New RACR initiative will provide funding for 190 clinical staff – including doctors, nurses and midwives – to continue engagement in research as well as practice.
The government-funded Medical Research Council (MRC) has announced a £9.7m pilot programme to support clinicians stay involved in research while they continue clinical practice.
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Across the UK, more than 50 research bodies and more than 60 NHS organisations are involved in the pilot, which will establish 10 regional accounts for clinical researchers (RACRs) around the country. Each RACR will receive between £250,000 and £350,000 per year for up to four years with which to offer tailored support to clinicians who need it.
That support could include protected research time, bridge funding, mentoring, skills development, access to facilities and networks, and / or help for clinicians returning to research after time away.
The pilot is in part a response to the findings of the report Clinical researchers in the United Kingdom: Reversing the decline to improve population health and promote economic growth, published by the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research. As the title suggests, this found a long‑term decline in the clinical research workforce due to factors including pressures on time and funding, and access to mentorship and training.
The MRC says that such challenges are particularly acute at career ‘pinch points’, for example during the transition from PhD to postdoctoral research. The fear is that such decline in research could have serious impacts on innovation and patient care.
The 10 RACRs are: BEACON: Building Translational Research Excellence Amongst Clinicians of the North; East Midlands RACR; Great Western Clinical Research Alliance; London Launchpad RACR; MRC South-West London RACR; RACR East; RACR-NI; Scotland Partnership Advancing Research Careers for Clinicians (SPARCC); South-East Clinical Academic Partnership (SECAP); and West Midlands RACR.
For more details of the scheme, and the partners involved in each RACR, see the UK Research and Innovation website.
Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of the MRC, says: ‘Clinicians play a vital role in turning discovery research into better treatments for patients, but too many face barriers to sustaining research alongside demanding clinical roles. These challenges vary across the UK, which is why a regional approach is so important to building strong partnerships between universities and NHS trusts.
‘Through RACRs, we are investing in locally led solutions that support clinicians at critical points in their careers, strengthen research environments, and help improve patient outcomes while accelerating life sciences innovation to support economic growth and a stronger NHS.’
Dr Joanna Robinson, Director of Research Talent, Skills and Careers at the MRC, adds: ‘RACRs are part of a wider approach to strengthening clinical research careers in the UK. Alongside this programme, MRC continues to invest in clinicians completing a research doctorate and taking their first steps towards research independence, with opportunities available three times a year, as well as helping experienced researchers progress into leadership and permanent roles through initiatives such as the annual clinical future leaders fellowship.
‘We have also worked with partners to create the first shared and visible national clinical research career pathway, helping clinicians better understand and navigate the opportunities available to them across major UK funders.’
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