Workforce & Training
The Workforce & Training workstream aims to enhance workforce development and retention through coordinated training, mentorship, career pathways, and partnerships that strengthen skills and capacity for effective dementia trial delivery.
Application Timeline
Applications to join UKDTN as a Clinical Trial fellow are open now!
- Deadline: 31 October 2026
- Decisions communicated by: 31 January 2027
How to Apply
If you are interested in applying or would like further information, please contact: ukdtn.ctf@newcastle.ac.uk
Workforce capability is essential to the success of dementia clinical trials. UKDTN is committed to building a sustainable, skilled, and resilient workforce that supports site readiness, individual growth, and national trial delivery. Our ethos is simple: Building capacity, capability, and community.
The Need
The UK dementia trials ecosystem faces significant challenges:
- Lack of career progression pathways
- Shortage of nurses, CIs/PIs, clinical fellows, allied health professionals, pharmacists, radiologists, coordinators, and administrators
- Insufficient workforce capacity and capability to deliver complex trials
- Need for a critical mass of expertise to allow sites to self-sustain and grow
Challenges in Dementia Clinical Trials
Delivering dementia trials requires navigating unique complexities:
- Recruiting and retaining individuals who are vulnerable and clinically complex
- Managing technically demanding protocols and assessments
- Addressing specialized ethical and regulatory considerations
- Increasing demand for first-in-human trials requiring advanced expertise
We need a capable and specialist workforce to meet these challenges.
Focus and Ethos of the Workforce & Training Workstream
Our workstream aims to add value by targeting unmet needs without duplicating existing training provisions.
We focus on four key developmental areas:
- Develop new Principal and Chief Investigators
- Embed early-phase trial expertise across UKDTN sites
- Create a national multidisciplinary community of practice
- Establish best practice guidelines for dementia trials
Current Initiatives
Current initiatives include:
- UKDTN Clinical Trials Fellowship Programme
- Development, Scholarship and Placement Fund
- Embedded UKDTN Alzheimer’s Society Research Nurse network
- ARUK-UKDTN Doctoral Fellowship Programme
- Rater Academy
Clinical Trial Fellowship Programme
Purpose: Build a pipeline of future leaders in dementia clinical trials through immersive early-phase experience.
Approach: Apprenticeship model, practical exposure, and leadership development. Fellows act as ambassadors, contribute to guidelines, and mentor others.
Funding: Up to 2 years FTE salary (consultant level), flexible duration, and support for training activities.
Eligibility: UKDTN member or affiliate site, GMC-registered, specialty trainee or consultant grade, motivated for a career in dementia trials.
ARUK-UKDTN Doctoral Fellowship Programme – https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/grants/clinical-research-fellowship
In partnership with UKDTN, Alzheimer’s Research UK offers a Clinical Trial Placement Pilot Programme for fellows in the Doctoral Clinical Fellowship scheme. This initiative provides hands-on experience in trial design, delivery, and oversight—areas where early-career clinician-researchers often lack exposure.
Placement models are flexible, including a dedicated one-year placement following a three-year fellowship or integrated part-time placements throughout a four-year fellowship. Fellows receive tailored support from matched supervisors and sites, with funding of up to £15,000 for placement activities. This programme ensures targeted professional development and helps build the next generation of leaders in dementia clinical trial research.
Development and Scholarship Support Fund
A flexible fund to strengthen multidisciplinary expertise in dementia trials.
- Open to all disciplinary groups contributing to early-phase trial delivery
- Supports capacity, capability, and leadership development
- Tiered funding from local CPD courses to strategic placements at centres of excellence
Launch expected mid-2026.