Job Purpose

This is a fixed term Academic Fellowship tenable in one of the stated Universities in Scotland. The post is a joint development between NHS Education Scotland (NES) and the Universities in Scotland. The post is suitable for two kinds of applicants.

1.Early career applicants who are about to complete or who have completed Specialist Training for General Practice within the preceding 3 years WTE (in other words, we will take account of career breaks and part-time working when calculating this). Early career applicants can request academic time between 0.2FTE and 0.6FTE.

2. Post-doctoral applicants intending to apply for a post-doctoral research fellowship. Post-doctoral applicants should be GPs who are about to complete or are within one year of completion of a higher degree (PhD or MD). For these applicants, time since CCT is not applied.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

General Practice Academic Fellowships are intended to provide a year of training to develop academic skills, to develop a new generation of General Practice academic researchers. These posts are intended to lead to applications for PhD fellowships and the preference is for these to be in an area of clinical or health service research. However, in some Departments, there may be opportunities for taking forward medical education research and applicants interested in this are encouraged to discuss with the named University contacts listed below.

i) Research 

Research is a core component of an academic career, and therefore of this post. Applicants may have a higher degree, but are more likely to want to work towards one. Applicants at an earlier stage in academic training should have evidence of an interest in research, and potential to attract subsequent Fellowship funding to allow them to complete a higher degree. All applicants are expected to conduct and publish an appropriate research study during the Fellowship, working with a senior academic to gain experience in research design, data collection, analysis and writing for publication. The topic of the study will be appropriate to your interests, and decided in discussion with your academic mentor. There are extensive opportunities for primary care research within the respective University Departments, and in collaboration with researchers in other parts of the various Universities.

ii) Teaching

Teaching is a core component of an academic career, and therefore modest input to under-graduate and post-graduate teaching may be expected of some candidates.

iii) Administrative Duties

Limited administrative duties may be required as part of your contribution to wider divisional activities.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Medical Graduate

A2 Recently Completed Specialist Training for General Practice (within preceding 3 years (WTE) or in the process of completing this OR about to complete or recently completed higher degree (within one year (WTE).

Desirable:

B1 BSc or equivalent in medicine or other relevant subject

B2 MSc in relevant subject

B3 MD or PhD (essential for post-doctoral applicants)

B4 Evidence of distinction in career to date e.g. prizes, awards, bursaries

Skills

Essential:

C1 We are seeking an individual with the capacity for innovative and original thinking, who is motivated to deliver rigorous and high-quality academic work

C2 Ability to exercise a high degree of personal initiative in organising own work, and work to tight deadlines calmly and efficiently

C3 Ability to respond quickly and flexibly to new developments and opportunities

C4 Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary research team

C5 Good communication skills

Desirable:

D1 Existing research experience is an advantage, but not essential. We expect applicants to demonstrate the potential to be an academic leader of the future.

Experience

Essential: 

E1 Pre-doctoral applicants - completed ST3 or Specialist Training for General Practice with a CCT (within the preceding 3 years (WTE).

E2 Post-doctoral candidates – completed higher degree within the last year (or expect to complete before taking up post)

E3 Knowledge of the organisation of UK General Practice and Primary Care.

Desirable:

F1 Experience of writing abstracts or papers for publication in peer reviewed journals or conference proceedings

F2 Experience of presenting at peer reviewed conferences at local/national or international level.

Job Features

Reporting to one of the following:

University of Aberdeen –Prof. Peter Murchie, Clinical Senior Lecturer (email p.murchie@abdn.ac.uk)

University of Dundee -Dr Kevin McConville, Clinical Reader, School of Medicine (email K.McConville@dundee.ac.uk)

University of Edinburgh – Prof. David Weller, James MacKenzie Professor of General Practice (email david.weller@ed.ac.uk)

University of Glasgow – Prof. Kate O’Donnell, Professor of Primary Care Research and Development (email kate.o'donnell@glasgow.ac.uk)

University of St Andrews – Prof. Frank Sullivan, Professor of Primary Care Medicine, (email fms20@st-andrews.ac.uk

Posts are available for 1 year from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, and applicants may request from 0.2 FTE to 0.6 FTE academic time.

For informal enquiries, please contact Elspeth Rae, email: elspeth.rae@glasgow.ac.uk.

Each Department will identify a mentor appropriate to your career intentions, and will support you in obtaining appropriate research training. Participating departments will help enable you to keep up to date with the field through participation in relevant workshops, national and international meetings. All the Departments provide good physical and social working environments.

Standard Terms & Conditions

Salary will be on the Clinical Academic pay scale £50,341- £89,032, per annum, pro rata (which is capped at spinal point 03, £56,846 per annum, pro rata).

Basic salary will be enhanced by a market supplement of 45% per annum

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG)

The University of Glasgow is committed to safeguarding children and protected adults by ensuring that individuals in regulated roles are appropriately vetted and monitored.

The University of Glasgow’s PVG policy aligns with the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 and reflects the legal requirements effective from 1 April 2025, including the mandatory PVG Scheme membership for regulated roles.

The post for which you are applying is considered to be a regulated role under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. Under the Act, individuals working in a regulated role must be a PVG Scheme member before employment. If you are successful in your application, the offer of employment will be conditional subject to a satisfactory PVG Scheme record check. We will be in touch regarding requirements related to this.

Further information is available at : https://www.mygov.scot/pvg-scheme

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community here.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

Proposed date for interviews (via zoom) is 14 May 2026.

Closing date : 15 April 2026 @23:45