NIHR Doctoral Training Camp - Catriona Hynes

Senior Lecturer Ultrasound

The NIHR Academy runs an annual summer event for PhD students based within NIHR Infrastructure, Schools and Incubators. The Training Camp is a three-day intensive residential event to support career progression and competitiveness in putting together a funding application. 

The doctoral training camp is an annual 3-day event which provides guidance and practical experience to enable delegates to learn how to put together a successful application for funding for healthcare researchers. The event was very well run and expertly facilitated by an enthusiastic and inspirational team from NIHR. 

In terms of applying for research funding, the camp provided valuable insights. The event included a variety of presentations relevant to research, funding, inspirational speakers, public involvement in research. It emphasized the importance of understanding your funding sources, reading the guidance documents, discussing your application with experts, financial considerations, and effective presentation of your proposal. I now have a better understanding of the importance and value of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in research design. It also highlighted the significance of knowledge exchange, research output and impact. The first day of the camp was live-streamed, allowing many virtual attendees to experience part of the event. Following the initial presentations, the event focused on the development of a funding application for a fictitious research programme. Delegates worked in mixed professional groups to prepare a grant proposal to present to a panel of experts. Each group had access to expert advice, and we were well supported by an experienced researcher as a mentor, and a public contributor advisor.  

Overall, the NIHR Doctoral Research Training Camp 2024 was a well-organized, welcoming, and informative event that provided valuable insights and practical experience in applying for research funding. This event is ideal for those at the end of their PhD journey and seeking to move onto postdoctoral research. The event provided an excellent networking opportunity, which allowed me to meet a wide range of other researchers from a diverse scientific and professional backgrounds. This experience was intense and very challenging, but also very enjoyable. The opportunity to work in a multi-professional group (rather than as an individual PhD researcher) was very welcome, and I learned a lot from the event, and from individuals in my group. 

The camp was highly beneficial for me as an early career researcher, informing me about the range of skills needed when applying for funding. It was a great platform for learning, networking, and enhancing one’s skills in grant proposal writing, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in pursuing a career in healthcare research. This event requires your full focus, so do not expect to do any other work during the three days! I completed the event feeling mentally exhausted, but much better equipped to tackle a grant application, more aware of how the process worked, and where to get help and find funding for future research. Following the event, I now have a clearer plan of my own long term aims and objectives as a postdoctoral researcher.