Apply to research projects posted by supervisors and build your academic portfolio.
Research for training applications — the basics
What each project type involves
Systematic review / meta-analysis: The most rigorous design here, and usually the slowest to complete.
Prospective study: Needs ethics approval before data collection can start — build that into your timeline.
Retrospective audit to publication: Uses data that already exists, so it is often the fastest realistic route to a first publication.
Case series: Quick to write up once you have enough eligible cases.
Case report: The fastest to publish — usually written from a single case you are already managing.
How each type is weighted is set by your target college, not by intoSET — check your specialty’s CV calculator for what it specifically counts.
Getting started
Keep the acceptance email once a paper is ‘in press’. Some colleges count an accepted-but-not-yet-published paper the same as a published one — check your specialty’s calculator for the exact wording, and keep the email either way as proof for your application.
Many colleges weight first-author work more heavily than co-authored work — see your specialty’s calculator for how it splits the two. Aiming for first authorship on at least one paper is rarely the wrong call.
Research alongside full-time clinical work takes longer than it looks on paper. Build in buffer time rather than assuming the shortest plausible timeline.
Target supervisors with active publication records in your specialty — check their PubMed profile before applying.
Free users can apply to up to 3 projects every 30 days.
Supervising a project of your own?
Find candidates to support your research. List your project, set your requirements, and connect with suitable applicants. Every listing is reviewed before publication.