FAQs

Each specialty has an Academic Lead who will help you to find the best supervisor(s) for your research.

In some cases, the Academic Lead will be the most appropriate supervisor for your research, whereas in other cases the Academic Lead will organise that another senior academic / clinical academic acts as your main supervisor.

If you aren’t sure who is the Academic Lead for your specialty, email the administrative team ( resmed@soton.ac.uk ). Alternatively, you can contact Professor Tim Underwood (ACF lead) or Professor Eugene Healy (Director of Clinical Academic Training) who will be able to put you in touch with someone who can help.

Remember that:

Frequently, ACF’s have more than one supervisor, for example if there are two or three academics with interests relevant to their project. Some projects may be cross-departmental, requiring supervisors with skills in different disciplines. At least one person supervising you should be a clinical academic.

Your supervisor should be someone who has previous experience in supervising ACF’s and PhD students, and a strong track record in their own academic work.

Ideally your project will lead on to a PhD and should therefore match your interests. You may not be certain about your specific area of interest, and sometimes researchers change their area of work after their PhD, so don’t worry too much if you’re not sure whether your project is in the same area that you will want to work in long-term.

In most cases, your project will develop out of discussions between you and your supervisor. SoCATS Academic Leads/Supervisors have lots of experience in generating ideas for and developing research projects, and you are not expected to have these skills when you start as an ACF.

Meetings

The NIHR says you should meet your supervisor at least once a month. In practice this may be less during clinical blocks, but should be more frequent during your academic block – e.g. once a week.

Bear in mind that your supervisor may be very busy, so it is helpful to come to meetings having planned what you would like to discuss, and emailed any relevant documents in advance, such as drafts of publications etc.

Academic support

You should feel able to discuss your research project and ideas about how to develop this openly with your supervisor so that your supervisor can help guide and refine them.

Your supervisor should help facilitate getting your project off the ground, by reviewing and contributing to your written work (e.g. for publications and proposals), and liaising with colleagues to help you make arrangements to gain the research skills you will need and produce pilot data.

Good supervisors will suggest the most suitable conferences for you to present your work and to network, and the best courses for you to gain skills relevant to your project.

Some supervisors may have funding available for presenting work at conferences (although you can also make use of the funding available to ACF’s – see question below, “How do I book study leave and claim for expenses?”)

If you are having difficulties with your supervisor, see question below: “Where can I find support?”

Many ACF’s take their academic time as a single block of 9 months because this gives them the chance to focus solely on academic work.

However, in some cases alternative arrangements are preferred, either because it is easier to fit in with clinical rotas or because it helps to optimise patient recruitment for your research. For example, some ACF’s have some protected academic time each week alongside their clinical duties. This allows you to get started on your academic work straight away, but you may find it more difficult to maintain continuity in your academic work, and you will need to ensure your clinical colleagues are aware that you are not available during your academic time, which can be challenging!

Your Academic Lead and/or Academic Supervisor should liaise with the Training Programme Director early during your ACF to ensure that the arrangements for your academic time are organised in a way which takes into account the clinical rotas, the requirement that you spend 9 months of your ACF post undertaking research, and (for the most part) ensuring that you are not expected to cover clinical duties while conducting your research.

The NIHR FAQ page has more information.

Here are some points to bear in mind when planning your academic time:

Begin preparations for your project when you start the ACF post so that you are ready to undertake your project when the academic component of your ACF post commences.  Planning during the initial clinical stages of your ACF post (including obtaining research ethics approval where necessary, undertaking statistics e-learning, attending relevant courses, etc.) helps to ensure that you are able to spend your academic time focussing on getting the project completed.

Things often take longer than you might expect! Discuss with your supervisor(s) what is achievable in the time you have, and aim to conduct a “main” project that you can finish within the time so that you have pilot data for a fellowship application.

Meet your academic supervisor regularly – the NIHR recommends at least once a month, although in practice this is likely to be less frequent during your clinical blocks, and more during academic blocks (e.g. once a week).

Don’t forget to leave time to write up your work.

Start working on applications for grants and PhD fellowships early. It’s important you have enough preliminary work to strengthen your application, but the process is time-consuming and not everyone is successful on their first attempt.

Ask your academic supervisor whether you can assist with other research projects that would benefit from your involvement. However, avoid taking on projects that might compromise your ability to complete your “main” project. Discuss any additional projects with your academic supervisor beforehand to ensure that he/she agrees with/approves of your involvement in the other projects because your academic supervisor is appointed to help look after your best interests in developing your academic career, and help you ensure that you are using your time in the most beneficial way.

