There will be 1 ACF in ‘Response Mode’ (no restriction on research theme) in Paediatrics (ST1, ST2 or ST3).

Please note that an appointment may not be made in this specialty, and this post is subject to change.

Academic Clinical Fellowships are held for three years, after which time candidates should have obtained funding for their higher degrees and start work towards these.

On completion of the ACF the trainee will either continue their research if external funding has been obtained or enter their designated training programme as a full-time clinical trainee, provided that appropriate clinical competences have been obtained.

Applicants are expected to fulfil the academic person specification and appropriate clinical person specification. Candidates will be selected on academic merit, notwithstanding the necessity for successful candidates to demonstrate appropriate clinical potential.

Person specifications can be downloaded from: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/person-specifications/person-specifications-2027

• ST2: Applicants applying to ST2 level must already hold a training number in the specialty.
• ST1 and ST3: Applicants applying to ST1 and ST3 level that do not already hold a National Training Number (NTN) or Deanery Reference Number (DRN) in the GMC specialty to which they are applying will also be required to undertake the national clinical recruitment process and attend an assessment/interview for that GMC specialty as appropriate.
• If applicants require clinical benchmarking, then they will be required to fill out a separate standard clinical application form.

For further details please refer to the “Guidance for Recruitment and Appointment” webpage on the NIHR website, and the “East Midlands ACF Recruitment” webpage, both available in the links section of this vacancy.

Details of research opportunities for the ACF programme and current departmental research areas are available on the University of Leicester Clinical Academic Training website: Clinical Academic Training ACF Opportunities (https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fle.ac.uk%2Fclinical-academic-training%2Facf%2Fprojects-by-specialty-or-theme&data=05%7C02%7Cengland.specialtyrecruitment.midlands%40nhs.net%7C0cf9911cdcdf46a9d51508df0a8a07f4%7C37c354b285b047f5b22207b48d774ee3%7C0%7C0%7C639241260128130550%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RiC0RTBS%2BGmzZuleRM%2BbtHMAoaHyx7qb4xwXgzccz94%3D&reserved=0). Candidates accepted onto the academic programme may be expected to work in any of the hospitals within the rotation. Flexibility, understanding and co-operation are expected from the post holder.

For further information, please contact Professor Jonathan Barratt, Head of the Postgraduate Academic School for NHS Midlands (jb81@leicester.ac.uk). An overview of the University of Leicester academic programme is available from Dr Anvesha Singh, Director of Clinical Academic Training (as707@leicester.ac.uk), or Mr Tim Rattay, Deputy Director of Clinical Academic Training (tr104@leicester.ac.uk).

The Postgraduate Dean confirms that these placements and/or programmes will have the required educational and Dean’s approval at the time of entry into the programme.

NHS England - East Midlands is committed to developing postgraduate training programmes for both general and higher professional training as laid down by Colleges and Faculties, and by the Postgraduate Dean’s network. At local level, college/specialty tutors work with unit postgraduate clinical tutors in supervising these programmes.

This post forms part of an approved training programme and leads to eligibility for registration on the relevant professional register, subject to satisfactory completion of training.

Before you complete your online application, it is imperative that you download and read the linked documents which can be found in the links and documents section of the vacancy. These documents contain specific and detailed information with regards to the application form and process, and the person specification. Please read them thoroughly to ensure that you fill out your application form correctly.

Please ensure you read and fully understand the contents of the Oriel Applicant User Guide which can be accessed on the recruitment system resource bank (https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/Web/ResourceBank) before submitting your application. Failure to do so may result in you missing vital information in relation to your application. In submitting an application, applicants confirm that they have read and understood the application guide. You will be unable to change your application once it has been submitted.

All applicants are required to have essential competences or equivalent depending on the level they are applying for. For more information on competences please refer to the following link https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/alternative-certificates-of-eligibility

Where applicable, please upload all required evidence of competences to your online application form. If you have any questions or are experiencing difficulties when uploading evidence, please ensure you contact the recruitment team at https://nhs-help.freshdesk.com/support/home prior to submitting your application.

Application limit: A limit has been set on the number of ACF applications that can be submitted, with applicants limited to submitting a maximum of three applications to ACF vacancies. This includes all regions, specialties and universities.

Application deadline: Please note that there is a strict application policy that applications cannot be accepted after the deadline 29th October 2026.

• Minimum shortlisting scores are required for all applicants in relation to the questions for ‘Academic Experience’ and ‘Academic Potential'.
• If applying under the Disability Confident Scheme, please also be aware that a minimum score must be achieved in order to be considered for an invite to interview.

Please refer to NIHR guidance for further details.

Applications are equally open to those who may, either from the outset or subsequently, wish to train less than full time or job share. Further information can be found at: www.eastmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/policies/ltft (http://www.eastmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/policies/ltft) and https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/less-than-full-time-training

The interviews will take place virtually on Tuesday 15th December and Wednesday 16th December. Exact interview date for each specialty to be confirmed.

All recruitment to this specialty in this round will be managed by NHS England (East Midlands), who will coordinate all long/short-listing of applications, host all interviews, and make offers.

NHS England - East Midlands is committed to preventing discrimination and promoting equality. All our hospitals are working towards Equal Opportunities with flexible working practices. We aim to ensure that no employee or job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their age, colour, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion or similar belief, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, trade union membership (or non-membership) or political affiliation.