Future Health Research and Innovation Fund - Clinician Researcher Training Program 2022-23

The 2022-23 Clinician Researcher Training (CRT) Program was designed to build the clinician researcher workforce by providing scholarships for clinicians to undertake a clinically focused, higher degree by research (HDR) at a WA university.

Approved HDR projects were required to align with eligible Health Service Provider (HSP) / public-private partnership provider (PPPP)’s strategic and health priorities and aimed to advance clinical practice within the relevant field.

Successful HDR candidates undertook research in their area of specialty training or clinical work and HDRs under either stream will be by compilation only (i.e. publication).

HDR projects were required to be undertaken full-time and/or part-time (at 0.5 FTE) as a PhD or a Masters degree.

Program Status: Closed.

The CRT Program Guidelines and Conditions, Project Proposal Form and Application Form and Candidate Details Form can be accessed below:

Any queries related to the program can be directed to the Western Australian Department of Health, Office of Medical Research and Innovation.

Information on other FHRI Fund programs can be accessed by subscribing to updates or checking the FHRI Fund current opportunities.

Clinician Researcher Training Program Questions and Answers

LAST UPDATED 16 NOVEMBER 2022

Useful links:

Program information page

Guidelines and Conditions

Are existing Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students eligible for a Clinician Researcher Training (CRT) scholarship?

As this is a new program, an exception has been made for this round of the CRT Program to allow existing HDR students within the first 12 months of their candidature to be eligible for a CRT scholarship providing that, in addition to the defined eligibility criteria, they are not already in receipt of a scholarship or fellowship.

If a project proposal developed by an existing HDR student is submitted to a Health Service Provider (HSP) / public-private partnership provider (PPPP), a Candidate Details Form must be provided with the HDR Project Proposal Form to inform the HSP/PPPP project selection process. The Candidate Details Form must include certification from the relevant university that there are no IP claims to the project from anyone other than the candidate and that a due selection process was followed by the university in accordance with their terms and conditions. If the project is selected by an HSP/PPPP, the existing HDR student associated with the selected project would be the nominated candidate for the CRT scholarship.

If a prospective student was involved in developing the project proposal, are they still required to undergo a competitive recruitment process?

With the exception of existing HDR student projects, candidate selection for all projects will be via a competitive recruitment process.

It is stated that one application from each profession can be submitted by an HSP. What is defined as a profession?

Eligible profession types are shown below (also see Section 2 of the Guidelines and Conditions):

Pre-consultant (medical) refers to junior doctors or ‘doctors in training’ as per the AMA Industrial Agreement 2022
Nursing and Midwifery
Allied Health includes all the disciplines that fall under this category.

Professions were separated into categories to ensure higher degree by research opportunities are available to all of these clinicians.

I am a consultant working as a specialist in various WA public hospitals. Can I apply for a scholarship?

No. Scholarships are available for junior doctors (pre-consultant) classified as doctors in training in the AMA Industrial Agreement 2022 (see Section 2 of the Guidelines and Conditions), Allied Health and Nursing and Midwifery professionals.

Will the recruited candidates of the HDR projects approved by the HSP/PPPP be staff at the same HSP/PPPP?

Recruited students will be clinical staff at the relevant HSP/PPP of approved projects. If the student is undertaking the HDR project in a part-time capacity then they must be employed by the relevant HSP/PPPP to undertake clinical duties at up to 0.5FTE.

If the student is choosing to undertake the HDR project full-time, they must be employed by the relevant HSP/PPPP at time of application but there is no employment requirement during the degree.

It is acknowledged, however, that clinicians regularly move employment from one HSP/PPPP to another within WA. The approval for part-time candidates to continue clinical duties and maintain the existing HDR project must be negotiated by the candidate as part of that move. The part-time appointment contract and payment provisions by the HSP/PPPP would transition to the new HSP/PPPP (for the clinical duties).