Early post-doctoral clinical academic medicine

Once you’ve completed your doctoral study, you’ll enter the early post-doctoral stage of clinical academic medicine. This is the point where you begin to define your own research interests and establish yourself as an independent investigator, all while maintaining progress in your clinical specialty or service work.

You will be balancing clinical work and research. You are expected to have prior research experience (including publications, presentations or supervised projects), and you’ll be ready to develop your own research direction under the guidance of senior clinical academics and mentors.

What opportunities are available

Early post-doctoral clinical academics can access a range of structured fellowships and lectureships across the UK. These posts provide protected research time alongside clinical work, helping you establish yourself as an independent investigator.

The primary and most structured entry route into early postdoctoral clinical academia is the Clinical Lectureship (CL). These posts are designed for doctors who have finished their pre-doctoral training (usually academic clinical fellowships) and are at an appropriate point in their clinical specialty training (e.g. ST3 level or above).

• Clinical Lectureships are a formal dual-role position where time is split 50/50 between clinical work and protected research time.
• They enable the doctor to develop their research portfolio, secure “starter” grants and work towards obtaining an independent fellowship to fund their next career stage.
• They typically run for a maximum of four years or until the award of the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), whichever is sooner.

• These can include “Starter” Fellowships such as competitive grants from bodies like the Academy of Medical Sciences or medical charities designed to generate pilot data and support the transition from PhD to independent research.
• You can explore Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) roles, where a university might employ a doctor on a specific research project’s grant, though this is less common than the formal CL or personal fellowship route.

Funding opportunities

These opportunities support the critical transition to research independence, combining continued clinical training with dedicated research time.

UK-wide opportunities

• MRC Post-Doctoral Clinical Research Training Fellowship is a prestigious fellowship for clinicians with a PhD who want to deepen their research career. Typically 3–4 years full-time (or up to 6 years part-time), it aligns with ongoing clinical training requirements.
• CRUK Clinician Scientist Fellowship is targeted at doctors with early post-doctoral experience (usually within six years of their PhD), this scheme supports the development of independent research programmes in cancer research. Duration is typically around five years.
• Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowship supports outstanding post-doc clinicians to establish independent research careers. This fellowship is flexible and combines clinical and research work over several years.
•  Many Royal Colleges offer small, specialty-specific early post-doctoral awards or grants that can provide seed funding or bridge gaps between larger grants.

Funding across the four nations 

Many universities and NHS trusts also offer internal fellowships or seed grants. These are crucial for bridging the gap between PhD completion and securing highly competitive national-level post-doctoral awards. Strong mentorship, dedicated career development and leadership training are integral to all these roles.

Entry requirements

To be eligible and competitive for post-doctoral clinical academic roles in medicine, you should:

• be a medically qualified clinician, registered and in specialty training (often ST3+)
• have completed a higher research degree (PhD or MD(Res)) or equivalent research training
• demonstrate research productivity e.g. peer-reviewed publications, presentations and involvement in projects
• present a clear research vision or niche aligned with your clinical specialty and institutional focus
• have or be willing to develop a teaching portfolio, clinical academic network and leadership skills in research

Always check the individual scheme’s eligibility criteria for specific requirements.

Structure, duration and format

Post-doctoral clinical academic roles typically run for 2 to 5 years depending on scheme and structure. Many roles are split between research and clinical time (e.g. 50%/50%) though some may lean more heavily toward research depending on the fellowship. Institutions may allow part-time working or flexibility to accommodate clinical training demands.

The aim is to progress toward independent investigator status. This means securing your own grants, leading projects, supervising others and eventually moving to consultant-academic or senior lecturer posts.

Why pursue a post-doctoral clinical academic medicine role?

• You gain protected research time while retaining clinical practice, enabling you to mature your research profile without stepping away from patient care.
• You develop skills in grant writing, leadership, teaching, supervision and research management, positioning you for senior academic or consultant-academic roles.
• You enhance your ability to translate research into clinical practice, improving patient outcomes, shaping service delivery and influencing policy.
• You build a professional network within academia and clinical practice, raising your visibility and credibility as a clinical academic.
• You maintain flexibility, as you are both clinician and researcher, which can lead to broader career pathways and impact.

The review of this page has been supported by Dr Claire Keeling, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Oncology.