New in 2025: Clinical Research Training Fellow recruitment process

Candidates can co-develop a research project that aligns with their interests and background. They can choose from an extensive list of potential supervisors affiliated with the CoL Centre. As part of their application, candidates should contact three to four potential supervisors working in their area of interest to discuss potential PhD opportunities within their research teams. Candidates should then identify one person to collaborate with on developing a research proposal, which will be included in their application – find out more here.

Clinical research training fellows (CRTFs) follow a three-year version of the CRUK CoL PhD training programme, which provides a firm foundation for clinicians with a future academic career path in mind. Based in their primary supervisor’s research group, fellows have the opportunity to work across the Centre, for example when accessing the Centre’s infrastructure cores, or carrying out short research placements.

The three-year PhD training programme for clinicians begins with an induction programme introducing fellows to the Centre, the training programme, their university of registration and to carrying out a PhD. Trainees submit reports, give talks and meet with their thesis committees at specific points on the programme and be able to access a vast range of scientific and transferable skills training via the Centre partners and beyond. Early on in the programme, each trainee works with their supervisors to develop a customised training plan, tailored to the trainee’s background and project requirements, that includes multi-disciplinary skills training and may include a short research placement(s) with other groups in the Centre.

CRTFs are based in their primary supervisor’s research group and register for their PhD with the primary supervisors university. They have a secondary supervisor from one of the Centre’s other institutions. All fellows have a three-person thesis committee made up of Centre faculty and experts in the research field that they meet with regularly meetings to discuss progress and receive guidance and advice. A practising clinician will also provide additional career mentorship and support. Fellows are enrolled in a full-time PhD programme for three years, so there is limited participation in clinical activities.

Successful candidates will receive a salary commensurate with their current experience, paid on the clinical academic scale.

We are looking for talented and motivated clinicians who are passionate about research, have a strong academic track record and hold full General Medical Council (GMC) registration or equivalent.

The funding for this fellowship covers students with UK home tuition fee status only. For more information on home tuition fee status please visit the UKCISA website. Please note that we will only be able to offer fellowships to candidates that have UK home tuition fee status or provide evidence that they can fund the international portion of the tuition fee from external sources (i.e. not self-funded).

Applicants for this competitive programme are expected to have:

• a medical degree
• previous wet or dry lab research experience (desirable)
• continuous full GMC registration or equivalent

Applications are welcomed from all medical and surgical specialities.

Applicants should be in a training position. Candidates at consultant grade will not be considered.

For questions about CRUK CoL Centre Clinical Research Training Fellow recruitment, please contact: iris.lueke@crick.ac.uk