Guidance for 1st ~ 3- 6 months for
Academic SpRs and Centre for Anaesthesia Fellows
Introduction
The process of starting a research or education post can seem complex. This
sheet is just a guide- most importantly, do speak to advisors and previous
fellows to get their advice, at least a few months in advance if possible. The
SpR tutor will be able to let you know when posts are available.
Issues to be arranged prior to arriving: It’s much more efficient
 Arrange Hon Research Fellow Contract with UCL
The process for applying for an honorary contract is as follows:
1. Send a covering email addressed to Prof. Winslet
(m.winslet@medsch.ucl.ac.uk), copied to lorna.gibson@ucl.ac.uk, detailing the
reason for the request, focusing on research and/or teaching commitments within the
Division. Also include details of the period to be covered.
2. Attach a full CV, to include your date of birth and home address.
The Dept of Surgery has tightened up enormously as they are charged for each
contract given and will only allow honorary status where they deem appropriate (i.e.
suitably eminent individuals; those with teaching
responsibilities; or researchers on long-term placements within the Division so as
much detail as you feel….alison.lambert@ucl.ac.uk
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Faye Crick f.crick@ucl.ac.uk 02076796338 sits opposite Alison and is the
human resources rep. for Surgery. She can help with the ID/computer ID
etc
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Information Technology (IT) see below
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Consider likely supervisor /mentor /advisor (there can be more than 1!) It’s
fine to have an ‘overall ideas’ persons to start and then have 1-2 others in
the specifics of your project. You need to arrange a regular meeting
(Monday/Tuesdays best) with Rob Stephens to discuss progress etc every
3 months. Please fill in the appraisal form available on the fellows page.
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Consider general area of research
Laboratory/Clinical/Pain/Cardiac/Outcomes/ICU/Education/
Obstetric/Altitude/Anything else!
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Arrange day with R + D Dept
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Arrange day with Ethics Committee
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Know a reference manager (Refman/Endnote/Free Software)
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Stats course (UCL or ICH)
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Stats Package (SPSS/Stata/ Free Software)
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Good Clinical Practice Course click to link..
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Medline Search course/ speak to Librarian
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Ask around……….talk to lots of people about ideas+ pitfalls
Monty Mythen
Gareth Ackland
Prof of Anaesthesia @UCL,
Consultant, has PhD
Head of R and D UCLH
Clinician Scientist
Lesley Bromley
Senior Lecturer @ UCL
Rob Stephens
Consultant, recent Fellow
Education/ Immunology
Ramini Moonesinghe
Research Fellow
Postop Outcomes
Suellen Walker
Senior Lecturer/Consultant @ GOSH/UCL/ICH
Brigitta Brandner
Consultant Anaesthetist
Pain
Sarah Chieveley-Wlliams Consultant Anaesthetist
Education/Simulation
Roman Cregg
academic SpR
Pain
Jane Lowry
academic SpR
Education
Steve Harris
academic SpR
ICNARC
Dave Walker
Consultant Anaesthesia + ICU
ECHO, Education
m.mythen@ich.ucl.ac.uk
g.ackland@ucl.ac.uk
lesleybromley@btinternet.com
r.stephens@ich.ucl.ac.uk
rmoonesinghe@doctors.org.uk
suellen.walker@ich.ucl.ac.uk
brigitta.brandner@uclh.org
sarah.chieveley-williams@uclh.org
roman290575@hotmail.com
jane2525409@hotmail.com
steve3001@googlemail.com
dfcad@aol.com
Ask/chat to anyone else- this is just a start for pointers- it is not exhaustive list!
Courses to be booked in advance (Research Fellows know how to book)
once you have a UCL ID
 ‘Reference Manager’ (or EndNote)– Takes 1 afternoon @ UCL
 Statistics course @ UCL Takes 1 week
 ‘SPSS course’ @ UCL. Takes 1-2 days = a statistical package
 Laboratory course, if lab work is planned/contemplated
 Whittington teaching course (‘TIPS’) course
 Good Clinical Practice Course
www.ucl.ac.uk/silva/joint-rd-unit/training/trainingintro
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anything else you feel useful/relevant to you (eg CPEx course)
Funding issues
 A tricky one!.......best to chat to someone directly!
