Concordats and grants policies

The Academy supports several declarations, Concordats or similar joint statements of principles.

There are two ways in which we support such statements:

  • As a supporter – being a supporter of a declaration/ Concordat means we agree with its principles, and may choose to implement all or some of them. We will also commit to promoting the values, guidelines or principles to our awardees and through the Academy Fellowship.
  • As a signatory – being a signatory of a declaration/ Concordat means that we are obliged to implement its principles and will change our practices where necessary to actively align with its commitments.

Notes for Academy award holders

  • When the Academy becomes a signatory or supporter of a declaration/ Concordat, this is reflected in your grant conditions and a communication is sent to you to inform you of the change.
  • Whether we are a signatory or supporter of any given declaration/ Concordat, if our alignment with it has an impact on how Academy award holders should conduct their research, a document describing this is made available on our website. An example of such a brief, which relates to the Concordat on openness on animals in research, can be accessed on the downloads section of this page.
  • The Academy also has several policies, which the award holder and their host institution must adhere to in addition to the terms and conditions laid out in their award letters and award conditions. 

You can download the Concordats and declarations referenced in the tabs below, from the downloads section. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Academy’s Assistant Director - Grants, Dr Clare McVicker (clare.mcvicker@acmedsci.ac.uk).

The Academy is a signatory of several Concordats/ declarations, which can be found below. Academy award holders and host institutions must, where applicable, adhere to the principles and obligations set out by them. 

The Concordat on openness on animal research

Academy’s award holders, please read the brief on how this signatory affects your award.

This Concordat outlines best practise for being more open about animal research. The four commitments that signatories make are to: 

  • be clear about when, how and why animals are used in research
  • enhance communications with the media and the public about research using animals
  • be proactive in providing opportunities for the public to find out about research using animals
  • report on progress annually and share experiences.

UK clinical academic training in medicine and dentistry: principles and obligations

This document sets out principles and obligations of all UK institutions and clinical trainees in receipt of nationally competitive funding for clinical academic research training. 

Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

DORA recognises the need to improve the ways in which the outputs of scientific research are evaluated. It sets out 18 recommendations for change in scientific culture, particularly in relation to the use of journal impact factors to assess scientists for decisions on funding, appointment and promotion. We have made changes to our processes to align with this declaration. For example, an extra question was added to our grant application forms to give applicants a chance to explain how three of their publications have impacted their field of research. This is to ensure the impact of their research is considered rather than the impact factor of the journal the research is published in.

The Concordat to support the career development of researchers

This Concordat sets out seven key principles on the expectations and responsibilities of researchers, their managers, employers and funders. It aims to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK and to improve the quantity, quality and impact of research for the benefit of UK society and the economy. We provide career development support to clinical and non-clinical biomedical researchers through events, workshops, mentoring and other schemes.

Key contacts


Mentoring Masterclass - April 2024

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Clinical Academics in Training Annual Conference 2024

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