APPLICATION TIMETABLE AND PROCESS
The timetable for Academic Clinical Fellowship Recruitment 2026 is as follows:
- Applications open: Thursday, 2nd October 2025
- Applications close: Thursday, 30th October 2025
- Interview window: Monday, 10th November 2025 to Friday, 16th January 2026
- Initial Offers out from: Tuesday, 20th January 2026
- Hold deadline: Tuesday, 27th January 2026
Applications are through Oriel 2 which also has the most up-to-date job descriptions and person specifications. Some posts are attached to an NIHR priority research theme. This is explained in detail in the job description.
ACF interview dates will be made available on Oriel for each post.
One post in each of the specialties below is available. Please make separate applications where a specialty appears more than once. (You are encouraged to do so, otherwise you will only be considered for the post for which you applied).
POSTS AVAILABLE
| Post | Specialties | Level | Theme |
| 1 | General Surgery | ST1,2,3 | n/a |
| or Vascular Surgery | ST1,2,3 | n/a | |
| 2 | Neurosurgery | ST1,2 | n/a |
| or Ophthalmology | ST1,2,3 | n/a | |
| 3 | Infectious Diseases | ST4 | n/a |
| or Emergency Medicine | ST1,2,3,4 | n/a | |
| 4 | Intensive Care Medicine | ST1,2,3 | n/a |
| or Renal Medicine | IMT1,2 | n/a | |
| 5 | Paediatrics | ST2,3 | n/a |
| or Obstetrics and Gynaecology | ST1,2,3 | n/a | |
| 6 | Gastroenterology | IMT1,2 | n/a |
| or Endocrinology and Diabetes | IMT1,2 | n/a | |
| 7 | Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery | ST3 | n/a |
| or Plastic Surgery | ST3 | n/a | |
| 8 | Histopathology | ST1,2 | Digital |
| or Cardiology | IMT1,2 | Digital | |
| 9 | Dermatology | IMT1,2 | Digital |
| or Clinical Neurophysiology | IMT1,2 | Digital | |
| 10 | Clinical Oncology | ST3 | Clinical Therapeutics & Pharmacology & Industry |
| or Medical Oncology | IMT1,2 | Clinical Therapeutics & Pharmacology & Industry | |
| 11 | Acute Internal Medicine | IMT1,2 | Clinical Therapeutics & Pharmacology & Industry |
| or Rheumatology | IMT1,2 | Clinical Therapeutics & Pharmacology & Industry | |
| 12 | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | ST 1,2 | Mental Health |
| or Old Age Psychiatry | ST 1,2 | Mental Health | |
| or General Psychiatry | ST 1,2 | Mental Health | |
| 13 | General Practice | ST1,2,3 | Primary Care and Community Care |
| 14 | General Practice | ST1,2,3 | Primary Care and Community Care |
| or Community Sexual and Reproductive Health | ST1,2,3 | Primary Care and Community Care | |
| 15 | Haematology (NHSBT) | ST3 | n/a |
| 16 | Haematology (NHSBT) | ST3 | n/a |
| or Obstetrics and Gynaecology (NHSBT) | ST3 | n/a |
IMPORTANT NOTES
Please note: in addition to the academic interviews, candidates will be required to attend and pass a national clinical interview for the specialty they are applying to for academic training, if appropriate. Offers made will therefore be conditional upon the applicant meeting the required standard in the clinical interview.
Applicants who already hold a clinical NTN or DRN in the same specialty as their ACF application will not need to attend a clinical interview as they will already have met the required standard previously.
CONTACT
Each job description has a list of specific contacts, but for general queries contact the Specialty Recruitment Team at: england.recruitment.tv@nhs.net .