Alzheimer’s Research UK Doctoral Clinical Fellowships provide funding for clinicians with limited research experience and who do not hold a PhD. The aim of this award is to help clinicians study towards a higher research degree (typically a PhD but can be other independent research plans) to provide them with the research track record, experience, and skills necessary to compete for advanced Fellowships, either through Alzheimer’s Research UK or elsewhere.
Applicants should:
- Be registered healthcare professionals, including but not limited to neurologists, clinical psychologists, nurses and allied health professionals.
- Demonstrate an upward trajectory, with some evidence of outputs from previous research project(s), such as publications and/or conference presentations.
- Be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in pursuing a career in dementia research and show enthusiasm for developing a “toolbox” of skills that will serve as a strong basis for future independent research activity.
Detailed skills and training you will be expected to demonstrate are described in our Early Career Researcher Framework.
We welcome applications from individuals who have taken a break from research and wish to return.
These awards will support basic through to translational and clinical research projects that align with the Alzheimer’s Research UK strategy, focusing on treatment, diagnosis and prevention of dementia. At this time, we are particularly interested in applications proposing to involve interventional clinical trials and samples. We welcome applications from those wishing to gain experience within a clinical trial alongside research as part of a Fellowship. Applicants with queries concerning their eligibility or project suitability for this grant call are encouraged to contact the ARUK Clinical Research Team at research@alzheimersresearchuk.org.
Grant Amount: Awards cover the applicant’s salary (at Speciality Registrar level or equivalent university scales) along with justified research, training and development costs, travel and subsistence to support conference and meeting attendance, and patient and public involvement. Justified Clinical Practice time may be requested by applicants (up to 0.2 FTE for Doctoral Clinical Fellows). Costs must be justified, and we expect the total amount not to exceed £350,000 for the entire duration of the fellowship.
Duration: We expect fellowships to be completed within four years full-time. The duration may be extended for up to six years for part-time applicants.
Clinical Trial Placement Pilot Programme
Alzheimer’s Research UK is pleased to offer an optional clinical trial placement opportunity as part of our Doctoral Clinical Fellowship scheme, in partnership with the UK Dementia Trials Network (UKDTN).
This exciting opportunity is designed to give aspiring clinical academics hands-on experience in dementia clinical trials, with the aim of developing future leaders in clinical trial research.
Many early-career clinical researchers have limited exposure to the design, delivery, and oversight of clinical trials. This placement offers tailored training and direct trial experience to support your development as a clinician-researcher, and to help build capacity in dementia trials across the UK.
We offer flexible funding of up to £15,000 per placement. If you require additional funding, please contact ARUK to discuss your needs before applying.
If you opt in, you can choose from the following models:
- Model A: a 3-year Fellowship, followed by a 1-year full-time clinical trial placement.
- Model B: a 4-year fellowship with a clinical trial placement integrated over the duration (up to 0.25 FTE over 4 years).
- Model C: an alternative model; up to 4 years full-time. Please provide details in your application with appropriate justification.
During the placement, you will gain experience in areas such as:
- Trial design and protocol development
- Regulatory and ethics submissions
- Participant recruitment and informed consent
- Data management and outcome measurement
- Trial management and delivery
- Interdisciplinary team collaboration
Applicants can opt in at the time of application to be considered for a placement experience. You may either:
- Submit a proposed training plan, including a supervisor, trial site(s), costs (flexible; typically, up to £15,000) and defined learning objectives, or;
- Submit a description of your motivations and interest in a placement without a detailed plan – ARUK and UKDTN will help match successful fellows to appropriate supervisors, trials and sites based on their research interests and clinical background. Funding will then be awarded by ARUK subject to review of an appropriate placement plan and costs.
All applicants to the Doctoral Clinical Fellowship scheme are eligible to apply for a UKDTN placement. The fellowship project does not need to be clinical or trial-based, though your interest in a trial placement opportunity must be appropriately outlined and justified. Successful Doctoral Clinical Fellowship applicants, who have opted in for a UKDTN placement experience, will then be matched to appropriate supervisors, depending on availability, to develop a suitable placement plan. Please note that opting in or not, does not guarantee a placement and will not affect any part of your fellowship application review.
Eligibility
The Applicant:
- Applicants must be clinically qualified and active in the UK, as relevant to their discipline.
- As described above, applicants should be able to demonstrate an upward trajectory, with some evidence of outputs from previous research project(s), such as publications and/or conference presentations.
The Project:
- Research projects must align with Alzheimer’s Research UK’s strategy, focusing on treatment, diagnosis and prevention of dementia.
- Awarded grants will be dependent on requisite approvals (Ethics and/or Home Office Licences) and commitment to ARUK Research Policies.
Host Institution, Supervision and Mentorship:
- Applicants are required to have secured a Supervisor, an established investigator at the prospective Fellow’s institution (Host Institution) who will provide the facilities required for the research programme, oversight of the Fellow and their research programme and active contribution to training.
- The Host Institution must be UK-based however the application may include collaborators outside of the UK.
- Joint funding between ARUK and the applicant’s Host Institution may be proposed, and clearly explained in the Application Form, Costings and Institutional Letter of Support. If this applies to you, please contact us to discuss this before you apply.
- A letter of support from the Host Institution is required to confirm support for the application, in addition to letters of support from any collaborating organisations.
- Note that a Doctoral Clinical Fellowship can be used to fund a full PhD programme. However, Alzheimer’s Research UK can only cover the tuition fees costs associated with Home candidates. International candidates are welcome, but funds to cover the extra cost of international tuition fees must be sought from elsewhere. The scheme is not designed to cover funding gaps for students who have already started their studies.
Grant schemes only appear on this website when the round is open and we are accepting new applications.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/grants/clinical-research-fellowship/)
