Opportunities for Clinicians from MRC
Dr Adam Babbs
MRC Programme Manager
University of Leeds Medical Academic Trainees’ Event
10 November 2014
Content
• About the MRC
• Mission, Strategy and Remit
• MRC funding relevant to you
• Clinical Fellowships & NIRGs
• Application Process and Tips
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
•
Living a long and healthy
life
– Mental health & wellbeing
– Lifestyle behaviours and health
•
Global and population
health
– E-health
– Infections
•
MRC Fellowship Priorities
•
Integration of biological &
engineering technologies
•
Development & application of
innovative maths & stats
methods
•
Innovative methods at the
interface of preclinical & clinical
medicine and in population
health sciences
•
Fellows developing careers at
the academic-industry interface
Safeguarding the UK skills
base
– Protecting intermediate &
strategic skill fellows
– Developing world class leaders
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
Other funders/partners
Preclinical
•
•
•
•
Early
Clinical
Government departments,
especially Health
Other Research Councils
Medical Charities
Industry
Innovate UK (Formerly TSB)
Late
Clinical
HTA
MRC
BBSRC
NIHR
Medical Charities (e.g. Wellcome Trust, CRUK, BHF etc)
Innovate UK
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
Developmental
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 and Remit
• MRC funding relevant to you
• Clinical Fellowships & NIRGs
• Application Process and Tips
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
•
•
•
•
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
MRC has a leading role and complementary partnerships in
clinical research training
MRC Fellowship & Studentship Panels
Training and Careers Group
Clinical Panel
Non-Clinical
Panel
Strategic Skills
Panel
Industry
Collaborative
Training &
Careers Panel
Clinical Research
Training Fellowship
Career Development
Award
Career Development
Award in
Biostatistics /
Methodology Research
/ Economics of Health
/ Population Health
Scientist / Biomedical
Informatics
Fellowships
MRC Industry CASE
Studentships
Clinician Scientist
Fellowship
Senior Non-Clinical
Fellowship
Senior Clinical
Fellowship
MCMB/PSMB/IIB/NMHB
Population Health Sciences/Translational Research/Global Health Groups
Methodology/Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme/Developmental Clinical Studies Panel
Clinical Research Training Fellowships
• Early career entry for those with
minimal previous lab experience
• Joint funding with charities and Royal
Colleges
• 2 rounds p.a. (Jan and Sept)
• 40-50 awards p.a.
• Pre-doctoral
• Combining research with clinical
training
• For salary, research expenses (£20k
p.a.) & animal/second centre
training costs
• Post-doctoral
• “catch-up” time to re-enter research
Great outcomes
Sample of MRC clinician PhDs (CRTFs) training in 1993
Effect on career: Most =
“Significant” or “Very Significant”
• 65% now hold a senior academic
position
• 37% are NHS consultants
• 85% are both clinically and
research active
• 76% are leading research
• 63% have secured further funding
Strategic Skills Fellowships
Population health scientist fellowship
• 3 years, ~£350k
• Population based research &
methodological training
• Promotion and
maintenance of health
• Frequency, burden and
causal pathways of illhealth,
• Effectiveness of
interventions to reduce or
prevent ill-health
• 1 round p.a. (June)
• 8-10 awards p.a
Clinician Scientist Fellowship
• Post-doctoral
• Transition to independent
investigator
• 1-6 years post-doc experience
• Up to 4 years' support
• 5 years if 40% clinical work
involved
• Salary, research expenses (inc.
support staff) & travel costs
• Average £1m per award
• 1 round p.a. (April)
• 7-10 awards p.a.
Senior Clinician Fellowship
• Post-doctoral
• Independent investigator
• Up to 10 years post-doc experience
• Up to 5 years' support
• Salary, research expenses (inc.
support staff) & travel costs
• Average £1.6m per award
• 1 round p.a. (April)
• 2-3 awards p.a.
Content
• About the MRC
• Mission, Strategy and Remit
• MRC funding relevant to you
• Clinical Fellowships & NIRGs
• Application Process and Tips
Assessment of Fellowships
The Process:
Peer Review

Shortlisting

Panel Interview
Understand how peer review works
3 per 3-yr
Proposal
External
referees
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=fBDxI6l4dOA
Reports &
scores
By
Committee
subgroup
Shortlisting
Committee
scores & ranks
Committee
feedback
Learn from your mentors, peers &
funders how peer review works
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Two-stage Review Process
• Referee Assessment
• Detailed evaluation of candidate potential, scientific
quality and level of resourcing
• Inform short-listing decisions and interviews/funding
decision
• Panel Assessment
• Short-listing decisions based on referees’ assessment
• Interview candidates to make funding decisions
Writing fellowship & grant proposals
Excite & don’t annoy your reviewers
1. Don’t be boring (“So what?”)
2. Be ambitious, original and credible
3. Structure a clear, logical plan to
achieve challenging objectives
4. Explain pilot data & others’ inputs
5. Risks are inevitable: Have a Plan B
6. Write clearly, for experts & nonexperts in your field. Make your
proposal easy to read!
7. Invite tough criticism from peers,
mentors & friends before you submit
Remember…
Your application will only be as strong as its weakest link
Design
Need & Potential
for Impact
Deliverability
Ethics
Resources
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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More information
www.mrc.ac.uk
Julia.Dickinson@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Programme Manager: Clinical Fellowships