Universities are in fierce competition to attract visionary researchers to contribute to the latest breakthroughs in medical science.
If you are interested in academic dentistry jobs or a clinical career in medicine that is more research-oriented, there is a wide range of roles available for practising doctors and dentists or aspiring non-clinical medical researchers.
There are two types of academic research jobs in medicine and dentistry:
- Clinical research jobs: you must already be medically qualified and registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) or General Dental Council (GDC) to be a clinical researcher. Depending on the role, you might already be a practising doctor or dentist.
- Non-clinical research jobs: research roles that require candidates to be experts in their medicine or dentistry field but do not need to be practising clinicians.
Job descriptions
- Clinical Researcher/Clinical Research Fellow
- Research Fellow (non-clinical)
- Research Associate (non-clinical)
- Research Assistant (non-clinical)
Clinical Researcher/Clinical Research Fellow
Clinical researchers and fellows are fully qualified doctors or dentists who carry out or lead clinical trials and research in their specialist field of medicine and dentistry.
Clinical research roles or fellowships are project-led and are available when funding is acquired for a specific area of medicine or dentistry research. These roles can be available in universities, research foundations/institutes or charitable foundations.
Duties:
- Planning and conducting high-quality research, working alongside a team of researchers
- Facilitating and monitoring clinical trials involving patients and volunteers
- Collecting data and disseminating results in peer-reviewed journals
- Supervising junior researchers (senior clinical researcher/fellow)
What qualifications and experience do you need?
Most clinical research posts require candidates to have a full medicine or dentistry qualification, full GMC/GND registration and to have completed at least two years post-graduation training (Foundation 2 or above).
Depending on the role, you might also need significant clinical and research experience in your field.
What’s the pay?
Most clinical research jobs in medicine and dentistry are offered on a fixed-term basis (they end on a fixed date on completion of a specific research project) and can be either full or part-time. Clinical research jobs are generally marketed with a salary between £34,563 and £52,090 but can be higher, depending on the research project and specialism.
What can it lead to?
Career progression in clinical research is dependent on the success and quality of your research projects. With experience, you might progress to clinical research lead or manager, senior clinical research fellow or professor.
Where can I find clinical research jobs?
Clinical research jobs are project-driven and funding dependent, therefore the roles tend to be quite niche. In the UK, a high percentage of these roles are based in London, as the Imperial College London and UCL clinical trials units are based there.
Find clinical researcher jobs here
Research Fellow (Non-clinical)
Medicine and dentistry research fellows are those who have taken an academic route into the sector and are not practising clinicians. They work as part of a wider research team in universities, research institutes or charitable foundations, carrying out research in a specific field, such as cancer or dementia studies.
Duties:
- Carrying out high-level research activities
- Day-to-day planning and management of a research project
- Undertaking laboratory research
- Advising and supervising junior researchers (senior research fellow)
- Producing high-quality research papers and outcomes
- Assisting in the preparation of grant proposals
What qualifications and experience do you need?
A PhD in a relevant or related discipline is essential for research fellowships in medicine and dentistry. Candidates also need to demonstrate a proven track record of previous research outcomes.
What’s the pay?
Most medical and dentistry research fellowships are offered on a fixed-term basis and are dependent on funding and outcome. Research fellowships usually command a salary of between £36,770 to £50,296, higher for senior research fellowships.
What can it lead to?
Research fellowships in medicine and dentistry are senior research roles and, as well as gaining higher research skills, they also help you to gain management and leadership skills. Depending on the success of your research activities, a research fellowship can lead to more permanent and senior academic jobs within a higher education setting.
Where can I find research fellow jobs?
Owing to the project-based nature of research work, most of these roles are contracted. The busiest time for recruitment is in June and July.
Find research fellow jobs here
Research Associate
Research associate jobs tend to be the first step on a postdoctoral research career across the spectrum of medicine and dentistry specialisms. Most research associates will have just finished their PhD and are looking to continue their research in a related area.
Duties:
- Developing and contributing to a research project in a specific area of medicine and dentistry
- Supporting on-going research projects and writing grant proposals
- Disseminating research activities and producing high-quality research papers
- Supporting junior researchers in the laboratory
- Undertaking some one-off teaching duties related to a research project
What qualifications and experience do you need?
A PhD in a relevant area is essential for research associate jobs in medicine and dentistry. Previous experience on other research projects in the specific area being studied is desirable but not always necessary.
What’s the pay?
Most research associate positions are offered on a fixed-term basis and have a salary range of £31,406 to £40,927, depending on qualifications and experience.
What can it lead to?
A research associate role is an excellent opportunity for those just finishing their PhD to embark on an academic research career in medicine or dentistry.
The research skills you gain can enable you to apply for more senior, research fellowship jobs and look towards permanent academic roles in higher education.
Where can I find research associate jobs?
Research associate jobs tend to be highly specific and may be advertised for one element of one specialism. Therefore, you may have a wait for jobs in your specific area of expertise to become available.
Find research associate jobs here
Research Assistant
Research assistants are the most junior research roles you might find in a university medical or dental school.
Research assistant roles in medicine and dentistry offer those starting out on an academic career to hone their research skills and learn from senior academic staff across a variety of specialist areas.
If you are thinking about taking an academic research route, rather than clinical route into medicine and dentistry, a research assistant job would be an ideal first step.
Duties:
- Supporting senior researchers in a variety of research tasks
- Gathering, analysing and presenting data
- Contributing to reports, lab meetings and seminars
- Administrative duties
What qualifications and experience do you need?
An undergraduate degree (First class or Upper second class) in a related field is essential for research assistant roles in medicine and dentistry. Some organisations may also require other postgraduate training, such as a Master’s degree. Having already completed your PhD will give you a significant advantage.
What’s the pay?
Most research assistant roles in medicine and dentistry are offered on a fixed-term basis with a salary in the range of around £27,924 to £32,344, depending on qualifications and experience.
What can it lead to?
These are the most junior research roles and can be a springboard to doctoral studies or more senior research roles, such as research associate in medicine and dentistry (on completion of your PhD).
Where can I find research assistant jobs?
Research assistant jobs in medicine and dentistry are more widely available than more senior, niche medical research roles.
Find research assistant jobs here
Further information:
- Jobs in Medicine
- Jobs in Dentistry
- Lecturing jobs in medicine and dentistry
- Senior Level Academic Jobs in Medicine and Dentistry
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