Curious about what it’s really like to be part of GW4-CAT? Our fellows share their honest reflections on the programme—from their research experiences to the support and community they’ve built along the way.
The GW4CAT HP PhD programme has been a fantastic opportunity for me to grow as a clinical academic and future clinician-scientist. I particularly valued the opportunity for mentorship through the Director-Mentor component of the pre-PhD year; this supportive relationship provided a unique opportunity for both career development and an external view on my project as it developed, which undoubtedly improved the final submission GW4-CAT HP Fellow Cohort IV
The GW4-CAT PhD programme has provided me with world leading research mentorship, advanced methodological and topic expertise, and a breadth of personal and professional development opportunities that will be instrumental in helping me to become a mental health research leader.
As a result of my participation in the GW4-CAT PhD programme, I’ve been able to build new and exciting interdisciplinary and cross-institution research collaborations which are already bearing fruit and I’m confident will lead to further opportunities to carry out impactful research.
The training environment that GW4-CAT PhD programme offers is incredibly supportive and tailored to us as individuals. I have total confidence that if I needed additional support for whatever reason, it would be provided. It is a safe and compassionate training culture that I genuinely believe aims to create world leading clinical academics. GW4-CAT HP Fellow Cohort IV
Without the GW4-CAT Programme, I would not be where I am today conducting research in an area I’m truly passionate and interested in. The pre-PhD development year allowed me to expand my horizons beyond the university I was based in at the time and beyond the research techniques I already had experience in. With the support of the directors and peer mentors, I am now thriving in a new institution and have been acquiring skills in new techniques that will put me in the best position to further develop my clinical academic career. GW4-CAT HP Fellow Cohort II
This programme has genuinely been a life changing experience for me. Yes, it’s been an opportunity to study towards a PhD …. But it’s so much more than that. GW4 being a multi-university network means that collaboration across universities is deeply embedded into every aspect of the PhD. I have built effective working relationships across GW4 but also with several international groups led by renowned experts in my research area. This has allowed me to pursue a much more ambitious programme of work within the PhD. I have also been able to develop skills in disciplines I have had limited exposure to previously. These practical experiences have been supplemented by formal training through GW4 cohort days and use of the generous study budget to complete specialist training courses. As I approach the end of the PhD I am grateful that this programme has not only provided a first class PhD experience, but has really helped me build the knowledge, skills and collaborations (and indeed thanks to the excellent mentorship … the confidence) that I need to be in a competitive position to apply for funding to further develop my research interests during the post doctoral period, and ultimately to work towards my ambition of building a successful career in academic medicine. GW4-CAT Fellow Cohort V
I would just like to say a huge thanks to the GW4-CAT programme who due to their unique model of recruiting fellows with an in built project design period I was able to undertake my PhD without a background of having done an academic clinical fellowship. I came to the interview with a whole load of enthusiasm but without having had significant time to undertake pilot or feasibility work. Without the faith that GW4-CAT showed in me I wouldn’t have got to my current position. I now lead the UK Interstitial Lung Disease Early Career Researcher group, I am the ECR rep on the Respiratory TRC and am founding member of the ILD UK Alliance. I have secured academic funding with industry partners and been awarded a pre-application support grant with an aim to apply for a post doctoral award. Academic clinicians don’t all come down the typical NIHR pathway and I think GW4-CAT has shown that alternative pathways to clinical academia are just as valid and productive. GW4 CAT Fellow Cohort V
The Wellcome GW4-CAT-HP programme has been an incredible opportunity. The mentorship and supportive community which the programme provides helps to create a really positive research environment. It has hugely improved my confidence, helped me step outside my comfort zone and encouraged me to think mode broadly and creatively about future research directions. GW4-CAT Fellow Cohort V