Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme Fellowships 2022
CAT has applied to the Health Research Board (HRB) for core funding for ICAT-2. The application call for ICAT-2 fellows starting in 2022 is conditional on a successful outcome in the ongoing HRB review process and subsequent receipt of a letter of offer from the HRB.
Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT-2), an Integrated Pathway for Clinical Academic Training in Human Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry
The ICAT-2 Programme is an all-Ireland partnership comprising six universities (NUIG, QUB, TCD, UCD, UCC, RCSI), the clinical training authorities North and South, the HRB, HSE-NDTP, HSC R&D, NIMDTA, CAI and DAFM. ICAT is founded on the principles of providing integrated, fellow-centric clinical academic training to excellent postgraduate clinical trainees across all disciplines of human medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry through a programme which integrates PhD research training of the highest quality with higher specialist training.
It is ICAT-2’s ambition to train 42 fellows through five intakes and to commit to supporting each fellow throughout their entire career pathway. Through combined partnership, ICAT offers infrastructure, experience, expertise with matched financial support to provide the broadest possible range of research and training opportunities.The overarching shared vision for ICAT-2 is to train world-class clinical academic leaders, across the island of Ireland to:
develop a diverse, vibrant, globally competitive clinical academic workforce in Ireland.meet the need for academic leadership by health professionals.prioritise the role for clinician scientists in understanding disease through research and innovation.create flexible career structures for clinical academic researchers.increase the output of high-impact, high-quality, strategically relevant research aligned with structured academic career pathways.
Central to our vision is to build an all-inclusive, diverse and broad-ranging programme which develops a lasting and integrated network of academics across the island and internationally. The need for disruptive thinking and cross-pollination of ideas between our fellows, mentors and supervisors dictates that we recruit broadly from all clinical disciplines to promote wide-ranging sharing of ideas and interests. We especially encourage and support applications from clinical specialties and disciplines heretofore under-represented in clinical academia.
A key aim of the ICAT programme is to train the next generation of clinical academics to lead the highest quality research with the most impact. We wish to provide training in the highest quality of cutting-edge research to drive change within the Irish Healthcare system, and to inform patient care internationally. ICAT-2 aims to be a catalyst for change and progress in how we approach research and deliver its impact to society.
Structure of ICAT-2
Research within ICAT is conducted within a well-supported, mentored and highly networked environment which is collaborative in focus and which mandates a cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional approach for all fellows. Each year over five intakes, fellows with a passion for research, problem-solving and addressing unmet need across the health sciences will be recruited to the ICAT-2 programme. Each fellow will enter into (i) a preparatory pre-PhD year, fully accredited for clinical training, followed by (ii) a fully funded 3-year PhD from which they will (iii) return to completion of higher specialist training in an environment supportive of continued academic pursuit through the ICAT-2 Alumnus Committee.
It is important that fellows have not chosen a supervisor or project at the time of recruitment to ICAT-2. Essential to fellow-development and training of each ICAT fellow is the opportunity provided during the first year to develop their research interest into a knowledge-gap-focussed research question and PhD proposal with the support of an advanced mentorship structure.
Academic mentors work with each fellow to choose a team of cross-institutional, cross-disciplinary supervisors which exploits the full opportunity provided by the ICAT-2 network of six universities and 250 supervisors across the areas of science, engineering, health & social sciences. Each ICAT fellow chooses a cross-disciplinary supervisory structure which spans at least two Irish universities. International collaborations are encouraged and supported through funded opportunities within the programme to avail of a research elective in an international centre of excellence for up to 6 months.
The execution of high-quality research in ICAT-2 is embedded within a purpose-designed research-training and networking structure which incorporates an annual summer school, annual retreat and study days. Each provides training in research skills and analysis as well as exposure to cutting-edge research techniques and is delivered within a social, supportive environment. Our training programmes challenge our fellows to take a disruptive approach to answering their research questions which press boundaries in a future-ready manner. Through these events, ICAT fellows network with each other, with fellows from other PhD programmes in Ireland, with supervisors, and with guest speakers and experts of international renown.
Pre-application call
Online pre-application form opens on the ICAT website (30th March)Webinar for potential applicants will be held on 31st March (a recording will be uploaded to the ICAT website)Applicants complete the online pre-application form and submit it with two references by the deadline of 20th AprilPre-applications are reviewed and shortlisted (applicants notified end of May)Applicants are notified of the outcome and shortlisted applicants will be invited to complete the application process and attend an interview (end of June, date to be confirmed)Interviewees notified of outcomeICAT works with successful applicants and their training schemes to organise a training planICAT pre-PhD year 1 starts 1st August 2022
ICAT-2 is open to applicants from all medical, dental and veterinary specialties. Medical and dental trainees should be enrolled in/starting higher specialist training in 2022. Veterinary trainees should be nearing completion/have recently completed specialist training. You can find full eligibility criteria in the template pre-application form.
This year we are encouraging applications from trainees in specialties currently underrepresented in ICAT and in clinical academia:General Practice*All surgical specialties:General SurgeryCardiothoracic SurgeryNeurosurgeryOral and Maxillo-Facial SurgeryOtolaryngologyPaediatric SurgeryPlastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic SurgeryTrauma and Orthopaedic SurgeryUrologyVascular SurgeryOphthalmologyObstetrics & GynaecologyPathologyAnaesthesiology
*Trainees in General Practice may apply 1 year before they enter higher specialist training. To discuss this further and ascertain your eligibility, please contact ICAT directly.
Those applying from the listed specialties currently underrepresented in clinical academia are also eligible for the open fellowship application call.Fellowships available in 2022:6 fellowships open to all medical and dental graduates (including those within the identified underrepresented specialties)1 veterinary fellowship1 fellowship for a trainee in an underrepresented specialty (see list above)1 fellowship for a trainee enrolled in a College of Anaesthesiologists higher specialist training scheme
If fellowships are unfilled in any year, they will be available the following year.
ICAT has applied to the Health Research Board (HRB) for core funding for ICAT-2. The application call for ICAT-2 fellows is conditional on a successful outcome in the ongoing HRB review process and subsequent receipt of a letter of offer from the HRB.
We encourage all interested applicants to read the template pre-application form (see below), which includes eligibility criteria, and to contact ICAT if they have any questions about the application process. An online webinar will be held when the application call opens, and applicants can submit questions in advance.
If an applicant feels that they require additional mentoring through the application process, they can contact ICAT who will connect them with an independent mentor.