Clinical Academic Research Fellow in Medical Oncology

Job responsibilities

INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

Applications are invited for an NHS-funded post-doctoral Clinical Research Fellow to work within a team developing insights from data derived from the care of patients with cancer receiving routine care within the NHS.

You will join the vibrant Clinical-Academic Training programme at Leeds, which provides a supportive research environment to develop independent, novel research alongside your clinical specialist training, leading to full registration and CC(S)T. You will be awarded a training contract with the Regional Postgraduate Deanery at specialist registrar (or equivalent) grade and an honorary contract with the appropriate NHS Trust. The successful applicant will also be awarded an honorary contract at the University of Leeds.

You will enter into an appropriate year within the Specialist Training Programme. Rotations include posts in Leeds and other regional centres and units to meet the current Royal College curriculum.

Oncology has been successful in academic developments, and integrated working between oncology clinical training and research is highly valued. Oncology has a strong track record of supporting oncology academic trainees, and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, in partnership with the University of Leeds, provides an outstanding environment to train and nurture the next generation of oncology researchers.

Find out more about the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Find out more about the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Leeds.

Find out more about Leeds Clinical Academic Training

Find out more about Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's Find out more about Athena Swan the Faculty of Medicine and Health.

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it's like to live and work in the Leeds area on our Working at Leeds information page.

MEDICAL STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT

The post is located within the Oncology Department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, working closely with colleagues within the Research and Innovation Team.

The successful candidate will work alongside Geoff Hall, the Professor of Digital Health and Cancer Medicine at the University of Leeds, the Director of DATA-CAN, the Health Data Research UK (HDRUK) Hub for Cancer and the Chief Clinical Data Officer for HDR-UK. The post will support the work of DATA-CAN and will play a lead role in LTHTs established partnership with Flatiron UK.

They will play a leading role alongside the senior medical team, which will include an established and expanding group of epidemiologists and real-world data analysts, academic and NHS clinicians, research nurses (including in telemedicine), and other experts within the School of Medicine.

This work will be supported by DATA-CAN, the Health Data Research UK Hub for Cancer (hosted by LTHT) and will liaise closely with the Big Data for Complex Diseases research Programme co-ordinated by HDR-UK. Industry collaborations to develop investigator-initiated projects will be very welcome.

Academic Contacts

Professor Geoff Hall

Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St Jamess, St Jamess University Hospital, Email: g.hall@leeds.ac.uk

Clinical Training Programme Directors

Dr Jane Hook

Medical Oncology Clinical Training Programme Director (East/West Yorks)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds

Email: jane.hook@nhs.net

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Please see the service specification

DUTIES OF THE POST

It is envisaged that five sessions of your time will be spent in research and innovation, and for five sessions, you will undertake appropriate clinical training.

The successful candidate will spend 50% of the appointed period continuing or establishing a new research programme, with 50% allocated to appropriate clinical training.

LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The post holder will:

Undertake internationally regarded research and benefit from senior academic support in making grant applications and independent mentoring on career progression.

Share responsibility for delivering high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.

TEACHING AND RESEARCH/STUDY AND TRAINING

You will be expected to contribute to the organisation and delivery of undergraduate teaching throughout your clinical and research years. The administrative, preparation time and actual teaching would be at most the equivalent of one session each week. During clinical periods, the person would be expected to undertake teaching and training commitments as expected of other Specialist Registrars in training.

You will be expected to achieve and maintain an active research portfolio, both producing regular publications and developing the skills required to write successful research grants and Intermediate, Advanced or Clinician Scientist Fellowship applications. Your research output would be expected to be of international quality as judged by the Research Excellence Framework standards. You would be expected to seek external peer review funding to support your research. There may be flexibility within the particular clinical training program to allow substantial research periods without clinical commitment rather than combining both in the working week.

The post holder will be expected to develop a research programme related to Medical Oncology or Clinical Oncology within the Leeds Institute of Medical Research (LIMR) linked with the Leeds Cancer Centre. Suggested areas for the research programme include using highly curated routine data to guide deeper understanding of interventions, which can lead to early diagnosis, enhanced care and improved outcomes. They might develop means of applying a combination of forms of clinical, treatment, PRO and hospital volumes data to improve clinical outcomes.

The successful applicant must be in post by 1 July 2024.

