Research Awards, Fellowships & Professorships

RCEM Undergraduate Essay Prizes 2023

The application window for the RCEM Undergraduate Essay Prize will open in late 2023.

RCEM are pleased to announce two categories of prize:

1. The RCEM Undergraduate Research Essay Prize
2. The RCEM Undergraduate Quality Improvement Essay Prize

Prizes include:

• £500
• Reasonable travel, accommodation and registration fee for the RCEM Scientific Conference 2023
• One year membership of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

Applications are invited for the 2023 Royal College of Emergency Medicine
Undergraduate Prizes. Applicants are required to be an undergraduate student at a
recognised teaching institution within the UK but are not required to be a member of
the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

Applicants will be accepted from both
medical and non-medical students. There will be two prizes awarded and the value of
each prize will be £500.

The RCEM Undergraduate Essay Prize winners 2023 will be required to present their
work at the RCEM Scientific Conference 2023 which will take place in Glasgow from
September 26-28th 2023. The prizes will in addition fund the winner’s reasonable travel,
accommodation, and registration fee for the RCEM Scientific Conference 2023 and a
one-year membership of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

The essays should describe original Emergency Medicine research or quality improvement. This work should not previously have been published in a journal or presented at a major UK/international conference and with a clear applicability to EM.

Each essay has a word limit of 1500 words including any tables, figures and headings
(but excluding references). Entrants will be disqualified for submissions more than this.
Up to 2 figures/tables are allowed.
Essays must avoid any reference to any institution or anything that may reveal the
author’s identity. Only one applicant can be considered per submission and applicants
are not permitted to submit to both categories.

Applicants must have played an important part in the relevant research/quality
improvement and must have personally written the submitted work. The Awards will
be determined by the Research & Publications Committee of the College of Emergency
Medicine, with or without the advice of external assessors.

For more information, contact:
Research Essay Prize
Professor Matt Reed, Emergency Medicine Consultant, Edinburgh on 0131 242 1284
or matthew.reed@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

Quality Improvement Essay Prize
Dr Edd Carlton, Emergency Medicine Consultant, Bristol on 0117 414 4985 or
Ed.Carlton@nbt.nhs.uk

Application form available here (Pdf version)

Application form available here (Word version)

Clinical Studies Group
Blue Sky Ideas Award

Blue Sky Ideas Application

The next round of applications for Blue Sky Ideas will run late 2023.

Do you have a fantastic research idea you are struggling to get off the ground? This section of the research engagement day is open to all clinicians or researchers to pitch a research idea (5 slides max) to the meeting. There will be open critique and review from ED research experts and advice on potential funding streams.

There is up to £5000 funding from RCEM available to support the best Blue Sky ideas which will be decided by a panel on the Research Engagement Day.

We invite applicants to consider the James Lind Alliance priority setting partnership when submitting their ideas. Other research ideas are welcome for open peer and professional review.

Please submit your research on a single page in PICO format: P – Patient, problem or population

I – Intervention
C – Comparison, control or comparator O – Outcomes

The closing date for submission of abstracts is Friday 06 January at 17:00. All abstracts will be reviewed, and the top scoring ones will be shortlisted for oral presentation. Applicants will receive email notifications containing a decision about their submission from the following week.

All submission forms will be discarded 3 months after the event date. The information supplied in this form will be shared with judges. Your name and email address will be kept on record for 3 years so we can contact you about the outcome of this submission and when future opportunities to submit abstracts arise. Should you wish to remove your details from our database, please email events@rcem.ac.uk

Download the application form here PDF version

Download the application form here Word version

RCEM/NIHR CRN Awards

Award Categories and Eligibility

Category A: Early Career Researcher* and those new to research showing a significant contribution to recruitment into NIHR portfolio studies
Targeted towards Medical professionals (including consultants within three years of consultant start date) working in Emergency Care Research. The panel will be looking for evidence to support all of the following criteria:

1. Increased research recruitment and/or developed new pathways to recruitment
2. Contributed to the successful delivery of NIHR portfolio studies
3. Engaged with patients to inform them of new opportunities to participate in NIHR CRN clinical research

Category B: Early Career Researcher* and those new to research from all nursing and allied health professional groups showing a significant contribution to recruitment into NIHR portfolio studies
Targeted towards nurses and all allied health professionals working in Emergency Care Research, including, but not limited to: Nurses, Pharmacists, Physician Associates and Emergency Nurse Practitioners. The panel will be looking for evidence to support all of the following criteria:

1. Increased research recruitment and/or developed new pathways to recruitment
2. Contributed to the successful delivery of NIHR portfolio studies
3. Engaged with patients to inform them of new opportunities to participate in NIHR CRN clinical research.