The main focus of your academic time is research (which may include research into any aspect of medicine, including medical education).  Although you may be asked to assist with delivery of teaching in some cases, delivery of teaching should not be a major focus of your academic (or clinical) training during the ACF post.

Unlike your clinical work, there are no concrete requirements for each year of your ACF, and it is recognised that everyone will have different levels of experience at entry, and different goals. Below is a rough guide, but every programme is different and your progress in each year will depend on how you arrange your academic time (see FAQ on “How do I plan and make the most of my academic time?”). If you’re worried about your progress, speak to your supervisor, Professor Tim Underwood (ACF Lead), Miss Karen Nugent or Professor Eugene Healy .

During your first 3 - 6 months of your ACF post you should:

Have been allocated an academic supervisor (see “How do I find a supervisor?”).

Organise with your academic supervisor when to take your academic time (see “How do I plan and make the most of my academic time?”)

Develop ideas for your project with your academic supervisor. You should also start reading relevant articles, and plan to use some study leave in your first year to attend relevant conferences and courses to gain some of the skills you will need for your project (see “How do I learn to…?”).

Apply for ethical approval for your project as early as possible as it can take a long time.

Many ACF’s won’t publish or present anything in the first year, so focus on making preparations that will later allow you to produce good quality work in an area you’re interested in.

If you are doing Membership exams, try to get them out of the way early, as these are generally easier to study for while you’re doing clinical work.

Look for opportunities to write case reports or other small publications that will build your CV, which will be important when you make your application for a PhD Fellowship. Your academic supervisor may have some suggestions, and should help by reviewing and contributing to drafts you write. Remember that your academic supervisor needs to approve your involvement in case reports and other publications so that he/she can ensure that the benefits justify the time spent on these activities.

During years 2 and 3:

Many ACFs take their academic time as a block starting in their second year, but there are lots of different ways to organise it (see “How do I plan and make the most of my academic time?”)

Whenever you take your academic time, remember that you need to leave time to write up what you have done, and prepare applications for grants and PhD fellowships.

Where possible, it is helpful to build up your CV by making presentations at conferences and submitting articles for publication, however, your academic supervisor will be able to advise when is the best time to do these during your training.

Remember that your academic time is your chance to produce work that will help you secure a PhD fellowship.

Make a personal development plan with your academic supervisor, and update it regularly . This will help you plan your research training so that you get the most out of your ACF post.

Gain some research skills. You can find out more about courses suitable for ACF’s at Southampton here (Southampton University login required). National courses may also be helpful, such as those run by the Academy of Medical Sciences, NIHR or academic societies in your specialty. Discuss with your academic supervisor which courses you should attend.

Make use of the benefits available for ACFs doing research at Southampton University , including the travel bursary, funding for publishing, use of laptops etc. Links to pages about these are on the left side of the SoCATs intranet site .

Network: Get to know your ACF colleagues, sign up to the SoCATS WhatsApp group and attend monthly Academic Grand Rounds whenever you can. Attend meetings and conferences relevant to your ACF post / specialty / research interest (examples include the Southampton Medical Faculty Research Conference each year in June, conferences or events in your specialty, NIHR events for ACFs, and possibly the Academic of Medical Sciences Spring Meeting . Ask your supervisor to suggest events relevant to you, but remember to focus on the most important meetings relevant to your career aims.

Publish and present your work. There are courses in writing, presenting and poster design at Southampton as part of our Transferable Skills Programme . Your academic supervisor will be able to help you choose the most suitable journals and conferences to submit your work to. Remember to proofread each version of your abstracts (for conferences), papers, presentations and try to proofread as if you did not know what the study is about.

Make plans for the future. Talk to your supervisor and other clinical academics you meet through networking about what their job is like, and how they have built their career. Attend visits from Wellcome, MRC etc. to find out about funding opportunities for your PhD and later in your career - it’s never too early to start thinking about this!

Consider becoming an ACF representative. If you have ideas about how you would like clinical academic training at Southampton to be improved, please tell your ACF reps or become one yourself!

Booking study leave:

You should book study leave taken during clinical time using Intrepid .

HEE Wessex should have provided you with a login at the start of your training. If you are attending a course or conference during your academic time, you don’t need to book study leave.

Funding for study leave:

As an ACF you have access to two sources of funding for study leave: the Deanery and the Clinical Academic Training scheme. You will need to apply in advance.

If your course or conference is related to your clinical work (e.g. ALS), use your Deanery funding. This webpage has guidance on appropriate use of study leave, and there is more information on the Specialty pages of the Deanery website .

