Wellcome – Health Research Board Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme

Ireland’s ongoing economic recovery represents a unique opportunity to effect fundamental change in academic medicine that can have lasting societal benefits. We have designed a comprehensive National Programme for Clinician Scientists based at six major Irish universities. Our application has the full support of all major stakeholders; the Postgraduate Forum representing specialist training bodies, the Health Services Executive, the Universities and the Health Research Board. At its core is an integrated programme spanning 5-7 years of seamless, supported and mentored academic and clinical training targeting future academic leaders. We have selected the best supervisors from research-intensive universities with a biomedical focus that collectively demonstrate research excellence. Ireland has a well-developed national infrastructure to support biomedical and translational research, and has invested in multi-university collaborative research activities. The universities agree that funding provided will follow the trainee and their chosen PhD, making this a unified programme focused on building human capital. It will be managed by Molecular Medicine Ireland, created by the universities to promote collaborative research and education, and will have clear management and oversight structures. Thus, Wellcome funding will bring about our key goal - fundamental change in the training of future academic clinicians on an all-Ireland basis.