What is an Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF)

Created by Matthew King, Modified on Fri, 25 Jul at 10:35 AM by Lauren Bond-Mollaghan

Academic Clinical Fellowships (ACFs) are specialty training posts that incorporate academic training. Both medical and dental ACFs spend 75% of their time undertaking specialist clinical training and 25% undertaking research training.


ACFs are only available to medically- and dentally-qualified candidates and are aimed at those who, during the early stages of their specialty training, show outstanding potential for a career in academia. ACFs have a maximum duration of three years, or four years for GPs. During this time, alongside clinical training, ACFs will be able to develop their academic skills and be supported in preparing an application for a research training fellowship (to undertake a PhD or MD). Success in these applications is defined as the endpoint of an ACF.


ACFs are usually employed by an NHS organisation and hold an honorary contract with the university in which they work


Length of Funding: 3 years for all medical specialties except for General Practice which is 4 years

Employer: Trust

Honorary Contract: Medical School


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