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Clinical Academic Mentorship Scheme

Student getting advice

The Clinical Academic Mentorship Scheme (CAMS) offers promising clinical neuroscientists an exciting opportunity to kick-start their academic career.

The scheme offers valuable research experience with the longer-term aim of writing and submitting research fellowship applications with the support of a senior academic mentor.

The fellowship is designed to be flexible and is organised to suit an individual's needs. For example, you can spend a session per week or every few weeks working in a laboratory, attending outpatient clinics, analysing complex clinical and non-clinical data or writing a paper.

Mentorship

Trainees will be allocated a senior clinical academic mentor and a junior mentor (a buddy) who is a current clinical academic trainee at the Centre.

You may already have in mind a specific project with a chosen senior investigator, or you can spend time choosing an area of interest after meeting with several researchers from different areas.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible, you should be at any stage of specialty training (psychiatry or neurology) and must have a strong demonstrable interest in clinical academic research.

This fellowship will suit trainees who are considering undertaking specific research projects, as well as those pursuing an academic career.

Fellows will be given an honorary contract with the local NHS Trust if they need to see patients.

Essential criteria

  • Must be currently undertaking Clinical training (at any stage) and have a proven interest in clinical academic research.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills with proven ability to convey information which may require careful explanation or interpretation in a clear, accurate and sensitive manner.
  • Excellent organisational skill with proven ability to prioritise and meet deadlines within the framework of an agreed programme.
  • Demonstrable ability to analyse and interpret the results of own research and generate original ideas based on outcomes.
  • Excellent organisational skills including a proven ability to prioritise and meet deadlines within the framework of an agreed programme.
  • A capacity for innovative and original thinking, with the motivation to deliver rigorous and high-quality academic work.
  • A degree in Medicine.

Desirable Criteria

  • Experience of designing, conducting and presenting and/or publishing research.
  • Knowledge of research design and conduct.

Applications

Places will be allocated selectively, and competition will be strong. Applications require a brief CV (maximum four pages) and a covering letter outlining why you would like to be appointed to the scheme and your career plans.

For more information and to apply, please contact Professor George Kirov at kirov@cardiff.ac.uk.