Expenses claims are made through the hospital trust you are currently working for.

If your study leave is related to your research, you can claim expenses using the ACF Travel Bursary, details of which are on the Univeristy of Southampton intranet .  You can email the administrative team with questions, for example whether your claim is eligible or which academic year you should claim under: resmed@soton.ac.uk

A third possible source of funding is through your supervisor, who may have access to grants that can be used to contribute to fees for important conferences or other expenses.

ARCP’s for ACF’s assess both the clinical and academic aspects of your work. They are run differently in each specialty; some are face-to-face and others will just be an assessment of the evidence you submit. The clinical aspect of your ARCP will have the same requirements as for other clinical trainees, and you will need to ensure you complete the required number of workplace-based assessments even if you have some academic time during the year.

For the academic aspect of your development SoCATS have established a process to review your progress prior to your ARCP. This involves attending an 'Annual Review of Academic Development' meeting approximately one month prior to your ARCP.  Full details of the process and forms to complete are on the SoCATS intranet site .

Ideally you should fill in the PDP (“Annex A” form) at the start of the year and update it as you progress. While there isn’t a curriculum for academic training, it is helpful to set your goals bearing in mind that you will be asked to demonstrate achievements in 3 domains: Generic and Applied Research Skills, Research Governance, and Education and Communication. Discuss your plan with your supervisor to make sure it is challenging but realistic, achievable and relevant to you.

Keep your eportfolio up to date with your research activities, such as attending conferences, courses, publications, presentations etc. throughout the year. You should have meetings with your supervisor at the midpoint and 1 month before your ARCP to discuss your progress and ask them to complete the relevant forms.

I am having difficulty balancing my academic and clinical work:

It can be stressful having multiple responsibilities and demands on your time. Most ACF’s find that during the programme, their clinical and academic work each take priority at different times. For example it can be helpful to put your academic work to one side while you complete membership exams. Your Academic and Educational supervisors should be understanding about this. If you feel under unnecessary pressure in either your clinical or academic work, please discuss this with your supervisors, or with Professor Underwood , Miss Nugent or Professor Healy . The mentoring scheme may also enable you to contact someone who can offer advice about time management, and some people have found some of the courses at Wessex Deanery helpful.

I am not getting enough support from my supervisor:

Some clinical academics work abroad frequently, or are very busy with many commitments, and some are better at keeping in contact than others. The NIHR says that your supervisor should meet you at least once a month.

If you feel that your supervisor is not giving you the support you need, first consider whether there is anything else you could be doing: see “What should I expect from my supervisor?” Try talking to your supervisor about your concerns. You could consider asking if there would be anyone with more time who could be a co-supervisor.

A good relationship with your supervisor is key to your enjoyment and success in research, so if you are continuing to have problems please speak to Professor Underwood , Miss Nugent or Professor Healy .

I am not sure if I want to be a clinical academic:

There could be many reasons why you may not be enjoying your research work, and research is not the right path for everyone. If you don’t feel comfortable discussing this with your supervisor, please contact the ACF Reps or try the mentoring programme at Southampton via their intranet .

You can use the search function on the webpage to help you find someone who has the right experience to discuss your worries confidentially. If you would like to know more about the role of Clinical Lecturer at Southampton, please contact Helena Lee ( Helena.Lee@soton.ac.uk ), our Clinical Lecturer trainee representative.

Can I work Less Than Full Time as a clinical academic trainee?

As an ACF the NIHR says you can work part time, as long as this is agreed locally:

“Part-time Academic Clinical Fellowships can be extended up to a maximum of 5 years (up to a maximum of 6 years for GPs), with a stipulation that the academic component remains at 25% of full time equivalent. Please contact your academic and clinical leads as well as the Local Education Training Board (LETB).”

If you would like to discuss the possibility of working LTFT as an ACF or later in your clinical academic career, please contact the ACF Trainee Representatives ( socats.acfreps@gmail.com ) or Miss Nugent .

Here is a list of resources for learning or refreshing your knowledge of some important skills:

Do a literature search: The library staff are extremely helpful and can provide one-to-one sessions if you would like a refresher of the basics or have a specific question that you are trying to search on. Contact librarydeskside@southampton.ac.uk or fill in the online form via their website .

Carry out systematic review : The Library website has a selection of resources.  Other trainees have recommended the SHTAC course and the book by Dickson, Cherry and Boland on this page.

Use and interpret statistics : This e-learning course has been designed specifically for ACF’s.

Use specialist software : The University of Southampton has licenses for a number of applications for use by staff. Most are free to download and are available from the iSolutions Software Distribution Service .

