UCL SCHOOL OF LIFE AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
NIHR UCLH BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTRE – MENTAL HEALTH THEME 2-YEAR POSTDOCTORAL BRIDGING FELLOWSHIPS
Unit UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Mental Health Theme Grade As appropriate to candidate Salary (inclusive of London allowance) As appropriate Eligibility Postdoctoral researchers from within the UCL community Reporting to Relevant Supervisor(s) Duration Up to 24 months Hours of work 36.5 hours/week Annual leave 27 days per annum Probation period not applicable for internal appointments
1. BACKGROUND The Mental Health Theme of the National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre (UCLH NIHR BRC) wishes to support the highest quality postdoctoral researchers from within the UCL community to prepare for an intermediate or senior level externally funded fellowship.
Designed for high calibre clinicians and non-clinicians who wish to conduct research within any area of Mental Health, these Fellowships provide an opportunity for talented individuals to accelerate their career in biomedical research by optimising their applications for externally funded research fellowships.
Applicants will be expected to undertake a research programme within one of the Mental Health Theme’s research sub-themes and/or relevant cross-cutting disciplines.
Fellows will become members of the BRC Faculty of Translational Medicine and members of the NIHR Faculty. They will have access to core facilities, write up areas, bioinformatics and training support via the Faculty’s resource centre.
Scope of Fellowship funding: - Fellowships cover full salary costs. - Fellowships can include up to £10k non pay costs to support the work proposed.
Strategic fit: - Applications demonstrating strategic fit with research programmes and themes within the BRC are welcomed.
The exact location of the post will depend on the particular project and supervisory teams that candidates apply to work with.
NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre The NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre is one of the UK’s leaders in world class experimental medicine and research. The BRC was recently awarded £114m to drive a cutting edge and internationally-acclaimed experimental medicine portfolio over the next 5 years. A partnership between University College London Hospital, Royal Free Hospital, Camden and Islington Trust, UCL and the NIHR, we
1 are one of just five BRCs pioneering research in experimental medicine across a wide range of disease areas. Mental Health is a theme within the BRC and we have an ambitious programme of research and clinical academic training aimed at ensuring patients benefit as quickly and as safely as possible from new scientific breakthroughs. Our work focuses in particular on research into new therapies, including novel devices; first- in-human studies; developing improvements in diagnosis, treatment selection and evaluation of response; and repurposing of therapies.
Leading organisations that make up the UCLH/UCL BRC partnership
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK and provides first class acute and specialist services both locally and to patients from throughout the UK and abroad. The state-of-the-art University College Hospital is the focal point of the Trust alongside six cutting- edge specialist hospitals. UCLH was one of the first trusts to gain foundation status.
University College London is ranked one of the world’s top 10 universities. The UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences whose staff and former students have included 20 Nobel Prize winners is one of the largest and most prestigious aggregations of academics in biomedicine in Europe today.
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust is a mental health trust that provides comprehensive mental health services to two north London boroughs and has identified research, along with early intervention and recovery, as its strategic priorities.
The BRC continues to prioritise areas where there is unmet patient need and where we have an outstanding track record of translational achievement and expertise at an international level.
2. THE POSTS
Postdoctoral Bridging Fellows will be expected to undertake a research programme within one of the BRC’s research themes and/or cross cutting disciplines and to prepare a fellowship application to further their research in translational research and experimental medicine in mental health.
Eligibility The Fellowships are open to all those currently working at UCL who have completed their PhD and wish to apply for an externally funded research fellowship.
Additionally, candidates should demonstrate a track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals appropriate to their previous experience, in addition to educational achievement and a commitment to an academic career.
Potential clinical applicants still in training should start negotiating their Out of Programme (OOP) period with their Deanery as soon as possible during the application process.
Reporting The postholder will be under the general direction of all members of the supervisory team. The postholder will also be accountable to these supervisors.
2 Job Specification Responsibilities/duties: Undertake a programme of research within a research theme and/or cross cutting discipline of the BRC Prepare scientific/research data to be presented at internal and external meetings in relation to the programme of research where relevant Prepare fellowship applications for external research funding to major research funding bodies Prepare, or contribute to the preparation of, manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals Actively participate in laboratory and other meetings as appropriate Actively participate in the BRC’s fora and symposia which includes presentation of translational research programme when appropriate
Other duties The appointee will carry out other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job description as requested by the line manager or Head of Department or of the Division.
The post holder will actively follow UCL policies including Equal Opportunities policies.
