Early Career Research Funding Opportunities
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council early career development fellowships and schemes available are highlighted below. For details of eligibility, duration of the award and the costs included, please click on the relevant scheme.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Research and innovation department has a dedicated team to support the research funding application process. Further information about where to begin with the funding application process, and study set up please contact leedsth-tr.researchfundingopps@nhs.net.
HEE/NIHR BRIDGING SCHEME
The bridging schemes offered by Health Education England joined with National Institute of Health Research support non-medical clinical academics to build on previous academic training. Pre- and post-doctoral proposals can be developed for the next step in a clinical academic career.
Open to: Nurse, Midwife, Allied Health Professional, Pharmacist or Healthcare Scientist who have or who are about to complete a PhD.
Advice regarding the scheme, funding award and the time release is available to help you negotiate your application with your manager. Please contact Michael Farrell via Michael.Farrell@hee.nhs.uk.
NIHR Academy
NIHR Visiting Speaker award (VSA)
Key information
NIHR Academy Members based in the NIHR Infrastructure or NIHR Schools who are fully or partly funded can apply for the NIHR VSA for up to £300 to support the costs of presenting their work in another NIHR Infrastructure centre or NIHR School.
NIHR Fellowships for all
The NIHR Fellowship Programme supports individuals at different stages of their research career trajectory towards becoming future leaders in NIHR research.
Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
Pre-doctoral Fellowships are designed to support people who are looking to start or advance a career in health research methodology, specifically in one of the following areas:
Medical statistics, Health economics, Clinical trial designs, Operational research, Modelling, Bioinformatics, Qualitative research, Mixed methods.
Launch date: January/February 2023
Deadline: N/A
The NIHR Doctoral Fellowship is a three year full-time award that supports individuals to undertake a PhD in an area of that falls within the NIHR remit. Each round, the Doctoral Fellowship scheme also offers partnership awards with charities and highlights strategic themes and themed calls. Please see the round details for more information.
Key information
Open to: All, medical and non-medical and other health professionals.
Two stage process? - No.
Launch date: 06th April 2022
Deadline: 21st July 2022
HEE-NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Programme
The HEE-NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) Programme provides research training awards for healthcare professionals (non-doctors and dentists), who wish to develop careers that combine research and leadership with continued clinical practice.
HEE/NIHR Pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (PCAF) Scheme
Pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (PCAF) scheme funds personalised programmes of academic training that equip awardees with the skills and experience to access doctoral-level funding, and give dedicated time to prepare an application for a competitive, peer-reviewed doctoral level research training fellowship.
Open to: Other healthcare professionals (non-doctors/dentists).
Launch date: January/February 2023
Deadline: N/A
Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF)
The Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) scheme funds registered healthcare professionals to undertake a PhD by research and, concurrently, to undertake further professional development and clinical practice.
Open to: Other healthcare professionals.
Launch date: October 2022
NIHR Integrated Academic Training Programme for doctors and dentists
The Integrated Academic Training (IAT) Programme specifically for doctors and dentists. The programme supports individuals to gain research experience as part of their clinical training.
Academic Clinical Fellowship
The NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) is a clinical specialty training post that incorporates academic training.
This post has a standard duration of 3 years (4 years for GPs). Alternatively, it can be taken part-time and extended up to a maximum of 5 years (or 6 years for GPs), as long as the academic component remains at 25% whole time equivalent.
You will have access to Masters-level research training to develop your academic skills and equip you to balance your clinical academic career.
Open to: Medically or dentally qualified.
Two stage process? - Not applicable.
Closing date: 31 March 2023.
The competition process - Each year NIHR allocates ACF posts to partnerships of medical/dental schools (and their partner universities), postgraduate deanery functions within the Local Offices of Health Education England (HEE), and their partner NHS organisations.
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships in Dentistry 2022
The NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) is a clinical specialty training post in dentistry that incorporates academic training. The NIHR has allocated funding for 23 ACFs for recruitment in 2021/22, through the Integrated Academic Training (IAT) Programme.
As an NIHR ACF you will have access to Masters-level research training to develop academic skills and spend 25% of your time in research or educationalist training. The NIHR ACF is a 3 year fellowship with a flexible entry level tailored to the career stage of the applicant.
Full details, including the eligibility criteria for the NIHR ACF, are available in the 2021 Academic Clinical Fellowship (Dental) Guidance Document.
The 2021 ACFs award starting dates are between 01 April 2021 and 31 March 2022.
Candidates for NIHR ACFs apply via the online application system Oriel, not the NIHR, because recruitment is managed by Health Education England (HEE) Local Offices.
Closing date: 31st March 2023
In-Practice Fellowship
The NIHR In-Practice Fellowship (IPF) provides pre-doctoral academic training to fully-qualified general practitioners, general dental practitioners, and community dentists.
Open to: Medical and dental qualified.
Two stage process? - No.
Launch date: January/February 2023
Deadline: N/A
Wellcome Trust
Early-Career Awards
This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme.
Open to: Medical and other healthcare professionals.
Closing date: 21st June 2022.
PhD Training Fellowships for Clinicians
This scheme offers clinicians the opportunity to undertake a PhD within a structured and mentored training environment. Programmes are based in centres of excellence throughout the UK. These programmes provide research opportunities for clinicians from a range of specialties. Each programme is structured to reflect the expertise of the organisation in which it’s based.
Open to: Clinical, Public health
Two stage process? - Dependent on hosting organisation..
Open/Closed - Open.
Medical Research Council
Clinical Research Training Fellowship (CRTF) Pre Doctoral
The CRTF supports clinicians, including (but not limited to) medics, surgeons, dentists, clinical psychologists, public health specialty trainees, allied health professionals, nurses, midwives and veterinarians, to undertake a PhD or other higher research degree. There are three rounds per year.
Open to: Clinicians, including (not limited to) medics, surgeons, dentists, clinical psychologists, public health specialty trainees, allied health professionals, nurses, midwives.
Two stage process? - No
Launch date: 22nd July 2022
Deadline: 07th September 2022
Applications must be completed via the Je-s system.
Clinician Scientist Fellowship
The CSF develops talented medically and other clinically qualified professionals who have gained a higher research degree to lead their own research plans and establish their own research team to make the transition to independent investigator. Applications are invited for the standard CSFs, or the jointly funded CSFs, all of which are considered in open competition.
Open to: nurses, midwives, AHPs, healthcare scientists, pharmacists, clinical psychologists, doctors, dentists, GPs and more.
Launch date: 22nd July 2022
Deadline: 07th September 2022
Applications must be completed via the Je-s system.
Future dates can be found on the Medical Research Council Application Timelines page.
For Help with Fellowship applications, download the "Fellowship Handbook for Applicants" here.
