The Impact of Clinical Lectureships on Clinical Academic Pathway

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    What impact have Clinical Lectureships had on the clinical academic pathway and the health and social care system more widely?

  • IRAS ID

    291904

  • Contact name

    Chris Stevenson

  • Contact email

    chris.stevenson@nihr.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    NIHR Academy

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 11 months, days

  • Research summary

    This study is being undertaken by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Academy in order to understand how Clinical Lectureships offered through the Integrated Academic Training (IAT) programme have benefited the clinical academy pathway and the health and social care system more widely. This includes an evaluation of the factors that influence successful career progression of awardees, with a specific focus on the grants available for clinical lecturers whilst undertaking the award, commonly applied for to fund research costs. It is essential for the NIHR Academy to undertake impact evaluations in order to demonstrate accountability, to evidence the benefits of its programme portfolio to all its stakeholders and to be able to make recommendations to improve programmes based on research evidence.

    The project has quantitative and qualitative components. The quantitative component will involve an analysis of existing data routinely collected by the NIHR Academy, through Health Education England (HEE) on the Clinical Lectureship training award and through Researchfish, an external system that collects details of research outcomes for funders. The qualitative component will comprise individual in-depth semi-structured interviews, using video call software.
    The aims of the project are addressed in two phases:
    Phase 1: Will use quantitative data analysis and statistical methods to answer the following questions:
    What is a Clinical Lectureship and how many are there?
    Are Clinical Lectureships an attractive part of the clinical academic pathway?
    Are Clinical Lecturers progressing in their careers and what other interventions/factors support their progress?
    Phase 2: This qualitative element of the study will use an in-depth interview methodology to understand the experience of IAT Clinical Lectureship award holders, with a focus on the challenges experienced, motivations for undertaking the award and their perceptions of the future, post award.

  • REC name

    North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    21/NE/0167

  • Date of REC Opinion

    12 Aug 2021

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion