Research Awards, Fellowships & Professorships

Royal College of Emergency Medicine Undergraduate Essay Prizes 2025

The application window for the Undergraduate Essay Prize is now CLOSED.

Doctoral Research Fellowship 2025

The application window has now closed. The deadline for applications was January 1st 2025 at 17:00

Potential applicants and their host organisations should note that the RCEM PhD Fellowship Scheme is a personal award designed to contribute to an individual’s salary costs (the remainder being provided by the applicant’s supporting consortia) on completion of the PhD research project.

The Doctoral Research Fellowship (RCEM-DRF-Policy) is aimed at individuals of outstanding potential, early in their research careers.  It aims to fast-track them through a customised research training programme in an environment reflecting their individual talents and training needs. It is anticipated that successful applicants would become independent research leaders within 6 to 10 years of completing the RCEM-DRF award.

Following completion of a RCEM-DRF, the Fellows are expected to have successfully completed a robust research and training programme and be able to show evidence of:

• Completion of the research proposed in the application
• Award of a PhD
• Completion of a substantial and wide-ranging training element
• Increased research skills
• Publications arising from the Fellowship
• Involvement in collaborative relationships

Evidence of the above will be sought through interim and final report monitoring.

Research projects undertaken as part of a RCEM Fellowship will be included on the NIHR portfolio.  Local Research Design Service (RDS) https://www.nihr.ac.uk/explore-nihr/support/research-design-service.htm support should be available for all NIHR portfolio project research proposals.

Interviews will be held either online or in London at College buildings. Successfully shortlisted applicants will be notified as soon as feasible.

Trainee Emergency Research Network (TERN) Fellowship 2024

This call has now passed. The next application window will open in September 2025 with a January 2026 deadline.

Applications are invited from trainees or clinical fellows in Emergency Medicine at ≥ST3 level or equivalent who wish to develop this exciting project, with academic support and mentorship from the previous TERN fellow, college professors and the RCEM research committee.

TERN aims to improve research opportunity for all trainees, advanced practitioners and fellows in emergency medicine by facilitating multicentre research projects selected and designed by trainees. Such networks have been hugely successful in the allied specialties of anaesthesia, neurosurgery and general surgery leading to increased research awareness, improved academic training, co-authored publications and changes to clinical practice ^1-3. Network projects present a strong opportunity for both academic and non-academic trainees to engage with national research, thus maximising output and impact from non-clinical time.  Although still a relatively new network, TERN has already delivered several trainee conceived and designed national portfolio-adopted projects across over a hundred UK sites; successfully collaborated with Australasian colleagues to deliver an international headache project; secured NIHR partner funding for a 2022 research study on a JLA priority topic; and has published a number of articles on our work.

This fellowship scheme supports TERN through dedicated funding to support project development, co-ordination and delivery. Academic mentorship for the project and fellowship will be provided throughout the post by the RCEM Professors and local supervisors. Assistance with infrastructure, meeting rooms, communications and networking will be provided through use of the RCEM facilities and a modest dedicated budget line.

This scheme is an ideal opportunity for those who have a desire to engage with academic emergency medicine and consider development of a portfolio career. The role will offer significant exposure to project development and delivery, including liaison with research design services, ethics committees, research and development services and use of the IRAS platform. Previous research experience in these areas would be advantageous, but is not essential. Applicants could take up this role either on a Less than Full Time training basis, or as a dedicated and prearranged OOPFR placement.

Potential applicants and their host organisations should note that the RCEM TERN Fellowship Scheme is a personal award designed to contribute up to 50% towards base salary costs (capped at £23,101 each year with the remainder being provided by the applicant’s supporting consortia).

Interviews will be held either online or in London at College buildings. Successfully shortlisted applicants will be notified as soon as feasible.

To apply, please send your CV with a covering letter highlighting how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the post to policy@rcem.ac.uk deadline to be announced when the new window opens.

For more information, please click here: Tern Fellowship Application

RCEM/NIHR Clinical Research Network Associate Professor Scheme

New RCEM Associate Professors were appointed in 2023. The next application window for Associate Professorships will be in late 2025.

Role Description

The RCEM/NIHR Clinical Research Network Associate Professor scheme is aimed at recognising and supporting NHS clinicians who are delivering high quality research at a level which is broadly comparable with an academic clinical senior lecturer.

