Multi-million-pound research funding success for the University of Sunderland

More than £2m in funding has been awarded to the University of Sunderland to expand research opportunities for medical students and junior doctors, leading to improvements in people’s health and wellbeing.

Dr Ellen Tullo, supported by Professor Scott Wilkes, Head of the School of Medicine, has secured funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to establish a Clinical Academic Training Office (CATO) and Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) programme.

Over the next three years the bids will deliver eight Academic Clinical Fellowships, 30 medical student internships and 30 funded intercalated degrees, intercalation is an intensive additional year of study, usually at Master’s level, to equip students with extended academic skills.

The long-term goal of CATO and ACF posts is improved quality of care for patients and potential advances in medical training. The research will also support work already taking place at the University in areas such as public health, and aligns with the NIHR’s mission to focus on early translational research, clinical research and applied health and social care research.

Professor Scott Wilkes commented: “This is game changing for the School of Medicine and the University. Having traction with such bids within the NIHR is excellent news and creates a research environment which will support the research excellence of our academics. I’m truly excited to see this acorn grow into an oak tree.”

The programme is supported with the appointment of a CATO Clinical Academic Director, CATO Manager, CATO Administrator (research) and CATO Administrator (education). Dr Tullo is a specialty doctor in geriatrics at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Academic and Intercalated Degrees Lead for the School of Medicine.

She added: “Many NHS doctors are involved in research, but only a small minority will gain a PhD, and become formal clinical academics. Our programme is about getting those essential research skills early in a medical undergraduate’s career to build up their academic portfolio.

“For those students who embark on research projects and intercalation, even if they don’t become a professor or complete a PhD, they are still in a better position to carry out research within the NHS. The ACF programme is about upskilling the workforce for the benefit of patients.

“Ultimately, this funding is recognition of academic potential and a way for us to make our medical healthcare research even better, more impactful, and to develop research collaborations. In years to come we will have research intensive laboratories and teams, putting out excellent work that has wide ranging benefits for patients.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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