Welcome
Integrated academic training programmes ensure trainees have protected time to pursue a research interest and acquire research skills in parallel with your clinical training. Routes of entry into an academic training programme include the Academic Foundation Programme (AFP), Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) and Clinical Lectureship (CL) which is can be funded locally or by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). These are clinical specialty training posts that incorporates academic training programmes in host academic institution, in partnership with local NHS organisations and Trusts and is aimed at doctors who are considering a career path in clinical academic medicine.
Academic Foundation Doctors (AFD) follow the same curriculum to attain the same outcomes as other foundation doctors but in addition, undertake academic research.
Academic Clinical Fellows (ACF) can be appointed at ST1, ST2 or ST3 level and is for a maximum of 3 years. The trainee combines clinical and academic training, which is geared towards applying for PhD fellowship. ACFs spend 75% of their time in clinical training and 25% of their time in academic research.
Clinical Lecturers (CL) spend 50% of their time in clinical training and 50% on academic research. This is funded for up to 4 years and the trainee must hold a PhD.
Full details of available ACF posts, application deadlines and interviews can be found here or via Oriel.
Aims of Academic Training 
AFDs learn how to formulate a research question, review the literature and write a research proposal as well as gain experience of patient recruitment, data collection and case record form completion according to good clinical practice, as well as presentation skills and report/manuscript writing.
ACFs obtain training in specific clinical and relevant research methods including study design, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and interpretation of research findings.
ACFs develop and submit a research proposal for an externally funded research training fellowship in national competition, applying to relevant funding bodies.
There is flexible and should be discussed with the educational supervisor or head of school. Examples include:
- 3 months block every 12 month period over 3 years, OR
- 6 month block in the 2nd year and 3 month block in the 3rd year, OR
- One day per week.
Norwich Academic Training Office (NATO)
Professor Alastair Watson
Chair, Norwich Academy Training Office
Professor of Translational Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology
To find out more about NATO, click here
Cambridge Academic Training Office (CATO)
Professor Brian Huntly
Director, Clinical Lectureship programme
Professor of Leukaemia Stem Cell Biology, Department of Haematology
Dr Charlotte Summers
Director, Academic Clinical Fellowship Programme
University Lecturer in Intensive Care Medicine, Honorary Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine, Research Lead for the John V Farman Intensive Care Unit
Professor Andrew W McCaskie
Director, Academic Foundation Programme
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research Director, Division of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
To find out more about CATO, click here
A Guide for TPD's.
Foundation:
This is covered here: https://heeoe.hee.nhs.uk/foundation/foundation-recruitment/academic-training
NIHR funded Academic Trainee:
- Basic salary funded totally by NIHR
- Supernumerary- these trainees are additional to the training program.
- TPD must ensure that clinical training can be supported and where appropriate, out of hours component will be paid by the trust
Locally funded Academic trainee:
- Funded by university/ industry
- Not supernumerary for clinical purposes. These trainees are within the training program.
- They are supernumerary for their research period.
Types of Academic Trainees:
Academic Clinical Fellow
- Three year post
- Starts at ST1-ST3 equivalent
- 75% clinical, 25% research
- Research generally 3/12 a year (could be 9/12 block during the three years) or any combination providing 25% dedicated time for research.
- Will run through to the ‘parent specialty’. For example, an ACF in Urology will run through into a higher training in urology.
- If setting these up, all involved TPDs need to be aware. This could be both the ‘core’ TPD and the ‘specialist’ TPD (e.g. if appointed at CST1)
Clinical Lecturer
- Four year post
- Must have been awarded a PhD prior to being interviewed
- 50% clinical, 50% research
- In reality, likely to delay getting CCT, as need to meet all clinical competencies.
Academic Trainees- ARCP
- Annual
- Needs a report from their Educational Supervisor and their Academic Supervisor
- Need to ensure there is an academic rep on the panel
Questions: Speak to your Head of School/HEE lead for Academic Training (Francesca.Crawley@hee.nhs.uk)