Key elements of the scheme led by the College in partnership with NIHR CRN include:

• The scheme is advertised nationally and RCEM/NIHR CRN Associate Professor (or similar) title awarded jointly by the College and NIHR CRN for an initial period of three years, to NHS clinicians or clinical academics by a panel comprising College and NIHR CRN representatives.
• Successful applicants will be provided with mentorship and support through the College and NIHR, including access to academic methodological support in trials and applied health, and dedicated development workshops.
• The scheme has been running since 2018, when the first four appointments were made.

Person specification:

• Clinicians from throughout the UK who are RCEM members or fellows are eligible to apply. For those from the devolved nations, engagement with the NIHR should be demonstrated; for example, conduct of an NIHR CRN portfolio study, involvement as a Co-Investigator on an NIHR grant or membership of an NIHR committee (including the CRN Trauma and Emergency Care Specialty Group). Formal confirmation of support for the application from the applicant’s employer and, where appropriate, local CRN Clinical Director is required.
• Applicants are required to demonstrate excellence in research and leadership. The academic level required is broadly similar to that for a University senior lecturer / associate professor. The research element should be evidenced by papers, links to grants, and involvement in strategically important research programmes including delivery of NIHR Clinical Research Network studies and involvement with other elements of NIHR infrastructure or equivalent in the devolved nations. Leadership should be evidenced by, for example, developing emergency medicine research teams locally, involvement with the Royal College, NIHR, NICE, and/or specialty society.
• Demonstrating funding for protected research time is required at the time of application. We note that potential applicants may already have time funded via a variety of NIHR research infrastructure and other programmes, including, for example, NIHR Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care and the Clinical Research Network and NRS Fellowships, local Charitable Trust funds or industry income. The minimum time required is 1PA of protected time for a minimum period of three years.
• Applicants must set out how they plan to use their 3-year tenure to contribute to the work of RCEM and the NIHR Clinical Research Network, through (a) delivery of NIHR CRN research, and (b) building research activity and capacity in Emergency Medicine.

Role description

• The award holder is expected to act as an ambassador for RCEM and the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
• The award holder must contribute to the delivery of NIHR CRN research and to the goals of RCEM to increase research capacity and activity within the specialty of Emergency Medicine.
• Specific objectives for award holders will be set out upon appointment after agreement with representatives of RCEM and the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
• A set of performance metrics, tailored to the agreed objectives for each post holder, will be developed to ensure progress is monitored and supported. These metrics will form part of a review process.

The next application window will open late 2025.

Any queries please contact policy@rcem.ac.uk

The application window for the next RCEM Professor Fellowship has now closed

The RCEM Professorship post runs for 4 years and is awarded in recognition of sustained and continued excellence in academic emergency medicine. This appointment is intended to promote the profile of the recipient, their work and their academic profile along with that of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

The primary purpose of the post will be to give recognition to sustained and continuing excellence in academic emergency medicine (which would apply to both university academics and those undertaking academic work outside of a university setting). The appointment will promote the profile of the recipient, their work and by association the academic profile of RCEM.

The post will be of four years duration.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Current substantive appointment as Consultant / Senior Lecturer (Honorary Consultant) in emergency Medicine in UK or Republic of Ireland (RofI)
• High Profile publications in last 5 years
• Publications have impacted / are impacting on practice or teaching of EM in UK/RofI
• Able to demonstrate planned 5 year programme of research which complements the academic vision of RCEM.

Desirable Criteria 

• Not a current serving RCEM officer or Committee Chair
• Academic recognition by local University throughout substantive or honorary lectureship or readership
• Has / soon likely to have, protected time in job plan for academic work *
• Higher degree (MD/PhD) in Emergency Medicine, or evidence of significant postgraduate scholarship
• Appointment to Professor of Emergency Medicine at local institution is not imminent *
• Appointment as RCEM Professor should enhance likely future academic promotion subsequent to completion of post. *

*A letter signed by the applicant’s Clinical Director and local University Academic Division Lead should be provided in support of these criteria.

Applications which should include a covering letter, a CV and a letter signed by the applicant’s Clinical Director and local University Academic Division Lead should be emailed to: Tom Burgess at policy@rcem.ac.uk

For a full description of the role, please see the RCEM Professor job description. (pdf)