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The School has several funding opportunities for those who want to start or continue their career in primary care research. Currently the School holds annual competitions for post-doctoral Fellowships, PhD Studentships and Primary Care Clinicians Career Progression Fellowships. Positions can be based at any of the 9 School members.

PhD Studentships in Primary Care 2023

Applications are invited from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in primary care research.  Awards are offered at all nine Universities within the NIHR School for Primary Care Research: Bristol, Exeter, Keele, Manchester,  Nottingham, Oxford, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Southampton and University College London (UCL).

Applicants must have a first degree in a discipline relevant to primary care research and will be expected to complete a PhD/ DPhil during the award period. The precise academic qualifications required depend on the university and training offered. This award will fund tuition fees to the value of home fees; students with overseas status are welcome to apply but will need to fund the remainder of their fees from alternative sources.  

The awards offer traditional project-specific training in areas of particular importance to primary care and awarded to applicants from diverse backgrounds including e.g., medical statistics, social sciences, health economics, health psychology.   

Studentship awards include fees and an annual tax-free stipend of at least £17,668 (plus a London weighting for QMUL and UCL and college fees in Oxford). 

Those successful in securing a SPCR Studentship will become part of the SPCR Trainees community. Read more about what benefits this will provide.

RECRUITMENT FOR 2023

Opportunities will be advertised as they are made available:

Host Opportunity Deadline
QMUL PhD Studentship 9 June 2023
Keele University Primary Care Sciences PhD Opportunities Ref SMED_JUN23 11.59pm on 12th June 2023

 

If you are a clinician looking to do a PhD, the PhD Programme for Primary Care Clinicians might be more appropriate for you.

This competition is now closed.

These awards provide funding to cover the costs of a 24 month Fellowship at one of the SPCR members. Applicants should have a strong academic record and wish to develop a career in primary care research.

The aim of these fellowships is for the fellow to follow an independent research project, publish their research and prepare grant applications to secure future funding (e.g. an NIHR fellowship).The SPCR would particularly welcome applications from allied health professionals. Distinctive to the current SPCR programme is the aim to work more broadly with the primary care research sector. 

The fellowship may be undertaken at any one of the nine universities within the NIHR School for Primary Care Research: Bristol, Exeter, Keele, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, QMUL, Southampton and University College London. Read more about the research conducted at the SPCR members and their support for early career researchers.

Those successful in securing a SPCR Fellowship will become part of the SPCR Trainees community. Read more about what benefits this will provide.

Successful applicants are expected to start their fellowship in October 2023. Previous SPCR Fellowship award holders are not eligible to apply for a second award.

 

How to apply

Completed application forms (see below) should be emailed to applications.spcr@keele.ac.uk by 1pm 25 April 2023. Only information included in the standard application form will be considered.    

Download the 2023 Application Form (word doc)

Download the 2023 Guidance Note (pdf)

 

Competition Timeline

Application Deadline 1pm 25 April 2023
Interview invitations issues and unsuccessful applicants notified Late May 2023
Interview Date 15 June 2023
Awards start 1 October 2023

 

If you have any questions about the application procedure, please contact the SPCR team via applications.spcr@keele.ac.uk 

This competition is now closed.

 

Applications for part-time awards are invited from primary care clinicians with a strong academic record and a commitment to a career in academic primary care. The 1-year fellowship provides clinicians the opportunity to further develop their academic track record in preparation to apply for and conduct a PhD. 

The fellowship may be undertaken at any one of the nine universities within the NIHR School for Primary Care Research: Bristol, Exeter, Keele, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, QMUL, Southampton and University College London. Read more about the research conducted at the SPCR members and their support for early career researchers.

Those successful in securing a SPCR Fellowship will become part of the SPCR Trainees community. Read more about what benefits this will provide.

How to apply

Completed application forms (see below) should be emailed to applications.spcr@keele.ac.uk by 1pm 25 April 2023. Only information included in the standard application form will be considered.    

Download the 2023 Application Form (word doc)

Download the 2023 Guidance Note (pdf)

 

Competition Timeline

Application Deadline 1pm 25 April 2023
Interview invitations issues and unsuccessful applicants notified Late May 2023
Interview Date 8 June 2023
Awards Start 1 August 2023

 

If you have any questions about the application procedure, please contact the SPCR team via applications.spcr@keele.ac.uk 

Is there any support available for patient and public involvement (PPI) in the development of my application?
Yes, your local Research Design Service may be available to provide support. Each member also has a PPI lead in place who might be able to support you. Additional guidelines can be found in the PPI section of the SPCR website under resources for researchers.

