Clinical Research Fellow - Nephrology

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is seeking a Clinical Research Fellow in Nephrology to work at Royal Derby Hospital. This is a full-time, fixed-term position for 36 months, focusing on clinical research, patient care, and supporting winter pressures in nephrology services. Candidates will be involved in a PhD opportunity and receive training in research methodologies. The ideal applicant should have an MBBS, GMC registration, and relevant clinical experience, particularly in nephrology.

Benefits

Development opportunities

Employee assistance programme

Discounted gym membership

Onsite fitness classes

Qualifications

• MBBS or an equivalent medical qualification with MRCP or equivalent.
• 4 years post Foundation training.
• Minimum of 6 months experience as a Doctor in the NHS in medical specialties within the past 2 years.
• Nephrology experience at ST4 or above.

Responsibilities

• Active participation in clinical research.
• Provide support for Renal HDU on-call service.
• Work clinically with renal consultants for 12 weeks.
• Participate in clinical governance and audit activities.

Skills

Communication Skills

Clinical Skills

Research Methodology

Team Collaboration

Education

MBBS or equivalent medical qualification

Full GMC registration

Advanced Life Support Certification

Research specific qualifications

Job description

Clinical Research Fellow - Nephrology

The closing date is 01 December 2025

We are very pleased to be appointing a Clinical Research Fellow (ST4-7 equivalent) to work in Nephrology. This is a full-time, fixed-term service appointment for 36 months. Applications for less than full-time working patterns (LTFT) are very welcome.

Based at Royal Derby Hospital the appointee will undertake duties for the renal research team within the Medical Services Division. Routine working will be to conduct and participate in clinical research, to work clinically for 12 weeks of the year in conjunction with nephrology consultants to support winter pressures (mixture of inpatient general medical wards and outpatient nephrology services), and to contribute to the HDU middle grade on site oncall rota. Direct or indirect consultant support is always available in and out of hours.

Research training will be provided in research methods including study design, data collection, and use of statistics, computer skills, presentation and writing papers. Interested candidates will have the opportunity to register for an PhD or equivalent at the University of Nottingham, by which training in generic academic competencies will also be provided.

Main duties of the job

• Active participation in clinical research
• To contribute to the HDU middle grade on-call rota to provide care and management of renal and medical HDU patients (approx 1:7)
• Working with a renal consultant, provide 12 weeks of clinical activity per year (mixture of winter ward cover, and outpatient nephrology)
• Active participation in Clinical Governance, audit and research activities. Keeping up to date and participating in relevant Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Participation in annual appraisal
• Provision of junior support as needed
• Shared role in delivery of teaching & training to junior doctors & non-medical staff.

About us

As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together

Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work.

In return we will offer:

• Development opportunities, including both professional and leadership development
• On-going support through every step of the way from recruitment to when you join our team and beyond.
• A variety of other staff benefits including employee assistance programme, discounted gym membership, onsite fitness classes, car schemes

Key Facts about our Trust:

• We see on average 4,810 OP appointments per day.
• We are the 4th busiest Trauma & Orthopaedic outpatients department in England – an average of 2,077 per week.
• An average of 1,115 patients are seen in A&Es across our network every day – 3rd largest in the country.
• Our hospitals admit an average of 195 emergency patients daily.
• Last year we undertook almost 33,700 planned surgical operations in our 57 operating theatres.
• We are one of only 7 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres.
• We carry out more than 140 elective procedures each working day.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will support the Renal HDU on call service (approximately a 1 in 7 on call frequency). Whilst on duty the post holder will be clinically and professionally responsible for their patients.

Whilst on-call and during the 12 weeks of clinical activity, it will also be their duty to:

• Communicate with patients (and/or their carers if appropriate) about their condition;
• Involve patients (and/or their carers if appropriate) in decision making about their treatment;
• Maintain professional standards and obligations as set out from time to time by the General Medical Council (GMC) and comply in particular with the GMCs guidance on Good Medical Practice as amended or substituted from time to time;
• Carry out any work related to, and reasonably incidental to, the duties set out in their schedule of duties e.g. keeping of records and provision of reports, proper delegation of tasks, maintaining skills and knowledge.

The post holder will be expected to be flexible and to co-operate with all reasonable requests to cover for their colleagues absences where they are safe and competent and where it is practicable to do so. Where the post holder undertakes duties in accordance with this paragraph and such duties take place outside of their contracted hours they will receive either an equivalent off duty period or remuneration. Where this adversely impacts on the schedule of duties and/or opportunities for individual doctors a temporary schedule of duties will be agreed for the period of cover. Where covering is not practicable, the Trust will be responsible for the engagement of a locum tenens, but the post holder will have the responsibility of bringing the need to the notice of the Trust.

The post holder will be expected to contribute to graduate and continuing medical education activity locally as appropriate and to participate in clinical audit under local arrangements (in light of relevant departmental guidance).

A formal schedule of duties will be agreed between the post holder and the research supervisor on appointment. It will be a prospective agreement that sets out the post holders duties, responsibilities and objectives for the 36 month period. It will cover all aspects of the post holders professional practice including clinical work, administration, audit, teaching and CPD responsibilities.

It will provide a clear schedule of commitments, both internal and external. In addition, it will include personal objectives, including details of the post holders link to wider service objectives, and details of the support required by the post holder to meet the timetabled duties and their objectives.

The post holder will be expected to work as part of a team with responsibility for maintaining the highest standards of clinical care, for teaching of junior staff and medical students and for actively participating in continuing medical education, quality improvement, clinical governance and audit. We will perform your annual appraisal.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• MBBS or an equivalent medical qualification and possess MRCP or equivalent
• Full GMC registration with a licence to practice
• Advanced Life Support Certification
• MRCP Part 1 & 2
• Research specific qualifications, including masters in research or NIHR Associate PI scheme
• Nephrology Speciality Certificate GCP training

Teaching

• Any teaching courses or qualifications

Clinical Experience

• 4 years post Foundation training
• A minimum of 6 months experience as a Doctor in the NHS in medical specialties within the past 2 years
• Nephrology experience at ST4 or above
• Experience in designing, delivering or participating in your own or someone else's research study
• Previous experience of renal research or have relevant skills.
• Demonstrates interest in research

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.