A Clinical Lectureship (CL) offers the opportunity to spend 50% protected time on academic research. The remaining 50% is spent on clinical training, during which time clinical competencies must be met. A CL is funded for up to 4 years and trainees must hold a PhD when appointed. Most trainees will obtain their CCT during their Clinical Lectureship.
CLs are part of the NIHR’s Integrated Academic Training Pathway. Each year, NIHR allocate a number of funded posts to Cambridge. In addition, individual departments can provide funding for Local CL posts.
Funding Support
Annual Training Bursary
Additional funding support is available to all CL trainees in the form of an annual training bursary of £1,000 per year which can be used to cover expenses incurred in attending academic courses and conferences. The year runs from 1 August to 31 July and bursaries cannot be rolled forward to future years. You can find out more here.
Why Cambridge?
In Cambridge, academic opportunity is positively supported by Cambridge University Health Partners (CUHP) and Health Education East of England (HEEofE). Priority has been given to establishing programmes only in areas where world-class research training in combination with exceptional clinical training can be delivered.
Protected research time is guaranteed by individually named clinical and academic programme leads and monitored closely by the Clinical Academic Training Office. Research time is arranged to suit the individual department and CL and research projects may be entirely based locally or may involve visits to other national or international labs, where appropriate.
Programme Director: Professor Alasdair Coles
Outcomes
CLs at Cambridge have a successful record of obtaining AMS Starter Grants. A significant number of CLs have also gone on to gain Clinician-Scientist posts, Intermediate or Senior Fellowships and University Lectureships.
Application guidance
NIHR funded Clinical Lectureships (CLs) are advertised annually, usually during March. Adverts are placed on the University of Cambridge Job Opportunities web pages and in the British Medical Journal.
Locally funded CL posts are advertised as they arise during the year on the University of Cambridge Job Opportunities web pages.
Application is made online and the recruitment process is managed by the School of Clinical Medicine’s HR team.
Current Vacancies
New CL posts can be advertised at any point during the academic year although NIHR funded ones tend to be advertised in March.
Vacancies for CLs can be found on the University’s jobs web site at : https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/ and on Oriel : https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/Web
Continuation After CCT
New arrangements came into force from the 1st March regarding Clinical Lecturer (CL) appointments after CCT. This followed the introduction of new NIHR guidance in 2019 to give greater flexibility to span CCT and better prepare Clinical Lecturers for intermediate fellowships which now tend to operate post-CCT. The NIHR guidance is applicable to all CL posts regardless of funding (i.e. it also covers non NIHR funded “local” CL posts).
All new CL contracts from the 1st March 2020 end at the point of CCT unless the CL has applied for, and been awarded, an extension (maximum of 24 months). Applications should be submitted at least 6 months before the CCT date to give time for approval.
For CLs on contracts issued prior to the 1ST March 2020 their contract does not end at CCT but they still need to complete an extension request form (re post CCT plans) to meet the HEE and NIHR requirements governing all CL posts.
The application form and guidance is available here:
Clinical Lectureship (CL) contact:
Clinical Academic Training Office (CATO)
Email: cato@medschl.cam.ac.uk