What are the start dates for the fellowships?
Usually the Primary Care Clinicians Career Progression Fellowships start in August of the year you submitted the application, though there is some flexibility with this start date. The Post-Doctoral Fellowships start, depending on which competition you applied for, in either April or October.


Will there be more opportunities to apply for a fellowship from the SPCR?
Yes there will be. The Primary Care Clinicians Career Progression Fellowship competition will run annually, launching in April. The Post-Doctoral Fellowship competition will be run twice a year; in Autumn with an expected start date in April and in Spring with an expected start date in October.

When will the next competition be launched?
The next round Primary Care Clinicians Career Progression Fellowship and Post Doctoral Fellowships competitions will launch in February 2023.

 

Do I need to provide costings within my Fellowship application?
No. The SPCR Post-Doctoral Fellowships are fixed amounts and do not require costings as part of the application. The Primary Care Clinicians Career Progression Fellowship will require a costing overview if successful at interview. For more details on the funding provided, please read the guidance notes.

 

Do I need to be employed by an SPCR member to apply for a fellowship?
No, everyone keen to further develop their career in primary care research is welcome to apply. However, you have to conduct your research at one of the SPCR members. To learn more about the research conducted at SPCR members and identify where you might want to conduct yours, have a look at the "Members Information for Fellowship Applicants" on our website.

 

What support does the NIHR School for Primary Care Research provide their funded Fellows?
All Fellows funded by the SPCR will become part of our Trainees community. Read more about our community

Questions specifically for Primary Care Clinicians Career Progression Fellowship 

Is this opportunity only for GPs?
No, all clinicians working in UK primary care are eligible to apply for the fellowship. For example: practice nurses; health visitors; dentists, primary care pharmacists; optometrists working in primary care and general practitioners (NB this list is not exhaustive)   

 

Can I apply for this Fellowship whilst still in clinical training?
You can apply, but have to be fully qualified in your area when your fellowship starts. GPs are required to have a CCT number at the start of their Fellowship. This competition runs annually so if you are still in training you might be able to apply at a later stage in your career.

Questions specifically for Post-Doctoral Fellowship

Will the SPCR Post-Doctoral Fellowship be considered as an Advanced Fellowship by the NIHR?
No, it won't be. As such, the SPCR fellowship won't reduce the number of times you can hold an NIHR Advanced Fellowship.

Do I need to have submitted my PhD thesis in a particular timeframe to be eligible to apply for the post-doctoral fellowship?
No, there is no particular timeframe to be eligible to apply. However, the fellowships are a fixed sum award and the fellowships come with an expectation that a full-time salary will be approx. £40k, so it is most-likely appropriate for those who are early career researchers and have submitted their PhD in the last 3 years. However, applications will be considered from researchers who have transitioned into applied health research from a different disciplinary background or who have re-established a research career following a significant career break.

 

Can I apply for a post-doctoral fellowship if I held one during a previous SPCR contract?
No, researchers who already held a launching fellowship of the SPCR are not eligible to apply for a post-doctoral fellowship.


How is the award value of £160k calculated?
This is based on an approximate salary of £40k pa for 2 years. The award includes funds for NI, pension, overheads (for the host institution) and for training and research costs and is for 24 months if taken fulltime.

 

Will my Fellowship still be £160k if I undertake the Fellowship part-time?
No. The length of the fellowship for both part-time and full-time fellows is 24 months. Those doing the Fellowship part-time will receive funding pro-rata.

 

If I am based at a University in London, will my salary include the London weighting?
Yes, it will. So for Post Doctoral Fellowships based in London the expected salary will be approx. £40k + London weighting.

 

Can I be at any stage in my post-doc career to apply for the post-doctoral fellowship?
Yes, but keep in mind that the post-doctoral fellowships are fixed amounts of £160k for the whole duration of your fellowship with a salary expectation of approx. £40k. Usually applicants identify themselves with one of the following profiles:

  • Recently completed or be about to be awarded a PhD, but haven’t yet established yourself as an independent researcher
  • Established yourself as an independent researcher or you are in the process of doing so, but are not yet recognised as an international leader in your field
  • Transitioned into applied health research from a basic science background or re-established your research career following a significant career break

 

Can I apply to the Post-Doctoral Fellowship if I haven't passed by viva yet?
Yes, you submit an application if you haven't passed your viva yet. However, you must have passed your viva and, if required made adjustments to your thesis, before the Fellowship starts in October or April. If you are not sure if you will meet these timelines, you might want to delay your application till the next competition.