Clinical PhD Fellow

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

This role may be subject to additional background screening.

This above full-time post is available from 01/09/2023 until 31/08/2026. 

Summary of the role

The Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM) at the University of Exeter is a world-leading research centre that is helping to tackle the major global threats to human health caused by fungal diseases.

The Centre brings together researchers from the fields of medicine and living systems, and the biological, chemical, physical and mathematical sciences. Its mission is to (1) facilitate pioneering cross-disciplinary research to substantially advance our understanding of life-threatening fungal infections and to have a positive impact on patient lives through improved prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and (2) to increase capacity in medical mycology in the UK and globally, by delivering a strong cohort of basic and clinical researchers in medical mycology through excellent training programmes

The MRC CMM is now seeking applications for the Clinical PhD Fellowships programme to train a new generation of clinical academics in medical mycology. Clinicians who wish to develop a long term career in academic medicine specialising in medical mycology are invited to apply.

The post

These 3-year fully funded Clinical PhD Fellowships provide talented clinicians with an exciting and unrivalled opportunity for protected time to conduct research that addresses critical knowledge and skills gaps in medical mycology.  Clinical PhD fellows will develop a research programme, and gain laboratory and academic skills leading to a PhD degree in a world-class centre of excellence for studying fungal infectious diseases. Proposed topics of the research programme can be in any area of medical mycology, from molecular mycology to host-fungus interactions and fungal immunology, and from antifungal resistance to drug discovery and pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of antifungals. We are particularly interested to attract a clinician with an interest in PK/PD of antifungal drugs.

About you

You are an outstanding medical and or dental graduate with an interest and aptitude for developing a career in clinical academia. You have completed the foundation programme with a minimum of 24 months postgraduate clinical experience (successful completion of UK Medical or Dental Foundation Year 1 and 2 competencies) and be fully registered with the GMC or GDC at the time of appointment. We anticipate some candidates will have commenced specialty training (with a National Training Number) and applicants up to 2 years away from award of their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) are eligible to apply.

The successful candidate would need to apply for out of programme research which will allow them to step out of training for 3 years.  This will need the agreement of the Training Programme Director (TPD) and / or Head of School, achieved using the formal application process via the Deanery. Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and ability to work to clinical and scientific deadlines are essential. Previous experiences in scientific and/or laboratory skills are preferred but not necessary to be eligible for this exiting post.

Appointment

The posts are funded by the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology for a period of 3 years and are available from September 2023. The post comes with a generous budget for bench fees and consumables of up to £9,000 per year.

Funding is available to UK/EU candidates only.

How to apply

Applications should be made online via our website at https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/

The reference for this post is P80623

Applications should include:

• Cover letter/supporting statement (max. 2 A4 pages) setting out how your qualifications, experience and training meet each of the selection criteria, your reasons for applying for this Fellowship and long term career plans. The supporting statement is an essential part of the selection process and thus a failure to provide this information will mean that the application will not be considered. An answer to any of the criteria such as “Please see attached CV” will not be considered acceptable.
• Ideas for a PhD research project (maximum 500 words) and potential supervisors. It is expected that you have contacted at least 1 potential supervisor at this stage.
• CV with the names and email addresses of 2 referees who can be contacted immediately, one of whom should be familiar with your commitment to research.

Shortlisting will be performed based on your CV, supporting statement and initial research ideas. Outcome of the shortlisting will be communicated as soon as possible during the month of November. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to prepare a concise research project (template will be provided) together with the proposed supervisors. Two supervisors are required. At least one supervisor needs to be a clinical academic in medical mycology or related speciality, and at least one supervisor must be an Exeter-based Principal Investigator of the MRC CMM (see https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/team/ ). Deadline for submission of the research project is January 3rd , 2023. Interviews are expected to take place in week commencing on January 23rd, 2023. A 10-minute presentation of the proposed research project will be expected during the interview. 

Informal enquiries are encouraged and prospective applicants should email Prof Adilia Warris ([email protected] ) and/or Prof Tom Harrison ([email protected] ).

Any queries regarding the application process may be addressed to Dr Alberto Muñoz-Rodriguez ([email protected] ) 

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 150 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 and QS World University Ranking 2022).  

Our research income in recent years means we’re the fastest growing UK Research University with some of the world’s most influential scientists, and we seek to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today through this. More than 99% of our research is of international quality and our world-leading research impact is growing faster than any other Russell Group university (2021 Research Excellence Framework). We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City .

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

With over 27,000 students and 6,400 staff from 180 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Benefits

We offer some fantastic benefits including: 

• 41 days leave per year
• options for flexible working
• numerous discounts at leading retailers
• onsite gyms on all of our campus’ and a cycle to work scheme
• sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to six weeks full pay) and a new Fertility Treatment Policy
• stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England

This role may be subject to additional background screening.

The College is proud to have a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment and impact to providing equality of opportunity and advancing the representation of women in STEM/M subjects.  Our Inspiring Stories tell you more about how we support our staff, including through a mentoring programme to help our staff learn from the professional and life experience of colleagues and explore opportunities and actions for career progression.