How Can IMG Doctors Get Research Experience for NHS Jobs?
Updated: 21 hours ago
Almost every NHS person specification mentions research, and many international medical graduates (IMGs) feel they have nothing to put in that box. The good news is that you do not need a PhD, funding or your own big idea to start. You need a few realistic first steps, and an honest way to describe them.
Quick answer
IMG doctors can build genuine research experience by completing free NIHR Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training, asking their trust's research and development (R&D) office which NIHR portfolio studies need help recruiting patients, joining the NIHR Associate Principal Investigator scheme, writing a case report with a consultant, presenting an audit as a poster, or joining a systematic review team. Describe your exact role honestly on applications.
What you will learn in our free Introduction to Research: First Steps for Doctors course
Never been involved in research? Start here. Research appears on almost every NHS person specification — this course takes you from zero to your first real step. Our free online Introduction to Research: First Steps for Doctors course is written for NHS doctors and international medical graduates. You study at your own pace in 6 short modules, with worked examples, interactive exercises and a short quiz at the end. There is no sign-up, and your progress is saved so you can stop and come back.
The 6 modules
What research is — and why it matters to you: What is research?, Why research matters for you
The main types of study: The main types of study — in plain English, Match the study to the question
The research journey, step by step: The research journey, turning an idea into a question, Ethics, approvals and consent
Reading a research paper for the first time: Reading an abstract without fear, Simple numbers you'll see
Getting involved: realistic first steps: Realistic first steps — you can start this month, Helping with a study: what you will actually do, Your first poster or case report
Talking about research on your CV and at interview: Research on your CV — honestly, Download your plan
By the end of the course you will be able to
Explain in plain English what research is, and how it differs from audit and service evaluation
Describe the main types of study and what each is good for
Follow the research journey from idea to publication
Understand the key words used in research
Read an abstract and pick out the main points
Explain why research needs ethics approval and informed consent
Find realistic ways to get involved, even as a complete beginner
Describe your research understanding honestly on your CV and at interview
Why it helps your NHS application
Research explained in plain English — no statistics background needed
Realistic first steps: GCP training, helping with NHS studies, posters and case reports
An honest, confident answer for 'Tell us about your research experience' — even if you have none yet
How to write it on your NHS application
In your CV and on NHS Jobs or Trac: list it under "Research and publications" (or in the training and courses section of the form), for example:
Introduction to Research: First Steps for Doctors, online CPD course, CareerPro UK. Certificate of completion, [month and year]; verifiable online, ID CP-XXXXXXXX.
In your supporting statement: show what you learned and how you use it. For example (adapt it so it is true for you):
"I completed an introductory research course for doctors and I am now building my research experience, starting with [a case report / contributing to a study in my department]."
At interview: the course also prepares you for questions such as "Tell us about your research experience."
Your certificate of completion
When you pass the quiz, you can download a certificate pack:
A verifiable PDF certificate of completion with your name, the course, your CPD time and a QR code that shortlisters and appraisers can scan
An appraisal-ready reflective note, pre-filled with the course learning outcomes
A ready-to-paste line for your NHS Jobs or Trac application and CV, and a one-click "Add to LinkedIn" button
Studying is free. The certificate pack is a one-off £5, and you pay only after you pass
Online course — not Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certification.
What NHS shortlisters actually mean by "research"
Read a few person specifications and you will see a pattern. The essential criteria usually ask for an understanding of research and evidence-based practice. National specialty training specifications, for example, list "understanding of research, including awareness of ethical issues" as essential, while "experience of research" sits under desirable criteria.
That matters for two reasons:
You can meet the essential criterion without a publication. Showing that you understand how research works, how it differs from audit, and why ethics approval and consent matter is enough to score.
Desirable research experience is what separates candidates. Even small, real involvement, such as recruiting patients to one study, gives you something concrete to write and talk about.
It also helps to be clear on the difference between research, audit and service evaluation. Research aims to find out something new that can be applied more widely, such as whether one treatment works better than another. Audit checks your practice against an agreed standard, such as a NICE recommendation. Service evaluation describes what a service currently does. If you are not sure which your project is, the Health Research Authority (HRA) has an online decision tool, and your R&D office can advise. For more on how audit and QI score, see our guide to clinical audit vs QIP on an NHS application.
Step 1: Complete NIHR Good Clinical Practice training
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is the international ethical and scientific quality standard for clinical research. If you help with a study in any way, the research team will expect you to have done GCP training.
In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) provides GCP e-learning through its NIHR Learn platform. It is free for NHS staff, and NIHR has been updating its courses to the current version of the standard, ICH E6(R3). There is an introductory course for people new to research delivery and a refresher for those who have done it before.
Why it is a good first step:
You can start this week, on your own, without anyone's permission.
It gives you the vocabulary research teams use: protocol, delegation log, principal investigator, adverse event.
It is a clear, checkable line on your application, for example: "NIHR Good Clinical Practice (introduction), completed March 2026".
GCP training on its own is not research experience, so do not present it as such. It is the key that lets you join a study.
Step 2: Help with NIHR portfolio studies already running in your trust
This is the most realistic route for most IMGs. Many NHS hospitals take part in studies supported by NIHR (often called portfolio studies), and research teams frequently need doctors on the wards and in clinics who can spot eligible patients.
How to start:
Email your trust's R&D office. Ask which studies in your specialty are recruiting and whether a research nurse or local principal investigator (PI) would welcome help identifying patients.