Category C: Emergency Care Research Team making an outstanding contribution to the NIHR portfolio studies in 2020-2022
Targeted towards the entire spectrum of clinical trials teams contributing to Emergency Care research. The panel will be looking for evidence to support all the following criteria:

1. Significant contribution to recruitment across numerous NIHR portfolio adopted studies showing how you have led a significant number of trials that have changed practice
2. Engaged with patients to inform them of new opportunities to participate in NIHR CRN clinical research.

Application Process and Judging of Applications

• Applications should be made using only the application form. Any additional information submitted will NOT be considered by the panel
• Applicants should note the word limit for the application
• Completed application forms must be received by midnight on Sunday 04 December 2022. Receipt of applications will be acknowledged
• Applications will be assessed by the judging panel, including representatives for the Trauma and Emergency Care National Specialty Group and members of RCEM research committee
• Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 16 December 2022. We expect a high number of applications and are unable to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
• The awards for each category include one free registration to the RCEM Research Engagement Day on 20th January 2023, plus a certificate and trophy.
• Both of the Early Career Researcher awards have a £1000 prize which can be used towards increasing your contribution to NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio studies in the future.

Award Presentations
The awards will be presented during the next RCEM Research Engagement Day on Friday 20 January 2023 at RCEM Octavia House, London There is an expectation that the winning applicant of each category will be available to attend the ceremony.

Application Form
Download the application form and send the completed form to policy@rcem.ac.uk. If you have any questions, please email policy@rcem.ac.uk.

Supporting information
Royal College of Emergency Medicine and NIHR Awards Application Guidance Notes | NIHR

Download the application form (Pdf version)

Download the application form (Word version)

*Please note: an Early Career Researcher (and those new to research) is defined as being a health care, social care and public health professional currently in training posts or within 5 years (excluding career breaks and extended pro rata for those in less than full-time work) of appointment to substantive NHS (or equivalent) positions. Special consideration will be given to those who can demonstrate they were only able to take up research opportunities later in their career.

Pre-Doctoral Research Fellowship

The next application window for the Pre-Doctoral Research Fellowships will run in 2024.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) offers a number of Pre-Doctoral Fellowships. Applications are invited from trainees in Emergency Medicine (EM) from CT1 and above, as well as non-training middle grade clinicians and ANPs/ACPs who wish to develop academically. This scheme will fund 12-month Fellowships aimed at offering the holder protected research time which will be used primarily to develop proposals for a larger Doctoral Fellowship Award application (e.g. NIHR), which will be undertaken at a later date.

Fellowship time may also be used to conduct pilot research which will contribute to the proposal. This research can involve patients, samples or data from patients, people who are not patients, populations, health technology assessment and health services research. RCEM does not fund research work involving animals and/or animal tissue.

Potential applicants and their host organisations should note that the RCEM Pre-Doctoral 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) during the Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. The Pre-Doctoral Research Fellowship (RCEM-DRF-Policy) is aimed at individuals of outstanding potential, early in their research careers. It aims to facilitate them through the early stages of a doctoral fellowship application process in an environment reflecting their individual talents and training needs. It is anticipated that successful applicants would aim to obtain funding for a doctoral fellowship within 2 years of completing the RCEM Pre-Doctoral Fellowship.

Following completion of an RCEM Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, 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
• An outline plan for a PhD application
• Completion of a substantial and wide-ranging training element
• Increased research skills
• Publications arising from the Fellowship
• Involvement in collaborative research relationships

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

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

Eligibility

1. Applicants for a RCEM Pre-Doctoral Fellowship must be able to demonstrate that they have previous research experience. For example, a Masters level qualification would be an indicator of such experience (but is not essential).
2. Applicants must be medically qualified and either a trainee or holder of a substantive post in EM.
3. The RCEM Pre-Doctoral Fellowships are intended to fund individuals to undertake preliminary work and prepare an application for a PhD. Applicants who have already begun a programme of work to achieve a research doctorate are not eligible to apply.
4. Only one application to the RCEM Fellowship Scheme is permitted in each round. Multiple applications will not be accepted.

Scope

1. The Fellowships may be undertaken on a part-time basis for 1 year at 25-50% WTE. In rare cases there may be scope to spread the funding over 2 years duration. RCEM is not able to fund awards of any other duration or profile.
2. The RCEM award will contribute towards the applicant’s salary, including the employer’s contribution to National Insurance and superannuation (proportion funded 25-50%).
3. The RCEM award may also contribute up to £25,000 total over the duration of the award towards directly incurred costs, e.g.  postage and/or conference fees. A training & development programme appropriate for a Pre-Doctoral research fellowship may be included (proportion funded 100% – maximum £5k).
4. The direct funding for this fellowship cannot be used to fund computers, non-specialist office software, internet access, or open-source publication costs.

