Gregory A. Whitley is a Paramedic Research Fellow for the East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and an Associate Professor in Paramedic Science at the University of Lincoln, UK.

Scott Munro is a Critical Care Paramedic for the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, and a Lecturer in Paramedic Practice at the University of Surrey, UK.

About the Contributors xi About the Editors xix List of Case Study Authors xxiii Foreword xxv Preface xxix Section 1: Setting the Scene for Clinical Academic Paramedics 1 Chapter 1: The Role and Importance of Clinical Academics in Paramedicine 3Scott Fraser Sim Munro and Gregory Adam Whitley What Is a Clinical Academic? 4 The Importance and Benefits of Clinical Academic Careers 6 Benefits to the Individual 6 Benefits to Patients 7 Benefits to Organisations 7 Introducing the Clinical Academic Pathway 9 Stages of the Clinical Academic Pathway 10 Novice Researcher 10 Competent Researcher 11 Proficient Researcher 11 Expert Researcher 12 Challenges and Barriers to Becoming a Clinical Academic 13 Overcoming Barriers and Addressing Challenges 14 Funding Options 17 Navigating the Funding Landscape 18 Government Grants, Fellowships, and Research Funding Programs 19 Academic Institution Scholarships and Fellowships 19 Professional Organisations and Charitable Foundations 20 Industry Partnerships and Collaborations 21 Exploring Small Grant Schemes 22 The Challenges of Contract- Based Employment 23 Chapter Summary 24 References 24 Chapter 2: History of Ambulance Services, Paramedics, and Research in Paramedicine 27
Ben Meadley Introduction 28 Early Beginnings and Challenges in Ambulance Services 28 Evolution of the Paramedic 32 Paramedic Role 32 Paramedic Education 33 Paramedics in Research and Academia 36 Chapter Summary 40 Exemplars of Paramedic- Led Research 41 Conclusion 44 References 44 Further Reading 47 Chapter 3: Education 49Brendan Shannon and Alan Michael Batt Introduction 50 Early Considerations 52 Undergraduate Research/Evidence- Based Practice Module 52 Publishing as a Student (CPD Articles, Literature Reviews) 52 Networking 53 The Clinician- Academic Pathway 54 Bachelor's- Level Study 54 Pre- registration Bachelors 55 Bachelors Top- up Degrees 55 Honours Bachelor's Degrees 55 The Gap Between Bachelor- and Master's- Level Study 56 Master's- Level Study 56 Types of Master's Degree 56 Selecting a Topic of Research 57 The Gap Between Master's- and Doctoral- Level Study 60 Doctoral- Level Study 60 Should I Do a PhD/DPhil or a Professional Doctorate? 60 Developing a Doctoral Research Application/Proposal 61 Selecting a Topic 62 Selecting a Supervisory Team 64 Full- Time Versus Part- Time Study 65 Dealing with Difficult Times 67 Different Routes to the Same Destination 68 After the Degree 70 Supervising the Next Generation 71 Some Final Thoughts 71 Conclusion 72 References 72 Section 2: Career Stages and Case Study Exemplars 75 Chapter 4: Novice Researcher 77Elisha Miller Beginning a Career as a Novice Paramedic Researcher 78 Paramedics Participating in Research 81 Paramedic Participation in Clinical Trials 84 Paramedic Participation in Other Research 86 Paramedics Delivering Research 87 Bridging Academia and Practice- Bachelor's- and Master's- Level Education 90 Bachelor's- Level Education 91 Master's- Level Education 93 Chapter Summary 96 Case Studies in Paramedic Research 97 References 107 Further Reading 110 Chapter 5: Competent Researcher 111Georgette Eaton Defining a Competent Paramedic Researcher 112 Paramedics Designing Research 114 Finding the Problem that Needs Addressing Through Research 114 Learning How to Design Research 115 Positioning 118 Funding 119 Paramedics Leading Research 121 Defining Objectives and Planning Research 121 Team Management 122 Ensuring Compliance 123 Dissemination 123 Inspiring Future Paramedic Researchers 124 Chapter Summary 125 References 135 Further Reading 136 Chapter 6: Proficient Researcher 137Walter Tavares Introduction to the Proficient Researcher Role 140 Transitioning from Competent to Proficient Researcher 142 Responsibilities of the Proficient Researcher 144 Funding Leadership 145 Team Leadership 146 Frameworks for Proficiency in Research 147 Additional Frameworks for Understanding Proficiency in Research 150 Common Themes Across Frameworks 152 Personal Attributes and Support Needs of Proficient Researchers 154 Chapter Summary 157 Case Studies 159 References 169 Further Reading 170 Chapter 7: Expert Researcher 173Peter O'Meara and Malcolm Boyle What Is an Expert Paramedic Researcher? 175 Motivations for Pursuing a Research Career 179 Department Leadership 180 Academia 181 Benefits of Pursuing a Research Career 182 Why Is It Important to Engage with Experienced Paramedicine Researchers? 183 Challenges of Pursuing a Research Career 185 Top Tips from Expert Researchers 187 Future Direction 188 Chapter Summary 189 Case Studies 189 References 198 Section 3: Expert Advice 201 Chapter 8: Expert Advice 203Julia Williams Introduction 204 Research as a Career Choice 207 The Role of Mentoring 210 The Power of Networking 211 Crafting Effective Funding Applications 213 Overcoming Common Challenges 219 Insights into Applying for a Personal Research Award 223 Biography and Current Role 223 What a Strong Funding Application Should Include 224 Common Pitfalls 226 Key Points from Professor Pattison 226 Chapter Summary 227 References 227 Index 229