Learn the study's eligibility criteria so you can recognise suitable patients.
Complete any study-specific training, and make sure you are added to the delegation log for the tasks you will do.
Only do what you are trained and delegated to do. Taking research consent, for example, is a delegated task, not something you do because you happen to be on shift.
Keep your own record: study name, your role, dates and how many patients you helped identify or recruit.
A short, polite email works well: "I am a specialty doctor in [department] and would like to get involved in research. I have completed NIHR GCP training. Are there studies in my area that need help identifying or recruiting patients?"
The NIHR Associate PI scheme
Once you are helping with a study, ask about the NIHR Associate Principal Investigator (Associate PI) scheme. It is a six-month training opportunity for healthcare professionals starting out in research, working alongside the local PI on an NIHR portfolio study. Doctors, nurses and allied health professionals can take part. You must register before you start, as recognition cannot be given retrospectively, and only one Associate PI is allowed per study at each site. On completion you receive a certificate confirming your Associate PI status, which is a strong, verifiable item for your CV.
Step 3: Write a case report
A case report describes one unusual or instructive patient. It is often a doctor's first publication because it is small enough to finish alongside clinical work.
Choose the case with a consultant who will supervise and review your drafts.
Get the patient's written consent for publication early, and remove anything that could identify them.
Follow a reporting guideline. Many journals expect case reports to follow the CARE guidelines, available through the EQUATOR Network.
Check the journal is genuine. Be wary of emails promising fast, guaranteed publication for a fee. Ask your supervisor or a trust librarian whether the journal is properly indexed and peer reviewed.
Agree authorship at the start. Under the ICMJE criteria, every author must have contributed substantially, helped draft or critically revise the work, approved the final version and agreed to be accountable for it.
Step 4: Turn existing work into a poster, or join a review
Posters
If you have already completed an audit or quality improvement project, you may be closer to a research-style output than you think. Submit an abstract (usually around 250 to 300 words: background, methods, results, conclusion) to a regional meeting or Royal College conference. A poster is not research in the strict sense if the underlying project is an audit, so describe it accurately, but it does show you can present data and go through peer review.
Systematic reviews
Systematic reviews collect and combine all the studies on one question. They do not need patient recruitment, so they suit doctors whose rotas make ward-based research hard. The practical route is to join an existing team rather than start alone. Reviews should have a registered protocol, often on PROSPERO, and a clinical librarian can help with the search strategy. Expect to contribute to screening papers or extracting data, and be honest about which parts you did.
Collaboratives
Trainee- and doctor-led research collaboratives run multi-centre studies and welcome new members to collect local data. Ask colleagues and your specialty's Royal College about groups in your area.
How to describe research on an NHS application
Shortlisters are good at spotting vague or inflated claims, and anything you write may be discussed at interview. Overstating your role is a probity issue, not just a style problem.
Be specific:
Vague: "Involved in research."
Specific: "Identified and referred eligible patients to [study name], an NIHR portfolio study, in [department], [month year] to [month year]."
Vague: "Publication pending."
Specific: "Case report submitted to [journal], [month year]" (only if it really has been submitted).
Use "led" or "designed" only if you did. Give publications in full reference style with your real author position. In your supporting statement, link research to the post: what you did, what you learned, and how you would contribute in this role. Our guide to writing an NHS supporting statement as an IMG shows how to map each point to the person specification.
At interview, if you have no research yet
Honesty plus a plan is a strong answer. For example: "I haven't yet been part of a formal research study, but I've completed NIHR GCP training, I read and discuss papers at journal club, and I've contacted our R&D office about helping recruit to a respiratory study. In this post I would aim to contribute to departmental research and present a poster within my first year." Never invent a project to fill the gap.
Our free Introduction to Research: First Steps for Doctors course walks through each of these routes in plain English, including how to tell research from audit and how to talk about research honestly at interview.
Start the free course
Introduction to Research: First Steps for Doctors covers what research is, the main study types, the research journey, reading an abstract, ethics and consent, and realistic ways to get involved, in short modules you can study free. You finish with a quiz, your own first-step plan, and the option of a verifiable certificate and a reflective note for appraisal. It is an independent guide, not accredited and not GCP certification, so start the free course alongside your NIHR GCP training.
If you would like your NHS application reviewed and rewritten (£35), email cvreviewexperts@gmail.com.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a publication to get an NHS job as an IMG?
Usually not. Most NHS person specifications list an understanding of research as essential and research experience or publications as desirable, so a publication can strengthen an application but is rarely a requirement for service or specialty doctor posts.
Is NIHR GCP training free?
NIHR GCP e-learning is free for NHS staff through the NIHR Learn platform. You register for an NIHR Learn account and choose the introductory course if you are new to research, or the refresher if you have trained before.
Can I count an audit as research experience?
No. An audit compares practice against an agreed standard, whereas research aims to generate new knowledge, so list audits under audit and quality improvement. Presenting an audit as a poster is still valuable and can be listed under presentations.
Can I join a study without being employed as a researcher?
Yes. Clinicians often help with NIHR portfolio studies alongside their normal role, for example by identifying eligible patients, as long as they have completed GCP and study-specific training and are on the study's delegation log for those tasks.
What is the NIHR Associate PI scheme?
It is a six-month NIHR training opportunity in which a healthcare professional works alongside the local principal investigator on an NIHR portfolio study. Participants must register before starting and receive a certificate confirming their Associate PI status on completion.
Related guide: How to critically appraise a research paper
Comments