Job Title: NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships

Specialty/Function: Various

Indicative posts: 2

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: 1 October 2026, 10:00 (UK time)

Applications Close: 29 October 2026, 16:00 (UK time)

Interview Date: 14 December 2026 (Interviews will be held remotely via Qpercom)

Sunderland University, in partnership with NHS England Education - 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 Sunderland Medical School Clinical Academic Training Office, Newcastle Health Research Partnership (NHRP) Academy, and NHS England Education - North East. Applications are now invited for NIHR-funded Academic Clinical Fellowships in various specialties and based in our region. Commencing 4 August 2027, The University of Sunderland have two posts:

Response

Post Specialty Entry Level (s)

1 Ophthalmology / Renal Medicine* ST1-3

This post will be allied with the NORTHERN OPHTHALMIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE (NORI), set up and jointly led by Sunderland University and South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS trust: https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/research/research-institutes/northern-ophthalmic-research-and-innovation-institute

NORI has the aim of transforming health care and socioeconomic output in the North East of England through the innovative application of eye health and imaging data. NORI has a focus on retinal imaging to predict, identify and monitor eye diseases but and a wide range of other systemic diseases including heart disease, stroke and dementia in asymptomatic patients (termed ‘Oculomics’).

NORI will:

• Collect and integrate eye-related imaging data with general health and social care data in a secure data environment.
• Use AI analysis to identify individuals at high-risk of systemic and ocular disease allowing targeted and personalised early interventions in the community and improved health outcomes
• Inspire innovation to drive regeneration in a deprived part of the UK

Theme

Post Specialty Entry Level (s)NIHR Priority Research Theme

2 General Practice*/ Endocrinology and Diabetes** GP only ST1

E&D ST1-3 Primary Care and Community Care

* GP entry is at ST1 only

** 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.

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 completing their IMT programme.