Applicants are asked to keep interview dates available to attend for interview in London (although interviews may be held remotely as circumstance dictates).

Please follow either of the links below to obtain your application form.
Pre-Doctoral Fellowship 2023 Application form (word version)

Pre-Doctoral Fellowship 2023 Application Form (pdf version)

Trainee Emergency Research Network (TERN) Fellowship

A new TERN Fellow was appointed in 2022. The application window for the next Fellowship will begin in late 2023.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) TERN Fellowship scheme. This scheme funds 50% of the successful applicant’s time over a two year period subject to progress.

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 50% of an individual’s base salary costs (the remainder being provided by the applicant’s supporting consortia).

Following completion of the Fellowship, the successful applicant is expected to have designed and delivered at least one clinical research study through the national TERN network, and significantly enhanced the visibility and co-ordination of TERN. Additional goals considered may include the following:

• Educational plan for raised awareness of academic opportunity and engagement options for emergency medicine trainees.
• Close working with RCEM learning to support development of the research page
• Development of stakeholder lists and Involvement in collaborative relationships
• Peer reviewed publication of completed projects arising from the fellowship, and presentation of key findings at RCEM meetings, e.g. the Annual Scientific Conference and Academic Trainees Day.
• Bespoke training plan including a potential higher research qualification such as a M.Sc program, Masters in Public Health or modular training in clinical trial design.

Evidence of the above will be sought through interim and final report monitoring. Support for formal research training will be considered during the fellowship in line with individual commitment and career trajectory.

Research projects undertaken as part of TERN will be included on the NIHR portfolio. Local Research Design Services (RDS) http://www.nihr.ac.uk/infrastructure  support all NIHR portfolio project research proposals. In addition, NIHR portfolio adoption will facilitate the engagement of clinical research nursing teams based in every hospital to assist with data collection, research governance and oversight.

Eligibility

1. Applicants for a TERN fellowship must be able to demonstrate that they have previous experience of project leadership and delivery.
2. Applicants should have experience of committee working, including organisation, identification and delivery of established objectives.
3. Applicants must be medically qualified and a trainee in Emergency medicine
4. TERN fellowships are intended to fund individuals for 50% dedicated project time alongside a clinical emergency medicine work program.  Applicants who will be receiving any external fellowship funding and/or participating in a programme of fellowship work from August 2022 to 2024 (medical doctorate, academic clinical lectureship, educational fellow, leadership fellow etc..) are not eligible to apply.
5. Only one application to the RCEM Fellowship Scheme is permitted in each round. Multiple applications will not be accepted.

Scope

1. The Fellowship is designed to be undertaken on a 50% part-time basis, alongside clinical work in higher specialist training, or as part of an OOPFR placement. The RCEM is not able to fund awards of any other duration or profile.
2. The RCEM award will contribute 50% base salary costs over a 2 year period. The award will not fund additional costs such as those occurring through reduced out of hours (OOH) work; it is envisaged that those applying will maintain OOH clinical work in order to continue receiving their full banding entitlement.
3. The Fellowship does not include, or pay for, any activities other than the salary costs covering research, academic training and travel expenses proposed in a successful application. All clinical study leave, professional leave and additional expenses will fall within the remit of the employing host organisation or deanery.

1. It is an expectation that RCEM awards will be on the NIHR portfolio and thus eligible for CRN infrastructure and nursing support. This eligibility will also facilitate access to advanced research training at the discretion of the applicant and supervisor.

Application Procedure

The next application window will begin in early 2024.

References:

1. Chari A, Jamjoom AA, Edlmann E, et al. The British Neurosurgical Trainee Research Collaborative: Five years on. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2018; 160(1): 23-8.
2. Jamjoom AA, Phan PN, Hutchinson PJ, Kolias AG. Surgical trainee research collaboratives in the UK: an observational study of research activity and publication productivity. BMJ Open 2016; 6(2): e010374.
3. Kolias AG, Cowie CJ, Tarnaris A, Hutchinson PJ, Brennan PM, British Neurosurgical Trainee Research C. Ensuring a bright future for clinical research in surgery with trainee led research networks. BMJ 2013; 347: f5225.

(i) Essential Criteria

• Desirable Criteria

 * A letter signed by the applicant’s Educational Supervisor and local training program director should be provided in support of these criteria where relevant.

RCEM/NIHR Clinical Research Network Associate Professor Scheme

The next application RCEM/NIHR Clinical Research Network Associate Professor Scheme window will open in late 2023.

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 2023.

Any queries please contact policy@rcem.ac.uk

A new RCEM Professor was appointed in 2023. The next application window for the next Fellowship will begin in early 2027.

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.

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