Advanced Care Research Centre

The ACRC Academy

Creating future leaders who will enhance society’s response to the challenges of an ageing population.

The Academy for Leadership and Training in Advanced Care will develop the next generation of leaders in this field who are both excellent in their core disciplines and skilled in working widely across disciplines and sectors. The core degree is a thematic, cohort‐based 4‐year PhD with a first taught year, followed by 3 years of PhD research. 

 

A variety of photos of ACRC Academy students.

 

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Rationale and Purpose

Alumni of the Academy will become leaders in their chosen field of later life as they go on to address the issue which is growing in scale and urgency and is characterised by complex problems that defy narrow solutions. We prepare our three annual cohorts for a diverse range of pioneering and influential roles in the public, private and third sectors. 

The Academy has a dual function:

Capacity building

The primary purpose of the Academy is to support the mission of the ACRC by developing and equipping a new generation of doctoral-research-trained leaders as pioneers of creation, innovation and implementation across the spectrum of the care sector. 

Agile research agenda

A further purpose of the Academy is to deliver significant aspects of the research agenda of the ACRC, using our doctoral cohorts as a rapid innovation incubator.  Through the annual cycle of new PhD research projects, the Academy will increase the agility and responsiveness of the research programme by facilitating, for example, research not envisaged at the original set up of the ACRC. 

Programme

We deliver an intensive 48-month cohort-based structured thematic programme “PhD with Integrated Study in Advanced Care” that provides structure and rigour to the Academy. 

  • Core PhD research is complemented with an innovative initial taught year and continuing training designed to create a future leader who is agile, engaging, influential and intellectually credible. 
  • Our interdisciplinary cohorts are educated so they share common foundations in advanced care and the associated societal challenges, and are familiar with relevant topics outside of their background and comfort zones. 
  • The training balances the needs of the individual (equipping them with methods and tools of relevance to their chosen research and innovation project) with the needs of society (using open-ended problem-solving exercises tackled in multi-disciplinary groups to develop team, planning and organisational skills).  
  • The cohort explores and develops their leadership through network development, innovation, public engagement and advocacy and the completion of short projects where they work collaboratively on a shared problem. There is an option to apply for funding for internships.
  • Substantial external input into the design and delivery of the training from senior figures in the NHS, Government, industry and third sectors is vital as it exposes the cohort to a breadth of perspectives, agendas and motivations as they prepare for the complexity of the sector and their future leadership roles. 
  • Our interdisciplinary cohorts have a wide range of backgrounds and experience. Inclusivity and diversity will be at the heart of the recruitment process. 

 

ACRC Academy Programme

Schedule for ACRC Academy