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Top rating for Birmingham’s NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Training programme

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Birmingham Health Partners.

The Integrated Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) programme led by BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham, has been rated joint top alongside the University of Oxford.

Birmingham’s ICAT programme is one of 36 across the country, with its NIHR funding complemented by posts supported by fellow Birmingham Health Partners member organisations. It provides opportunities for medical and dental graduates to have dedicated research time alongside their clinical training and NHS commitments and is critical to developing the future clinical research workforce, supporting clinicians to pursue research interests alongside clinical practice.

The University excelled in the recent NIHR funding competition, being awarded 28 Academic Clinical Fellow posts and 13 Academic Clinical Lecturer posts, for the period 2026 and 2027.

“We are proud to be one of the largest of the 36 NIHR ICAT programmes in the country, with 116 current trainees, ranging from pre-doctoral Academic Clinical Fellows to consultant level, postdoctoral Birmingham Health Partners award holders. Our relationships with NHS trusts across the region through BHP stand us apart from many of the other ICAT programmes and this partnership is integral to building regional research leadership capacity,” said Professor Kristien Boelaert, ICAT Academic Lead and Professor of Endocrinology at the University.

Earlier this year, the Medical Schools Council highlighted a trend in declining numbers of clinical academics and called for intervention to safeguard the future of medical research and education. The Government’s 10 Year Health plan recognises the importance of embedding research across healthcare to drive reform and attracting early career clinicians to academia is essential to increase those numbers.

Commenting on the importance of Birmingham’s contribution, Professor Boelaert explained: “It’s not just that we have an impressive number of posts here in Birmingham – our career development initiatives, research culture and peer support activities make up the full package. Our Research Retreat was also highlighted as very beneficial, along with outstanding feedback via our trainee experience survey.”

Since Birmingham’s ICAT Programme launched in 2015, 55 of our 86 NIHR Academic Clinical Fellows (64%) have progressed to clinical research training fellowships or other academic posts and 55 of 73 our NIHR and locally-funded Clinical Lecturers have progressed to senior academic positions (75%), including 17 as research-active consultants.

Find out more about our programmes:

  • BHP Starter Fellowships, allowing individuals to start their research career providing cost to cover one year’s salary to undertake a Master’s by Research
  • Clinical Academic Research Partnerships (CARP), to support individuals continue their research careers while delivering clinical service providing salary funding for two programmed activities (PAs) – or 8 hours per week – of protected research time for two years
  • New Consultant Scheme, providing salary funding for two programmed activities (PAs) – or 8 hours per week – of protected research time for three years
  • BHP Clinician Scientist, 50:50 appointments providing an academic consultant post linked with one of our NHS trusts to develop individuals as successful independent clinical researchers