As a medical student, I never saw myself as a ‘research type’.  I found studying challenging enough, without finding the brain space and time to commit to extra projects.  My initial impressions of academia were also steeped in basic science and laboratory-based research; I didn’t realise at the time that medical research can have myriad forms.  Medicine can have a way of dividing us into silos, and by the time I reached specialty training I had my silo of ‘not a researcher’ so well engrained it didn’t even occur to me to apply for an academic clinical fellowship. It felt to me that academic opportunities were hard to find and exclusive; research can be an intimidating space to an outsider, and I struggled to find routes in. Privilege continues to shape who feels they belong in medical research. As a state-educated woman and the first doctor in my family, I did not see myself reflected in traditional academic medicine at that time.

Everything changed during my early registrar training in Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology, where I was fortunate to join a research active and inclusive clinical department.  I began to see research as a tool to address the urgent clinical issues I was encountering and I developed a particular interest in health inequalities in infection. Experience of research during an OOPE at UKHSA cemented my decision to pursue research on my return to training.

However, by this point I felt stuck- as a non-academic trainee, I had no research time, little on my CV and working 48 hours a week in a clinical role didn’t allow much time for development. I started looking for opportunities for funding, to allow me to develop my doctoral application and pre-doctoral research. I was very fortunate to receive a pre-doctoral award from my local trust’s charity ‘My UH Sussex’ who offer dedicated research funding to broaden access to research to those not on academic training schemes. The pre-doctoral award gave me the invaluable time and headspace to try things out, meet collaborators, build my research CV and learn exactly what research question I wanted to answer. This charity has recently also provided funding for my PhD, examining barriers to outpatient antimicrobial care for people who inject drugs.

I would encourage anyone, at any stage, to not feel they have ‘missed the boat’ on academic research because they are a non-academic trainee or were not able to secure an academic post, or because they are not a doctor but another type of healthcare professional. The world of research is changing and previous barriers are now much more malleable than they may seem. The world of research is greatly improved by people from a diverse range of backgrounds participating.

Some tips based on my experiences of ‘non-traditional’ research routes:

Do ​

• Look in a broad range of places for opportunities and funding. The BIA ECRC website is a great place to start as we regularly post opportunities. NIHR offer doctoral fellowships and also pre-doctoral fellowships for healthcare professionals who are not doctors or dentists, and the NIHR research support service offers free advice and guidance to anyone considering applying for NIHR funding. The British Infection Association, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and Healthcare Infection Societies all offer project grants. Local and topic-focused charities may also offer funding schemes depending on your topic of interest.
• Send the scary cold email- the world of infection research is in my experience quite a friendly place, and even senior academics are generally helpful and delighted that someone is enthusiastic about their topic. It can be helpful to know what your ‘ask’ is – do you want methodological advice? Mentorship? A collaboration? The worst that normally happens is a busy researcher forgets to reply, the best outcome can be transformative to your research.
• Find a supervisor/mentor- whether local or not. The BIA ECRC offers a free mentorship scheme for people at all stages of their research journey. A good supervisor can be instrumental in guiding your research and supporting any funding applications. Don’t be limited to academics only at your local institution- cast the net wider if you feel there is expertise you could benefit from. Don’t just be guided by academic prowess- a supervisor who is responsive and engaged is equally important.
• Think about your research CV- while publications and research experience form part of it, many funders want to see evidence of public engagement and engaging in your local research communities as well.

Don't​

• Listen to imposter syndrome- this can be a huge barrier we put in front of ourselves. Try not to compare yourself to colleagues with more formal research experience- everyone is on their own path, and your clinical experience and insights are often as valuable as postgraduate qualifications and laboratory experience. Learning is a part of the process and feeling stupid is normal.
• Just stay with what you know- follow the thread​ of what is interesting to you and what is needed for patients. That may mean collaborating with a supervisor from another specialty or another country.
• Underestimate how long applications take​- applications to national funding bodies like NIHR/Wellcome/MRC take a long time to complete- give yourself plenty of time, particularly if you are juggling a clinical role alongside.
• Be put off by failure- this is unfortunately a normal part of research and applying for funding. When you’ve worked hard and devoted time to a fellowship application this can be really gutting. But every application strengthens the next one, and a rejection does not mean your idea, or you, are not good enough.