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Academic Clinical Fellowships


The NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships (ACF) are managed by the NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre (NIHR TCC) on behalf of the Department of Health. Each Medical School in England is allocated a number of NIHR ACF posts, which it must manage in partnership with its Postgraduate Medical Deanery and local NHS Trusts in order to synchronise and deliver the academic and clinical training.

Academic Clinical Fellowships are speciality training posts that incorporate academic training. NIHR Academic Clinical Fellows (ACFs) spend 75% of their time undertaking specialist clinical training and 25% undertaking research or educationalist training.

ACF posts are only available to medically qualified candidates and are aimed at those who, at the early stages of their speciality training, show outstanding potential for a career in academic medicine or dentistry. The duration of an ACF is for a maximum of 3 years (4 years for GPs). During this time, alongside clinical training, ACFs will be able to develop their academic skills and be supported in preparing an application for a Research Training Fellowship (to undertake a higher research degree) or an application for a place on an educational programme (leading to a higher degree). Success in these applications is defined as the end point of an ACF. Trainees may need to continue in clinical training before applying for, or taking up such a training fellowship, as befits their personal situation at that time. The later uptake of a Fellowship is still measured as a successful outcome.

Warwick Medical School has ACFs across a number of specialties:

Specialty Exemplar ACF Projects/References

Anaesthetics/Intensive Care Medicine

Led by Associate Clinical Professor Joyce Yeung

& Professor Gavin Perkins

Oxygenation strategies prior to and during prehospital emergency anaesthesia in UK HEMS practice (PREOXY Survey)

Fresh whole blood from walking blood banks for patients with traumatic hemorrhagic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Advanced airway training in the UK: a national survey of senior anaesthetic trainees

Clinical Radiology

Led by Professor Charles Hutchinson

The relationship of embolic particle size to patient outcomes in Prostate Artery Embolisation for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A systematic review and meta-regression

Magnetic Resonance investigation into the mechanisms involved in the development of high-altitude cerebral oedema

Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus

Led by Associate Clinical Professor Thomas Barber

Effects of computer-generated music on human physiological, metabolic and endocrine responses

Application of Mindfulness in a Tier 3 Obesity Service Improves Eating Behaviour and Facilitates Successful Weight Loss

General Practice

 Led by Professor Jeremy Dale

Potential excess expenditure in primary care due to NHS drug tariff variability in vitamin D preparations

Prevention of stroke in primary care

Women’s experiences of diagnosis and management of polycystic ovary syndrome​a mixed-methods study in general practice

General Psychiatry

Led by Associate Clinical Professor Domenico Giacco

The association between first-episode psychosis and abnormal glycaemic control: systematic review and meta-analysis

Relationships between dysglycaemia, immune activation and psychotic experiences: findings from the U.K. ALSPAC birth cohort” Schizophrenia Bulletin

Associated illness severity in schizophrenia and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review

Histopathology

Led by Professor David Snead

Deep Learning with Sampling in Colon Cancer Histology

Diagnostic concordance and discordance in digital pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis

An investigation into the potential role of brain angiogenesis inhibitor protein 3 (BAI3) in the tumorigenesis of small-cell carcinoma: a review of the surrounding literature

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Led by Professor Siobhan Quenby
Early versus delayed urinary catheter removal after hysterectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Public Health Medicine

Led by Associate Professor Oyinlola Oyebode

Reproductive health of young women as a predictor of cardiovascular disease in later life: An umbrella review

The burden of mental illness associated with child maltreatment in the United Kingdom: a population-based retrospective cohort study

Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety and Serious Mental Illness

A systematic review of the burden of hypertension, access to services and patient views of hypertension in humanitarian crisis settings

Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery

Led by Associate Clinical Professor Andy Metcalfe

Tourniquet use in total knee replacement surgery: a feasibility study and pilot randomised controlled clinical trial (SAFE-TKR study)

Tibial component sizing and alignment of TKR components does not significantly affect patient reported outcome measures at 6 months. A case study of 474 participants

Systematic review of patient reported outcomes from open tibia fractures in low- and middle-income countries

Malawi Orthopaedic Association/AO Alliance guidelines and standards for open fracture management in Malawi

The ACF Posts for 2023 are:

Competition Post 1 - Anaesthetics

Competition Post 2 - Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Competition Post 3 - Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery

Competition Post 4 - Clinical Radiology or General Practice - Digital theme

Competition Post 5 - Cardiology or Gastroenterology - Clinical Therapeutics & Pharmacology & Industry theme

Competition Post 6 - Endocrinology & Diabetes Mellitus or General Practice - Multiple Long Term Conditions theme

Bursary

The NIHR provides £1,000 per financial year per ACF/CL trainee to Warwick. Warwick is responsible for managing the bursary fund and approving expenditure against the bursary. The bursary cannot be used for consumables and can be used for attending academic meetings and conferences that are an important part of your training.

Application for Funding FormLink opens in a new window(PDF Document)

Expense form(PDF Document)

Progress review

All trainees will have an Academic Progress FormLink opens in a new window to enable your progress to be tracked and reviewed in conjunction with your academic supervisor. This should be reviewed periodically and at a minimum annually. You will undergo Annual Review of Competence ProgressionLink opens in a new window with your Clinical and Academic Supervisor. The latest version of the Gold Guide - A Reference Guide for Postgraduate Specialty Training in the UK - includes the relevant forms and lots of general information. The Report on Academic Trainee's Progress form should be completed a month in advance of the ARCP meeting.

Each summer you will also be asked to complete an Output Report detailing your academic related achievements over the past year (such as publications, grants awarded) to help us evaluate individual and programme success.

Mentoring

Trainees are encouraged to explore the mentoring scheme through the University. Details of how to apply can be found here.

Masters

It is expected that ACFs will engage in the Masters Programme as part of their academic training and may take up to 3 modules in a year. Any additional modules within the same academic year are subject to Supervisor and IAT Lead approval. You will need to pay for registration fees. Further details on the process can be found here.

Further questions?

Please review the NIHR IAT GuideLink opens in a new window for detailed information about the programme.