Immunology ACF – North East
Immunology ACF – North East Academic Clinical Fellowship Advertisement Archive
This is the Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) advertisement used on Oriel for the 2026-27 recruitment round.
The information is presented to help you prepare for your future applications. Please be aware that advertisements, application methods, etc. can change and there is no guarantee that future ACF advertisements will remain the same.
| Oriel Advert | HENE - Immunology - ACFST1, ACFST2, ACFST3 |
| Vacancy ID | HENE/27-28/7372/077/1-R1A |
| Entry Levels | ST1, ST2, ST3 |
| Applications Opened | Thursday 1 October 2026, 10:00 |
| Applications Closed | Thursday 29 October 2026, 16:00 |
See also the ACF application form questions.
| Training Programme | Immunology |
| Post Type | Academic |
| Post Commencing | August 2027 |
| Duration (months) | 36 |
| Recruitment Lead | North East |
| Recruiting For | North East |
| Enquiries | https://www.nenc-leademployertrust.nhs.uk/ |
| Enquiries Email | england.letgpacademic@nhs.net |
Information
Job Title: NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships
Specialty/Function: Various
Indicative posts: 14
Duration: 3 years Academic Training followed by Specialty Training to CCT
Employer: Lead Employer Trust hosted by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Location: NHS England North East and Yorkshire (working across the Northeast and North Cumbria)
Salary: NHS Medical & Dental
Job Type: Fixed Term Temporary
Staff Group: Medical & Dental
Pay Scheme: Hospital Medical & Dental Staff
Allowances: To be confirmed on appointment
Applications Open: 1st October 2026, 10:00 (UK time)
Applications Close: 29th October 2026, 16:00 (UK time)
Interview Dates: 17 & 18 December 2026 (with the possibility of extending to a third date, week commencing 14 December). Interviews will be held via Qpercom.
Newcastle University, in partnership with NHS England North East, has developed a pathway for academic clinical training in the North East and North Cumbria. Bespoke training and support focused on the individual are coordinated by dedicated teams at the Newcastle Health Research Partners (NHRP) Academy, Newcastle University and NHS England North East. Applications are now invited for NIHR-funded Academic Clinical Fellowships in various specialties based in our region. For the 14 posts commencing from 4 August 2027, Newcastle University have successfully obtained the following posts:
Response
Post Specialty Entry Level (s)
1*** Palliative Medicine* / Renal Medicine* / Rheumatology* Palliative Med – ST4 Only
Renal & Rheumatology – ST1-3
2 Otolaryngology / Haematology** ST1-3
3 Plastic Surgery / General Surgery ST1-3
4*** Paediatrics / Public Health Medicine / Paediatric SurgeryST1-3
5 Gastroenterology* / Immunology** ST1-3
6 Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery / Histopathology ST1-3
7 Respiratory Medicine* / Infectious Diseases* ST1-3
Applicants for the ST4 post in Palliative Medicine must submit an application for clinical benchmarking in Palliative Medicine.
Theme
Post Specialty Entry Level (s) NIHR Priority Research Theme
8 Dermatology** / Clinical Radiology ST1-3 Digital
9 Clinical Oncology** / Medical Oncology** ST1-3 Clinical Therapeutics & Pharmacology & Industry
10 Cardiology* / Vascular Surgery ST1-3 Multiple Long-Term Conditions
11 Old Age Psychiatry / Geriatric Medicine* ST1-3 Dementia
12 Neurology* / Obstetrics & Gynaecology ST1-3 Clinical Education Research
13 General Psychiatry / Old Age Psychiatry ST1-3 Mental Health
14 General Practice ST1 only Primary Care and Community Care
* Please note that the ST1 programme is offered as three years in Internal Medicine Training (IMT) with progression to the specialty listed in Group1, subject to satisfactory progression. Applicants will be assessed and scored against the IMT person specification with panel representation from clinicians in the Group 1 Specialty.
** Please note that the ST1 programme is offered as two years in Internal Medicine Training (IMT) with progression to the specialty listed in Group 2, subject to satisfactory progression. Applicants will be assessed and scored against the IMT person specification with panel representation from clinicians in the Group 2 Specialty.
*** For posts 1 and 4, we have applied for expansion posts. If these bids are accepted there may be up to two people appointed in different specialties.
IMPORTANT - Please note:
- All applicants who do not already hold a National Training Number (NTN) or Deanery Reference Number (DRN) in the GMC specialty to which they are applying will be required to undertake the national clinical recruitment process and attend an assessment/interview for that GMC specialty as appropriate (Clinical Benchmarking). If you require clinical benchmarking then you must also complete a separate standard clinical application form during the appropriate National Round, please see FAQs in the attached guidance.
- For posts where more than one specialty has been listed only one appointment will be made from the range of specialties, dependent on interview ranking.
- All applicants are only eligible to apply for a maximum of 3 ACF posts. These will be in chronological order. Any applications made after the third application will be automatically longlisted out.
ST3 level applicants
Only residents who hold a Deanery Reference Number in the penultimate year of Internal Medical Training (CT2) or ACCS Acute Medicine (CT3) are eligible to apply. Residents who have either; completed Core Medical Training, IMT Training or ACCS-AM, are in the final year of IMT or ACCS-AM, or have alternative experience outside of UK training, are not eligible to apply.
Residents currently in the penultimate year of their core programme who are successful in gaining an ST3 level ACF programme will start their first year by completing IMY3. Assuming Internal Medicine Stage 1 is completed successfully, they will then run through into their higher specialty at ST4 level. There is no requirement for trainees in this category to clinically benchmark as they will be carrying on with completing their IMT programme.
Academic Clinical Fellowships (ACFs) are 3 year fixed-term national training posts. They attract an NTN(A) and residents undertake 75% clinical and 25% academic training over the term of the post. They are employed by the Lead Employer Trust and have an honorary contract with Newcastle University.
ACF residents also undertake a Research Training Programme provided by the University for which funding is provided by NIHR. They also are eligible for a £1,000 bursary per year to support research training activity (e.g., to attend academic conferences).
ACF residents would also normally complete and submit an external funding application for a research fellowship to enable them to complete a higher degree (PhD or research MD) following the completion of their ACF fixed-term post, which would be completed as Out-of-Programme-Research (OOPR).
Satisfactory completion of the clinical training programme after ACF will result in the award of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or Certificate of Entry to the Specialist Register (CESR).
All Academic Clinical Fellowships are run-through posts, regardless of specialty. A resident entering ACF at ST1 in a specialty with a Core Training period would therefore be guaranteed continued training to CCT in the eventual specialty, if they progress satisfactorily through their training.
The application window opens on 01/10/2026 at 10:00 UK time and closes on 29/10/2026 at 16:00 UK time. You will not be able to submit your application after this time. Please ensure that you have completed all the relevant sections of the application form as missing information will deem your application incomplete and it will not be considered.
You must apply via our online recruitment system, Oriel. Oriel can be accessed from the link provided above.
When searching for vacancies on Oriel please search by ‘Academic’, then ‘Specialty’ for Response posts, and ‘Research Theme’ for Competition posts, ensuring you apply for the correct specialty and level. Registration is currently available for you to complete ahead of the application window opening.
All interviews will be held remotely via Qpercom, on 17 & 18 December 2026 (with the possibility of extending to a third date, week commencing 14 December).
The qualifications and professional registration requirements plus other eligibility criteria can be found in the person specifications. You will need to meet the criteria in both the clinical person specification for your chosen specialty and level and the ACF person specification.