Available software includes Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft Office and more specialist applications like Matlab, SPSS, GraphPAD and NVivo. You can find a list of e-learning and face to face courses provided by the University to help you learn how to use different applications on the iSolutions website .

Here are some other links to courses and resources that may be helpful. If you would like to learn a research skill that is not listed here, please email the ACF reps so that we can suggest it at the next School Board meeting ( socats.acfreps@gmail.com ).

Good Clinical Practice : one day face-to-face courses are available, or there is an e-learning version which takes about half a day. This course is essential if you will be having contact with patients in a research capacity, for example gaining consent to take part in a study. You need to update your certification every 2 years, and shorter refresher courses are available to those who have done the course before.

Generic Research Methods : Southampton University offers an e-learning course split into modules, so you can choose sections relevant to you:

Southampton University Transferable Skills Programme : many of these are appropriate for ACFs, such as Scientific Writing, Presentation Skills and Grant Writing Workshops. See the Faculty of Medicine Intranet site for further details.

Academic skills: The LibGuides pages have links to many courses and very useful resources that cover research methods, IT skills, writing skills, data management, ORCID, Pure, Researchfish, etc.…

Patient and public engagement is essential in the process of generating research questions that matter to patients and the public, ensuring that our research methods are acceptable, and disseminating the results to target groups or through mass media. Grant applications usually require evidence of patient or public involvement. A good approach can be to contact support groups for patients affected by the condition you are studying, and request a letter of support if appropriate. Social media can be used, but be aware of the GMC guidance.

Public engagement is an important skill for researchers to develop, and good evidence on your CV will help when you come to apply for grants. You can get involved in public engagement more generally with the University of Southampton, for example via the Lifelab project.

ORCiD

The NIHR requires you to have an ORCiD ID, which is a unique identifier that you keep throughout your research career. Its main purpose is to differentiate you from other researchers with similar names, and ensure all your research work can be attributed to you.

ResearchFish

This is a database that allows funding bodies (such as NIHR) and institutions to monitor the outputs of their researchers. This is partly so that funding bodies can report back to donors. You should link your ORCiD ID to your Researchfish account, and you will be asked by NIHR once a year to update your research outputs using Researchfish.

ResearchGate

This is an online platform allowing researchers to network. Users have an online profile linked to their institution and publications, and can search for and view other users’ profiles. You can also follow researchers, projects etc. to receive updates. It is a useful networking tool, but is not compulsory or universally used.

Twitter and other social media

These can be useful in research, for example for promoting a study you are involved in amongst healthcare professionals, patient groups and the general public. You should always make sure you are following the GMC guidance on the use of social media .

You can login to your university account from your laptop or computer remotely. This will allow to you access your university desktop, including software that is on university computers and personal files you have saved using your university login.

To remotely access journal articles using university permissions, you need to set up a VPN on your device. This allows you to use a university IP address off campus.

You can download software available via the university to your own computer. Guides on how to do this are available via iSolutions :

You can set up your university email account on your smartphone using this guide .

For help with any other IT issues, try searching the iSolutions Knowledge Base .

This is a new page so if you have questions or problems not addressed here, please let us know so that we can help you. We will also update the page with information that may be relevant to others.

You could also try the NIHR FAQ page for ACF’s

ACF Reps, Nathan Huneke and Olivia Falconer: socats.acfreps@gmail.com

CL Rep, post currently vacant

Administrative team: resmed@soton.ac.uk

Professor Eugene Healy , Director of Clinical Academic Training: E.Healy@soton.ac.uk

Professor Tim Underwood , ACF Lead: T.J.Underwood@soton.ac.uk

Miss Karen Nugent , Associate Dean for Specialty Schools: K.P.Nugent@soton.ac.uk

Yes. The NIHR need to be contacted prior to publication and provided with a copy of the paper/article.  For full details see the NIHR Guidelines on Communicating your Research .

Please note that a copy of the final version of the author accepted manuscript should also be loaded into the University of Southampton’s Pure system. See the Library website for further information.

Should you have any questions or concerns over sending a copy of your publication to the NIHR, for example because of an embargo period, please contact the University of Southampton’s ePrints Team via eprints@soton.ac.uk .

Yes. You can find template statements, disclaimers, logos and guidance on how to use them in this document provided by the NIHR:

Essential Information for Communicating your Research

More information is available at the ‘ One NIHR ’ and NIHR publications websites.

Please also check the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Joint Publication Policy for details of other acknowledgements that may be relevant to your research. Please be aware this document is currently undergoing a major revision.