Careers in medical research
Anne-Marie Coriat PhD
Director Capacity, Skills and Infrastructure
Medical Research Council
& Chair - RCUK Research Group
Dental Institute Post-doc Research/Career Day –
Tuesday 18th November 2014
policy
HR, finance ,
contracts
University
relationships
funding
Government
/ DH/DfiD etc
Research Councils/ HEFCE
Content
• About the MRC
• Mission
• Strategy
• Remit
• MRC funding schemes
• Studentships
• Fellowships
• Grants
• Applying for funding
• Peer-review
• What makes a good proposal?
Leading & partnering research
Dedicated to improving human health through
the best scientific research.
• Established 1913
• Funded by UK taxpayers
• One of seven Research Councils
MRC mission
• Encourage and support high-quality
research with the aim of improving
human health.
• Produce skilled researchers.
• Advance and disseminate knowledge
and technology to improve the quality
of life and economic competitiveness
in the UK and worldwide.
• Promote dialogue with the public
about medical research.
Delivering MRC strategy
•
New frontiers
– Stratified medicine
– Regenerative medicine
– Systems medicine
•
MRC Fellowship Priorities
•
Supporting skills in strategic
interdisciplinary areas such as
experimental medicine and
bioinformatics, across
interfaces (academic / clinical /
industry / disciplinary /
regulatory)
•
Promoting diversity of our
research base, ensuring
enhanced career support and
mentorship
•
Streamlining support
mechanisms to ensure funding
is flexibility in supporting key
career stages and transitions
Living a long and healthy
life
– Mental health & wellbeing
– Lifestyle behaviours and health
•
Global and population
health
– E-health
– Infections
•
Safeguarding the UK skills
base
– Training the next generation of
biomedical researchers
– Providing a world-class
research environment
MRC remit and partners
•
MRC: basic research to early
clinical trials
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Underpinning and aetiological
Prevention
Detection and diagnosis
Treatment development & evaluation
Phase 1 & 2 trials
Basic
research
Discovery
Preclinical
Other funders/partners
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Early
Clinical
Government departments,
especially Health
Other Research Councils
Medical Charities
Industry
Technology Strategy Board
Late
Clinical
HTA
MRC
BBSRC
NIHR
Medical Charities
TSB
MRC Structure
Strategy Board
Molecular and
Cellular
Medicine Board
Population and
Systems
Medicine Board
Infections and
Immunity
Board
Neurosciences
and Mental
Health
Board
Population Health Sciences Group
Developmenta
l Pathway
Funding
Scheme
Panel
Translational Research Group
Global Health Group
Methodology
Panel
and
Translational
Stem Cell
Research
Committee
Training and Careers Group
Non-Clinical Panel
Clinical Panel
Strategic Skills Panel
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Content
• About the MRC
• Mission
• Strategy
• Remit
• MRC funding schemes
• Studentships
• Fellowships
• Grants
• Applying for funding
• Peer-review
• What makes a good proposal?
Advanced Research Masters
• Funded at an institutional level, not individual students
MRC PhD training
• Funded at an institutional level, not individual students
Studentship programmes – NOT a ‘pair of
hands’
Recruit the
best
Add value
•
Recruitment: excellence & diversity
•
Project: Challenging & feasible
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Core & advanced research skills
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Transferable skills: employability
 Comms, teamwork, problem solving
Transition
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Academic track
Industry & business
Teaching
Clinical practice
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Two supervisors: professional supervision
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Performance & development management
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Timely submission (3-yr)(4-yr)
•
Great outcomes, e.g. destinations
MRC Research Fellows
Great opportunities
Outstanding researchers
Fellowships
• The person
• The project
• The ‘place’
Grants
• The project /
programme
• The people
• The ‘place (s)’
“The thing I enjoy so much is
that my work has direct
application to people…”
MRC/Academy of Medical Sciences Clinician
Scientist
Fellowships: More than just a grant!
Great opportunities
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Resources
Protected time
Connections, networks
Potential to establish
competitive position
Outstanding researchers
• Route to independence
• Recognition
• Influence
“My fellowship led
directly to more
opportunities and
collaborations…”
MRC Clinician Scientist Fellow
MRC Fellowships
Non Clinical, Clinical and Strategic Skills fellowships
Non-Clinical Fellowships
Career Development Award
• 3-6 years post-doc experience;
Transition towards independence
• 5 years support, Ave £1m
• Up to 12 months research training
encouraged
• abroad, industry, another UK
research centre
Senior Non-Clinical Fellow
• Establishing independence &
leadership
• Up to 7 years support, £2m
• Up to 1 year at a 2nd centre
encouraged
Strategic skills fellowships
Methodology Research
Development of innovative research methods in health research.
Economics of Health
Young researchers trained in economics research methods to apply their skills
to health economics problems
Biostatistics
Young researchers working in, or seeking to move into, statistically based,
health-related research
Population Health Science
multidisciplinary research training in large-scale quantitative & qualitative study
design, data collection/analysis
Biomedical Informatics
the application of mathematical, statistical and computational methods to
biomedical and health research problems including Genetics, Genomics,
Proteomics, Metabolomics, Computational Biology and Neuroinformatics
Research Grants
• Support: flexible, for high quality investigator-initiated
research
• Eligibility: UK Universities or NHS Trusts
• Duration: Up to 5 years - depends on the needs of the
research being supported
– 2 years or less only for proof of principle/pilot work
– Support the full range of research needs
• Funding: no pre-set limits – subject to peer review of
‘value for money’
• NIRG: Supports clinical and non-clinical researchers in
their first steps towards establishing themselves as
independent principal investigators
Content
• About the MRC
– Mission
– Strategy
– Remit
• MRC funding relevant to you
– Fellowships
– Grants
• Applying for funding
– Peer-review
– What makes a good proposal?
Winning MRC Funding
The Process:
Peer Review

Shortlisting/
Triage

Panel Interview/
Board Assessment
Plan Ahead
Check…
• Funder’s remit and interests
• Eligibility
• Scheme aims
• Information and documents needed
• Check page limits, font sizes etc.
• Deadlines
• Start early! Everything takes longer than
you think.
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Elements of successful proposals
• A
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clear rationale for the research
Background
Hypothesis
Aims
• Preliminary data
• Methodology
• Plan B
• People, environment,
training for fellowships
• Resources well justified
Sources of advice …
• Funder
• Website, helpline
• Named contact
• University Grants office
• University requirements
• Costing software
• Assistance in preparing grant applications
• Writing workshops
• Helpdesk
• Experienced colleagues and collaborators
• Past evaluation committee members
• Successful grant applicants
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Careers in Medical Research
Research Career
Pathway
(clinical / non clinical)
Business /
Commercialisation
Technical /
research specialist
Research Policy
and Management
The ‘reality’ of pathways to a University
academic position
PhD
Postdoc x n
Early Career
Research Fellow
Senior Research
Fellow
Lecturer/Reader/P
rofessor
What do research academics do?
• Research and …….
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people management, training staff
fund raising (grant writing own and university)
reporting (financial and scientific)
Lab management risk permissions etc
paper writing
Working with collaborators and competitors
Research profile - funding, recruitment etc
Review panels, promotion and interview panels
Peer review – grants papers, panels
University admin – compliance, teaching , recruitment
graduate training, graduate admissions, graduate
progress, equality, safety, etc
More information
www.mrc.ac.uk
a.m.coriat@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk