Support, facilities and collaborators

Training resources

All NIHR ACFs can utilise their NIHR research training budget with access to internal and sometimes external modular or short-term programmes. The modules under the Clinical Research MSc are often a first option for skills development. However, the University is increasingly widening the range of courses trainees can access to develop their skill set.

Trainees are also encouraged to access the Think Ahead programme, designed to support early career researchers. Think Ahead is a comprehensive blend of training workshops, career mentoring, support for grant and fellowship applications and mock interviews.

SuppoRTT offers support to those who have taken time out of programme.  Dr Ruth Payne, Consultant Microbiologist and previous CL at Sheffield, is the Regional SuppoRTT co-Champion for IAT. She leads work that has supported transitions between clinical and academic training, including time out of programme. 

Pump-priming grants are available for ACFs and CLs. These are competitive and peer-reviewed. If you are a current NIHR trainee and wish to apply, contact catadmin@sheffield.ac.uk.

Funding is also available in some circumstances to cover publication costs. All other avenues of funding need to be explored first in order to be eligible. The admin team will be happy to discuss this with any postgraduate clinical academic trainees.

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Research infrastructure

Sheffield has access to world-class facilities and research institutes. These include

• Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre and its Training Academy
• Florey Institute for Host-Pathogen Interactions
• Deep-End Research Alliance (DERA) and the network for GP and primary care staff, enabling inclusive primary care research for underserved populations in Yorkshire and Humber
• Neuroscience Institute
• Healthy Lifespan Institute
• Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)
• Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC)
• Sheffield Insigneo Institute and related training opportunities
• Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Sheffield Children's Hospitals NHS Trust
• National Centre for Child Health Technology (a collaboration between the Sheffield Childrens' Hospital and Sheffield Hallam University)
• The newly funded Digital Health Hub (commencing September 2023)

The School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) hosts

• Clinical Trials Research Unit
• Health Economics Decision Science (HEDS)
• NIHR Research Design Service
• Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research (CURE)
• NIHR School for Public Health Research
• Sheffield Alcohol Research Group

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Equality, diversity and inclusion in clinical academic training

The University of Sheffield strategy (2020-2025) prioritises equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) via its One University pillar. The clinical academic training programme links directly to this work and is implementing several areas to improve access and inclusion to clinical academic training, including

• collaborative work to tackle difficulties in ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for clinical trainees on rotations across the region
• collaborative clinical research with Chimp Management and RDASH to determine if the Skills for Life programme leads to an increase in mental health resilience in clinical/clinical academic trainees and consultants (building on work published in 2023 involving mental health nurses).
• reverse mentoring offered by the NIHR Yorkshire Humber EMRI-Ethnic Minority Research Inclusion group
• research looking at barriers for female surgical trainees

The clinical academic training programme is open to looking at other areas of need under the EDI banner. If trainees have any concerns related to this area, or an interest they wish to explore, they should contact the team at catadmin@sheffield.ac.uk.