How to get a Clinical Lectureship

A Clinical Lectureship (CL) is the post-doctoral equivalent of an Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF), although with a greater percentage of protected research time (usually 50%).

NIHR-funded CL posts are for a maximum of 4 years (or until CCT is attained) and provide:

• protected time to undertake postdoctoral research
• an annual bursary

The aim is to develop independence as a researcher.

Consumables/technician costs are not funded, but separate funding schemes exist which you can apply to e.g.

• the Jean Shanks/Pathological Society (JSPS) Clinical Lecturer Support Grant
• the Academy of Medical Sciences Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers

If you plan to apply for a CL post locally, discuss this with your supervisor 18-24 months in advance, so that they can try to arrange for the post to be created. The post will then go out for advertisement. As CL posts are competitively sought after, to optimise your chance of success:

• Ask local trainees who already hold a CL post about what the application process was like (usually a written application and interview).
• Follow the principles outlined in Writing a doctoral fellowship application and Interviewing for a doctoral fellowship concentrating on ‘Person, Place and Project’.
• Outline what you aim to achieve during the CL.

When outlining your aims, focus on:

• Your academic background and what you have achieved to date. Mirror the subsections of your CV i.e.
  
  
  • Publications
  • Presentations
  • Funding
  • Teaching/supervision
  • Committee work / management
• The research that you plan to perform. What is novel, interesting and clinically relevant about it? What are your research goals?
• A plan to obtain funding for the research.
• A plan to develop a research team comprising e.g. students, lab technicians, collaborators.
• A publication plan. Demonstrate that upon completion of the CL, you will be in a position to contribute to REF.
• The skills that you aim to develop during the CL (in order to progress to independence).
• A training plan to acquire such skills.
• The skills that you will bring to the post e.g. teaching, supervision.
• A clinical training plan including an estimated timeline for taking exams and acquiring CCT.
• A Gantt chart.