ICO annual conference May 15-17National SpR/SR Academic Fellowship Programme 2014
2 November 2013 - 30 December 2013
In 2009, in working towards implementing one of the key recommendations of the Buttimer Report on Postgraduate medical education and training (2006) the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Health Research Board (HRB), in consultation with the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies and the university academic medical departments, established an innovative fellowship programme entitled the ‘National SpR/SR Academic Fellowship Programme (NSAFP)’ which provides a coherent and integrated training and career path for clinical academics. The programme commenced in July 2009 and to date nine fellows have been awarded. The HRB and HSE-MET are now inviting applications for the 2014 round of the programme.
Following successful completion of this Fellowship Programme, the trainee will be awarded with a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Training (CCST) and a PhD. As well as ensuring that successful fellows do not have to postpone or step out of their clinical training in order to complete a PhD, successful fellows will also be able to prepare an ad persona integrated training plan to cover the clinical and research training components rather than working to a prescribed plan.
Who should apply?
The NSAFP is targeted at medical trainees who wish ultimately to specialise in research or make a career in academic medicine. The Programme is open to medical trainees in higher specialist training who, as at July 14th 2014 will have a minimum of two years further clinical training to be completed before eligibility for CCST, including new entrants to HST. Eligible applicants must either be currently on a SpR/SR training programme or applying for entry at the immediate subsequent uptake. Only candidates that are successful in securing a place on a specialist training programme can be considered for the NSAFP.
What does the fellowship include?
The fellowships will be funded jointly by the HSE and the HRB and it is envisaged that up to two fellowships will be offered in this round. Funding will be provided for salary and salary-related costs (based on the trainee’s appropriate point on the SpR/SR scale), for research running costs, a travel grant to enable research experience abroad, dissemination costs and a training and development allowance. Successful fellows will begin their integrated training programme in July 2014.
What is the deadline for applications?
Application must be made by the prospective fellow in the first instance to the relevant Training Body no later than November 29th 2013. They must flag to their Training Body their intention to apply for the NSAFP and complete a supplementary NSAFP application form. Each Training Body can then forward a maximum of four highly recommended applications to the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies by the 13th of December 2013. The Forum will forward all recommended applications to the HRB/HSE and the HRB will manage the two-step assessment process (by an on-line virtual expert panel and interview panel). A selected number of candidates will be invited for an interview stage by an independent expert panel representative of HRB-nominated research experts. Successfully nominated applicants will be informed before the end of March 2014 and will be invited to submit an individualised and integrated training plan to the HSE/HRB. Upon approval, successful NSAFP fellows will begin their fellowships in July 2014.
Who to contact for more information
Annalisa Montesanti