StudyQA — Master: Clinical Research — Imperial College London

Photos of university / #imperialcollege

Description Contents Requirements Funding More

The MRes in Clinical Research is a research based umbrella course comprising of four pathways: Clinical Research Design and Management, Diabetes and Obesity, Human Nutrition and Translational Medicine, with all pathways being offered on a full time or part time basis.

All students complete the majority of the taught elementtogether; the opportunity to specialise within their area of interest is provided through a pathway specific taught module and extensively through the research element of the course.

The primary aim of the programme is to equip students with the theoretical aspects of supporting and managing clinical research.

The combination of a taught and research component, allows students to put the underpinning theory into practice by contributing to clinical research, taking responsibility for a project and producing a written report.

The course aims to equip students with an exceptionally high level of research skills and experience, whilst being exposed to cutting edge techniques and developments in the field. Past students have continued their studies with PhD studentships, undertaking or continuing a medical career or working in research roles within industry and the NHS.

Pathways

Four pathways exist, with modules specific to the background/interests of the candidates.

The Translational Medicine pathway has been designed for medics and basic scientists. The course combines an introduction to the theory behind and technologies currently used in drug discovery, pharmacokinetics, role of biomarkers and surrogate endpoints, preclinical safety assessment, first-time-in-human studies, clinical investigation paradigms, research governance and medical statistics. Suitable for all medical disciplines, but of particular interest to Cardiovascular/Respiratory, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Metabolic medicine, the programme is highly suitable for graduates in medicine who wish to pursue a career as clinical academics and for medical professionals in industry. Teachers from academia and industry and an excellent basic and clinical research infrastructure provide an appropriate environment for advanced, hands-on training in the theoretical and practical aspects of clinical research. This course intends to develop highly skilled and motivated academic clinical scientists for the future. The pathway has been designed to focus on research and uses some clinical specialities as models to highlight this. While all students will be required to follow this curriculum, the opportunity to specialize in a clinical field will be provided through the research project. The training provided will enable students to put theory into practice by contributing to clinical research activities, taking responsibility for a project and producing a project report. Students will obtain an understanding of research methodologies by studying in a world-leading clinical research environment.

The Clinical Research Design and Management pathway has been designed to cater for nurses and allied healthcare professionals. The programme has been deliberately designed to cover a broad spectrum of clinical specialities including oncology, metabolic medicine, cardiovascular medicine, and neuroscience. While all students will be required to follow this broad curriculum, the opportunity to specialise in one area will be provided through the research project. Students will also be exposed to clinical research in nursing specialities including palliative care, communication, healthcare management and infection control.

The Human Nutrition pathway has been designed to cater for healthcare professionals and scientists with an interest in nutrition research.
The programme provides a structured approach to developing knowledge and skills that will enable students to develop their own clinical human nutrition research portfolio or assist in the management of an existing portfolio. The course will provide greater insight into the academic; clinical and practical; and regulatory requirements of human nutrition research and will introduce the latest in cutting edge research.
The pathway has been designed to focus on research and uses some clinical specialities as models to highlight this. While all students will be required to follow this curriculum, the opportunity to specialize in a clinical field will be provided through the research project.

The Diabetes and Obesity pathway is ideal for those wishing to progress to or expand on a research based role within the NHS. Diabetes and obesity are two highly prominent public health factors, by undertaking this pathway of the MRes in Clinical Research course, students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to undertake valuable research within these areas. The pathway introduces students to modern investigative techniques including MRI and metabolomics. Students will obtain knowledge of research methodology used in clinical studies, and will gain an appreciation of the regulatory frameworks with which they are required to comply. Given the focus on research, students will be given training in presenting their research, both orally and in writing. This pathway takes advantage of the established research modules of the programme, and in particular those provided for the Human Nutrition pathway, however the opportunity for students to streamline their focus within the area of diabetes and obesity is provided through specialist teaching during the fourth module and in particular within the research element.

There are no optional modules in any of the pathways. There is a prescribed route through each pathway and students who do not complete all modules required for their pathway will not be eligible for the award. The teaching structure consists of 4 taught modules, each covered in 5 days (1 week) throughout the year. The remaining time is allocated to projects and self-study. The three core modules are compulsory for all MRes pathways. The fourth module differs for each MRes pathway and provides specialist knowledge in the chosen discipline. Module 1 : Introduction to Clinical Research, Medical Governance and Statistics Module 2 : Bench to Bedside, Clinical Trials and Experimental Medicine Tools Module 3 Therapeutics Specialist module - includes pathway specific topics and methods not covered in earlier modules.

Clinical Research Design and Management
The course is designed to cater for UK and international students with a background in nursing and allied health professions. An upper second class Honors is preferred.Students with an undergraduate diploma with substantial work experience would also be considered. Such students are likely to be required to complete an entrance exam. The deadline for completion of all paperwork is generally July 1st each year, so please submit your application early.

The Diabetes and Obesity
The course is designed to cater for UK and international students with a first/undergraduate degree in Medicine or Life Sciences. An upper second class Honors is preferred.

The Human Nutrition
The course is designed to cater for UK and international students with a first/undergraduate degree in Medicine or Life Sciences. An upper second class Honors is preferred.

