Lancaster University is a member of a consortium of leading northern universities and NHS trusts involved in a new Medical Research Council (MRC) programme designed to strengthen clinical academic careers and research leadership across the North of England.
The programme - Building Translational Research Excellence Among Clinicians of the North (BEACON) - has been awarded £1.4 million through the MRC's Regional Account for Clinical Researchers (RACR) pilot scheme.
Delivered by Newcastle Health Research Partnership Academy on behalf of a consortium of leading northern universities and NHS trusts convened by the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA), BEACON will provide flexible funding, career development support and regional collaboration opportunities for clinicians pursuing research careers in health and medicine.
Dr Amy Gadoud, Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine at Lancaster Medical School where she is a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Integrated Clinical Academic Training Director, will be the Lancaster lead for the project.
She said: "We are delighted to be part of this consortium. There is a critical shortage of clinical academics in the UK. At Lancaster we run a highly successful NIHR funded integrated clinical academic training programme supporting all health care professionals to combine clinical work and training with an academic career, including a focus on allied health professionals and rehabilitation, where there is a recognised need to further develop clinical academic capacity. We support a range of clinicians including doctors, nurses and allied health care professionals, from pre doctoral Masters level to Clinical Lecturers and Professors.
"This consortium will build on this work. It will focus on health care professionals who are post-doctoral, which has been recognised to be an important transition point, retaining their skills in our region and strengthening clinical academic capacity at a critical career stage. It will support them to be future clinical academic leaders transforming care for patients."
National evidence has highlighted a long-term decline in the clinical research workforce, driven by pressures on time and funding, and limited access to mentorship and training. These challenges are particularly acute at key career transition points, such as moving from doctoral study to postdoctoral research or progressing towards research independence.
Evidence shows that hospitals involved in research deliver better patient outcomes, adopt innovation more rapidly and create environments that attract and retain skilled staff.
Dr Jemma Kerns from Lancaster Medical School is part of the funding panel set up as part of the consortium.
She said: "I am really pleased that this funding will provide opportunities for clinicians to engage and re-engage in research, aligned to the Medical Research Council remit. This will have longer term benefits to patients, the NHS and society."
Hannah Davies, Chief Executive for the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA), said: "The NHSA has a strong track record of health research collaboration across our universities, NHS organisations and partners in the North of England. BEACON builds on these established partnerships and networks, bringing together strengths from across the region to support the next generation of clinical researchers."
BEACON will formally begin on July 1, 2026.