The post holder will maintain an awareness and observation of Fire and Health & Safety Regulations.
The post holder has a responsibility to carry out their duties in a resource efficient way and actively support UCL’s Sustainability Strategy, policies and objectives within the remit of their role.
Subject to the regulations of the funding bodies, appropriately qualified members of research staff will be expected to contribute to teaching and/or other departmental activities. At the present time this is estimated to amount to an absolute maximum of thirty contact teaching hours per annum for full time staff.
3. PERSON SPECIFICATION
Academic/ Professional PhD (If the degree has not yet been granted, the final accepted version of the thesis should have E been submitted to the degree granting university by the time of starting) Knowledge and skills Demonstrated commitment to an academic career E Ability to manage the day-to-day running of a research project E Ability to communicate to a wide range of people at various levels E Ability to prioritise a varied workload and work under pressure to meet deadlines whilst E maintaining a high level of quality Good organisational skills E Experience Demonstrated track record of research at any level E Research publications in peer-reviewed journals E Personal Ability to work independently and as part of a team E E = Essential D = Desirable
3 4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND STAFF BENEFITS
Salary Candidates who are successful in being granted a fellowship will continue on their existing pay scale.
Hours of work The fellowships are full time (36.5 hours per week).
Annual leave Annual leave is 27 working days for a full time member of staff, plus 6 UCL closure days in addition to Bank Holidays. Annual leave is pro-rata for part time staff.
Pension Appointments are superannuable under the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) or, subject to eligibility requirements, the National Health Service Pension Scheme (NHSPS). Further information about USS and the benefits can be found at www.uss.co.uk.
Other benefits UCL is a dynamic, global university based in one of the most exciting capital cities in the world. Not only does working at UCL offer the opportunity to work with some of the greatest intellects in the world, it also offers competitive terms, conditions and benefits to its staff. In the 2013 UCL staff survey, 83% of staff would recommend UCL as a good place to work and 86% are proud to work for UCL.
As part of the UCL community you can access free lunch hour lectures, exhibitions and museums and collections. On campus UCL has the Bloomsbury theatre hosting a range of performances and a series of bars, cafes and other facilities, which UCL staff can use.
In addition to 41 days annual leave for full time staff (inclusive of public holidays and closure days) and generous pension schemes, UCL provides a number of other staff benefits outlined below: Family friendly: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/benefits/family-friendly.php Financial (including season ticket loan): http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/benefits/financial.php Discounts: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/benefits/discounts.php Flexible working: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/benefits/flexible.php Health and wellbeing: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/benefits/health.php Personal and Professional Development: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/benefits/personal.php
UCL benefits and policies apply equally, whatever the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of employees. Benefits and policies relating to employees partners, includes both different sex and same sex partners.
Research Governance The postholder will be expected to be familiar with the requirements of the NHS Health Research Authority and UCL research governance frameworks and to comply with all Trust’s policies pertaining to research governance. This will include ensuring that all clinical research activities of the postholder are approved by the Trust and an appropriate ethics committee before commencement. This will also include meeting all the Trust research audit, monitoring and training requirements.
The UCL research governance framework can be found on the UCL website at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/joint-rd- unit/
The UK Policy Framework for health and social care research can be found at: https://www.hra.nhs.uk/planning-and-improving-research/policies-standards-legislation/uk-policy- framework-health-social-care-research/
4 Disclosure and Barring Service Any appointment at UCL involving contact with vulnerable groups is considered exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. You should, depending on the nature of the post you have applied for, declare any pending prosecutions or convictions you may have, even if they would otherwise be regarded as ‘spent’ under the Act, and any cautions or bind-overs. The information you provide will be treated in strict confidence.
Any offer to employment is therefore subject to satisfactory clearance being received from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
5. ENQUIRIES AND HOW TO APPLY
Enquiries To discuss the fellowships in general please contact the Director of the Mental Health Theme, Professor Robert Howard ([email protected])
Applications Applicants should apply for a fellowship only when they have identified a UCL supervisory team who have agreed to endorse their application.
To apply for a fellowship, please send your CV and a covering letter to Professor Rob Howard, [email protected]. The CV should include current employment details, education and employment history, professional body membership, teaching and research experience, administrative and management experience, grants obtained and publications.
In the covering letter the applicant should indicate how they meet the requirements listed in the person specification. Applicants should also discuss their research experience and how this fellowship fits with their career plans.
Closing date for applications: 29th July 2019
Latest time for submission of applications: 23:59
Successful applicants will be expected to take up their fellowships within 6 months of appointment.
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