The Translational Medicine
The course is designed to cater for UK and international students with a first/undergraduate degree in Medicine or Life Sciences. Basic scientists with a degree in life sciences are also encouraged to apply. An upper second class Honors is preferred.

Dean's Master's Scholarships

Home/EU Students

Full tuition fees and a stipend of £17,000
5 places are available

Overseas Students

Full tuition fees and a stipend of £17,000
4 places are available

Stipends will be paid in monthly instalments, subject to satisfactory progression. Awardees on courses which last more than a year will have their £17,000 stipend spread over the full lengh of the degree.

The Faculty offers a wide range of Master's degree courses, as well as PG Certificates and Diplomas, and all students will belong to the Graduate School, which provides a comprehensive Transferable Skills Programme.

For any queries not covered here, please email James Osborne (PGT Administrator, Faculty of Medicine) at james.osborne@imperial.ac.uk.

Please note that there may be other scholarships offered by Schools, Institutes and Departments that make up the Faculty of Medicine. These are separate from the Dean's and Faculty Master's Scholarships described here and entail a different application process.

Eligibility

General Eligibility

These awards are open to all students who have made an application to the Faculty of Medicine by 30 April 2015 for admission to study for a full time or part time Master's course* at Imperial College London, starting in October 2015 (*or PG Cert for a course where that is the only route to the higher degree).

Please note that these awards can only be given to students who are studying a course run by the Faculty of Medicine. For a full list of these courses, please see our Master's Degree page.

It is not essential for applicants to have already received an offer of a place on a course, but the initial course application must be made before applying for a scholarship.

Residence Eligibility

Applications are accepted from talented candidates from Imperial College London, the UK and worldwide. There are no restrictions on nationality.

Academic Eligibility

Candidates are expected to be able to provide evidence of outstanding academic ability. This will usually mean being among the highest achievers in their undergraduate cohort and in receipt of, or due to receive, a first class UK Honours degree or equivalent.
An applicant who does not meet this requirement (e.g. holds a second class undergraduate degree, is a health professional who did not undertake a degree course, or is from a non-traditional background*), will be considered if they are able to demonstrate that they have outstanding academic potential and substantial experience relevant to their chosen subject area. This should be included in the Personal Statement section of the application form. (*Those applicants without a degree will be required, where available, to pass a Special Qualifying Examination to gain entry to the chosen course).
Candidates with degrees from overseas institutions are strongly urged to determine if their scores/grades are equivalent to the relevant eligibility criteria.
Candidates who already have a postgraduate qualification should justify their request to have an additional postgraduate course funded by the faculty. This should be included in the Personal Statement section of the application form.
Candidates who wish to apply for a Master's course which starts as a PG Cert or PG Dip will only be considered if they are committed to completing the course to Master's level.
Scholarships awarded based on predicted grades will be conditional upon final results.

How to Apply
In order to be considered for the Dean's Master's Scholarships, potential candidates will need to have first applied for a place on a Master's course in the Faculty of Medicine. It is not essential to wait for an offer of a place to be made, but the initial course application must be made before submitting a scholarship application. To apply for a Master's course, please use our online admission system.

Once the application for the course has been submitted, those who wish to apply for a scholarship should complete our online form (Note: the Scholarship award panel will assess candidates on their scholarship application form NOT their course application, so make sure all key information is included in your scholarship application). The form will need to be completed in a single session, so please have the following information prepared:

Personal statement (not more than 1000 words).
Details of qualifications, achievements, awards, relevant experience and publications.
The title/s of the course/s which you have applied for.

Shortlisting will take place in May 2015. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews which are currently scheduled for the week commencing Monday 8 June 2015. All interviews will take place via Skype between 9.00 and 17.00 BST. The scholarship application form includes a question regarding your country of residence in June 2015. We will use this information to identify your time zone and try to tailor your interview time accordingly, although we cannot guarantee that the slot allocated to you will be convenient for your time zone.

All candidates will be informed of the decision by the end of June 2015.

References

We will use the references that you provide as part of your course application process. Please do not send references to us directly as we will be unable to accept them. It is not essential that we receive your references in time to consider your scholarship application, although their absence may weaken your application. It is therefore recommended that you contact your referees directly to ask that they respond to your course application reference request before Friday 8 May 2015 (one week after scholarship applications close).

Terms and conditions

When applying for Faculty of Medicine Master's Degree Scholarships, candidates must agree to Imperial's terms and conditions regarding scholarships and bursaries.

Please note, the following conditions override the standard Imperial terms and conditions:

Both part time and full time students are eligible to apply.
An offer of a place is not required before applying, but candidates must first apply for a Master's course run by the Faculty of Medicine before applying for a scholarship.
Candidates who do not apply through the online form will not be considered for the Dean's Master's Scholarships.
Successful applicants who receive a Dean's Master's Scholarship will not be allowed to accept any other form of scholarship or bursary provided by Imperial College London for study during the 2015/16 academic year.
Scholarship stipends will be paid in monthly instalments over the length of the course, subject to satisfactory progress. Students on courses which are part time or start as a PG Cert will have their stipend paid in equal monthly instalments over the full length of the course.
Awardees will be required to participate in a small number of promotional activities during the course of their studies and allow their image to be used by Imperial for publicity purposes. Such activities may include (but are not limited to) attending special events and producing occassional print or web copy.