MD Clinical Research Trainee (AGIKO)

AGIKO enables young, motivated physicians with an interest in and talent for research to perform scientific (doctoral) research alongside their training. The Dutch acronym AGIKO refers to an MD clinical research trainee.

The aim of the programme is to improve scientific research in clinical practice and to strengthen clinical practice by increasing the educational level and the scientific training of professional practitioners. Medical school graduates and physicians are given the opportunity to follow a combined (abridged) clinical and scientific advanced training course. The tangible final product of the AGIKO training is a clinical specialist, general practitioner or public health physician who holds a doctorate and who has an ongoing interest in scientific research: a person who bridges the gap between clinical practice and the laboratory.

Who can apply

Medical school graduates, dentists (being trained as dental surgeons or orthodontists), veterinarians and pharmacists (being trained as hospital pharmacists) with a demonstrable and higher than average interest in scientific research, who want to combine their clinical advanced training with a research doctorate.

In particular, ZonMw's Clinical Research Committee calls applicants from general practice medicine, nursing home medicine and public health medicine to submit applications for an Agiko stipend. In 2009, the ‘research departments’ are allowed to submit a maximum of two extra applications for the aforementioned disciplines, in addition to the usual maximum number of six applications per year (to be split over two rounds). However, there is no earmarked budget for applications from these disciplines. The stimulation of these disciplines lies in the fact that the competitive pressure for these disciplines within the UMCs is decreasing and that when assessing applications, the committee will emphatically take into account differences in the training route compared to hospital disciplines as well as the practical working conditions in community care.

What can be applied for

The maximum contribution is € 63,530 (incl. € 4500 for travel/congress costs as well as possible thesis costs). In the event that the doctorate is obtained in a research period of less than 24 months then for each month short of this (converted to 1.0 fte) € 2647 less will be paid out.

The candidate AGIKO should still have to perform at least 12 months of research (converted to 1.0 fte) before the doctorate can be obtained.

When can be applied

Closing date for submitting applications is 3 March 2009.

Extra Information

An application may only be submitted after it has been internally selected by the scientific committee of the university medical centre where you are employed. Please contact the ‘research department’ at your UMC for further details about the internal procedure and internal deadline. Further information can be obtained from ZonMw.

Criteria

• The research project is a clinically relevant scientific study with a duration of 2-3 years. The minimum requirement for submission is that at the submission deadline, the AGIKO should still have to perform at least 12 months (converted to 1.0 fte) of research before the doctorate can be obtained.
• The candidate has a guarantee for a training position and a research position. 
• The training scheme (the alternation of periods of research and clinical training) satisfies the precondition that at least one year of the research takes place after the start and before the end of clinical training period. 
• The training scheme has been approved by the relevant registration committee. 
• The basic costs for the research / the research appointment (at trainee research assistant level) are funded by the institute or department concerned, with or without the use of an external subsidy from indirect government funding, industry or charitable funds. 
• The stipend is primarily intended for additional funding of the salary costs of the AGIKO, assuming a continuous salary scale at AGIO level during the complete AGIKO route and the contribution of a training research assistant position (or the equivalent thereof) by the institute.

Procedure

After selection by the UMC, you submit a grant application to ZonMw.

Applications are electronically submitted via ZonMw-Projectnet (www.zonmw.nl under ‘subsidy’). The grant applications will be assessed by the Clinical Research Committee without the use of referees.

Budget

Ten full stipends can be awarded.

Financiers

ZonMw (The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development)

Contacts

• Mw. dr. A. de Deugd-van Kalkeren
  phone: +31 (0)70 349 51 99, e-mail: kalkeren@zonmw.nl
• Mw. A. Meijer-Broersen
  phone: +31 (0)70 349 52 13, e-mail: a.meijer@zonmw.nl

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