The post is available for up to four years, depending on the clinical training needs of the successful candidate, who will then obtain a CC(S)T

Eligibility, Fitness to practice, and Language Skills

Essential

• Be eligible for full registration with, and hold a current licence to practise from, the GMC at intended start date
• Eligibility to work in the UK.
• Advanced Life Support Certificate from the Resuscitation Council UK or equivalent (as required to complete Foundation competences) by intended start date
• Candidate must be at ST3 or above.
• Must hold a higher degree (MD, PhD or equivalent) in a relevant subject area.
• Is up to date and fit to practise safely and is aware of own training needs.
• All applicants to have demonstrable skills in written and spoken English adequate to enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues demonstrated by one of the followi
• Applicants have undertaken undergraduate medical training in English.OR
• Achieved the minimum score of 7 across all 4 of the following categories in the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in a single sitting within 24 months at time of
• apllication- Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. (An overall minimum score of 7.5) OR
• Achieved the minimum Grade B across all 4 of the following categories in the Occupational English Test (OET) in medicine in a single sitting within 24 months at time of application Listening
• Speaking, Reading and Writing. (You must provide your candidate number)If applicants believe they have adequate communication skills, but do not have evidence in one of the above forms, they must
• provide alternative supporting vidence of language skills.

Clinical, Academic, and Personal Skills

Essential

• Ability to apply sound clinical knowledge and judgement to problems
• Ability to prioritise clinical need
• Ability to maximise safety and minimise risk
• Recognition of, and ability to undertake the initial management of, an acutely ill patient
• Demonstrates understanding of research, including awareness of ethical issues
• Demonstrates understanding of the basic principles of audit, clinical risk management, evidence-based practice, patient safety, and clinical quality improvement initiatives
• Demonstrates knowledge of evidence-informed practice
• Evidence of team working skills.
• Evidence of leadership potential.

Desirable

• Aptitude for practical skills, e.g. manual dexterity
• Successful completion of relevant skills course(s).
• Research and audit skills:Evidence of relevant academic and research achievements, e.g. degrees, prizes, awards, distinctions, publications, presentations, other
• achievements.
• Evidence of involvement in an audit project, a quality improvement project, formal research project or other activity which:
• focuses on patient safety and clinical improvement
• demonstrates an interest in and commitment to the specialty beyond the mandatory curriculum
• Teaching:
• Evidence of interest in, and experience of teaching
• Instructor status (or a recommendation for instructor status) in an advanced life support course (ALS, ATLS, EPLS, APLS) or equivalent course

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Communication Skills:Demonstrates clarity in written/spoken communication & capacity to adapt language as appropriate to the situation Able to build rapport, listen, persuade & negotiate
• Problem Solving & Decision Making:Capacity to use logical/lateral thinking to solve problems/make decisions, indicating an analytical/scientific approach
• Empathy & Sensitivity:Capacity to take in others perspectives and treat others with understanding; sees patients as people Demonstrates respect for all
• Managing Others & Team Involvement:Able to work in multi-professional teams & supervise junior medical staff
• Ability to show leadership, make decisions, organise and motivate other team members for the benefit of patients through, for example, audit and quality improvement Projects
• Capacity to work effectively with others
• Organisation & Planning:Capacity to manage/prioritise time and information effectively
• Capacity to prioritise own workload & organise ward rounds
• Evidence of thoroughness (is well prepared, shows self discipline/ commitment, is punctual and meets deadlines)
• Vigilance & Situational Awareness:Capacity to monitor developing situations and anticipate issues

Qualifications

Essential

• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification

Experience

Essential

• 48 months experience after full GMC registration or equivalent, and evidence of achievement of foundation competences, in line with GMC standards / Good Medical Practice; including:
• .make the care or your patient your first concern.
• provide a good standard of practice and care
• take prompt action if you think that patient safety, dignity or comfort is being compromised
• protect and promote the health of patients and of the public
• treat patients as individuals and respect their dignity
• work in partnership with patients
• work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients interests
• be honest and open and act with integrity
• never discriminate unfairly against patients or colleagues
• never abuse your patients trust in you or the publics trust in the profession.
• Evidence of achievement of CMT/IMT competencies in medicine (as defined by the curricula relating to Core Medical training/Internal Medicine Training)

Desirable

• Knowledge of the centre hosting the research and how this is best placed to support the research, education and training needs.
• Prizes or distinctions.
• Presentation of work at a national or international meeting.
• Significant publications in peer reviewed journals.
• Demonstration of the potential for scientific independence and the ability to lead a research team.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).