Clinical Academic Training Office (CATO)

Clinical Academics are doctors and dentists working as healthcare professionals while undertaking research with a university or an NHS facility.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Integrated Academic Training (IAT) pathway

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) fund our current academic programmes. The NIHR helps improve the health and wellbeing of the nation through research, working in partnership with the NHS, universities, patients, and the public.

The NIHR IAT(opens in new tab) pathway supports the training of doctors and dentists in England to develop their clinical academic careers. The programme is delivered through several schemes that rely on close partnership between the NIHR, NHS England, medical schools, and NHS organisations.

NIHR allocates Academic Clinical Fellowships (ACFs) and Clinical Lectureships (CLs) to partnerships of organisations comprising medical schools and dental schools (and their partner universities), NHS England local offices, and partner Trusts. These posts fit within the speciality training period and allow trainees to combine clinical and academic training.

Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACFs): a programme for doctors who have completed their foundation training and want to combine their clinical work with research training. ACFs are medical speciality training posts within the NHS that also included scheduled time for research. Fellowships last around three years, with 25% protected academic time. Applications for these posts are very competitive, and you must demonstrate your suitability for the post through an interview process.

Sunderland School of Medicine currently offers the following ACF specialities:

General Practice
Anaesthetics
Acute medicine
Renal
Rheumatology
Cardiology

Undergraduate opportunities

NIHR vacation studentships

Medical students can apply for a funded research internship for six weeks during the summer (July-August). You'll identify a supervisor and topic of interest and we'll support you to complete and disseminate your project findings. This is a great opportunity for you to gain research experience and consider pursuing academic activity throughout your medical career.

Intercalation

Intercalation is an additional year of study for medical students. You could gain an extra qualification, such as an MRes, an MA, or MMEd (Masters in medical education). Intercalation helps you to gain academic skills and make informed choices about specialisation later in your career.

Intercalation offers several potential advantages, including:

A better understanding of basic biomedical sciences, medical humanities, and research methodologies
Gaining an extra qualification which may help with future job applications, especially in competitive specialties
Discovering if you'd like to pursue a clinical academic career
The opportunity to pursue a subject of personal interest in a depth not usually possible at medical school
Gaining important skills such as medical writing and public presentation

At Sunderland, intercalation most often takes place following Year 4. Following Year 3 may be possible on a case-by-case basis. You can apply via an expression of interest form and should expect to start your course in August for 12 months.

Postgraduate opportunities

Specialist Foundation Programme (SFPs)

The SFP provides an opportunity for foundation doctors to develop research, teaching and leadership/management skills. This is in addition to the competencies outlined in the Foundation Programme Curriculum.

PhDs

We're keen to support clinical academic doctoral research fellowships (PhDs). Please contact us to discuss your career ambitions and research project: CATOMS@sunderland.ac.uk.