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You can have a ~1 year ‘research fellow’ post @ centre for anaesthesia,
in programme (ie counted to your training), with your BASIC salary paid at
the same rate as SpR. Of course this will mean a paycut as 0-30% of your
salary normally comes from out of hours work. Usually you do ‘on calls’ @
UCLH
Or
You can get an ‘academic SpR’ number starting at year 3 ST level, that
gives you 1 year (total, broken up into 3-6 month blocks as you wish) of
BASIC salary (during your research time)
Or
Get a formal grant for your salary Eg Gareth Ackland has 5 year Academy
Med Sciences Grant.
You can be an ‘Private Critical Care Fellow’ – doing Private ICU shifts.
Based at the Princess Grace Hospital www.theprincessgracehospital.com
or the London Clinic www.thelondonclinic.co.uk
These pay a regular wage for ICU shifts leaving time for research.
Contact Rob Stephens for advice

You can get extra money
From work in the private sector. This is not guaranteed (ie there are
several people also doing it), but the options are
 Harley St ICU on calls
 Fellows @ London Clinic or Princess Grace
 Wellington Humana (near Regents Park) ICU
You can do formal Locums with an agency
You can do NHS ICU shifts eg @ UCLH or Marsden
From the centre for Anaesthesia – there is some cash for conferences,
small bits of equipment
From running a course - you can get a small amount of cash for this
(eg to go to conference etc)
Suggestions for the first 3 months…
 Come to the 5:30 Tuesday research meetings every other week.
 Regular meeting with supervisor.. to discuss ideas/aims/difficulties
 Decide on broad project – For discussion - produce a side of A4
outlining proposal and basis of a discussion document.
 Present to department previous literature/review of current knowledge
 Familiarity with IRAS Integrated Research Application System – (the
national Ethics application process) including attending ethics
committee meeting- start this process immediately as it takes a while –
others (in the list above) can advise
 Write a review article-this might form the basis of your background
reading for your project (in a general subject or ideally in a specialist
one). The advantage of this is that you’ll be an ‘expert’ in it, it’s
something under your control (unlike a clinical study etc) and might
form the basis for a grant/thesis introduction.
 ? take a teaching session for Med students/SHO’s – contact the
education fellow
 ? attend ethics committee meeting/Hospital drug formulary meeting
Ideas for work in general
 Formal research proposal, which will form basis of a major grant
application and a plan for extended full time research leading to higher
degree
 A defined primary research project to be completed over the 12 months
which is tightly supervised and may form the basis of ongoing work for
future fellows.
 High quality audit which would be considered for publication and
presentation
 Multiple case reports, small invited articles and letters to the editor –
should be considered by all in addition to ongoing works.
 Participation in FRCA course lecturers, vivas and OSCE`s
 Converting/changing the website, adding articles
Information technology issues
Once Alison has the forms signed you can arrange with her to come over to
UCL to get….
 UCL Computer username/password
You have to change the UCL password every 6 months (https://myaccount.ucl.ac.uk/) otherwise it’s a nightmare!
 Register for phone password changes via the ‘User Authentication
Service’ visa the link above
 The library @ ICH has a store of programmes you can securely put
onto your computer (eg laptop)
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SPSS
Reference Manager
Microsoft Office
Antivirus
The UCL electronic journals are at
http://metalib-a.lib.ucl.ac.uk/V?func=find-ej-1
Doesn’t work on some computers: don’t know why
Put in your UCL (not ICH) username/password
ICH Library (http://www.ich.ucl.ac.uk/library/) has useful resources for
IT help
You can book a quick 20 min session with the ISU @ ICH on
ISU@ich.ucl.ac.uk for specific ‘how to’ issues
http://intranet.ich.ucl.ac.uk/ has useful info about IT and other issues
Rob Stephens
 r.stephens@ich.ucl.ac.uk