fellowships scheme offers research opportunities for healthcare staff

17 December 2018

NHS staff who are interested in developing their academic careers are being encouraged to apply for a research fellowship.

Funded by Imperial Health Charity and the Imperial NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, research fellowships worth up to £65,000 are available for healthcare staff.

The scheme is open to both medics and healthcare professionals outside of medicine who are members of staff at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships are available.

Applications for this year's programme close on Thursday 31 January 2019.

Professor Waljit Dillo, professor in endocrinology and metabolism at Imperial College London, said: "The research fellowships are a great opportunity for people who want to get involved in research but haven’t had much experience before. This is an amazing opportunity, it’s unique, and it’s only for Trust staff."

Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of  the scheme. Since 2009, more than 50 fellowships have been awarded, worth over £2.5 million in funding.

Projects have included research into new diagnostic techniques and treatments, self-management and aftercare, service delivery and team dynamics.

At the heart of the scheme is a drive to make a lasting, positive impact on patient care at the Trust.

You can hear about the experiences of some of our recent fellows in a new video, which explains how a research fellowship can help develop your academic career.

Among them is specialty registrar Dr Neil Graham, whose research into the links between head injury and dementia was funded by the charity.

He said: "I was really keen to find a way of getting into clinical research alongside my training in neurology but it can be very difficult to find a full PhD fellowship to support a project for three years.

"It’s been a fantastic experience and something I would recommend to anyone that’s interested in doing clinical research. The work that we’re generating as a result of the fellowship is really important and it’s got a strong potential to change practice and improve patient care."

To find out more about the research fellowships programme and how you can apply, click here.