Improving support for clinical academics

We want to make sure that academic training is acknowledged, recognised and integrated with clinical training and work, and that clinical academics feel valued for their important contribution.

We've worked with the funding community to develop principles and obligations setting out what we expect from those responsible for clinical training, trainees and funders across the UK. This is the first time all the key players in this community have come together to outline best practice. 

A crucial issue the principles address is employment rights. The principles state that the rights of clinical academics with continuous employment must be protected, even when they change their employer from a NHS trust or board to an academic institution, and vice versa.

These rights include all family and care-related leave and pay, as well as sick leave and pay.  

We've developed the principles and obligations in partnership with the following organisations:

• Academy of Medical Sciences
• British Heart Foundation
• Cancer Research UK
• Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans of the United Kingdom (COPMeD)
• Health Education England
• Integrated Academic Training Advisory Committee (InterACt)
• Medical Research Council 
• Medical Schools Council
• National Institute for Health Research 

The British Medical Association and the British Dental Association were consulted on and provided input to this document and are supportive of the principles it contains.

From January this year we are including the principles in the terms and conditions of our relevant grants. They will be taken into account when funding applications are considered, and adherence to them will feed into funding decisions.  

Read UK clinical academic training in medicine and dentistry: principles and obligations [PDF 802KB].

If you have any questions, contact sciencegrants@wellcome.org.