The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council career development fellowships and schemes available are highlighted below. For details of eligibility, duration and the costs included, please click on the relevant scheme.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Research and Innovation department have 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 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 Fellowship Programme

The NIHR Fellowship Programme supports individuals at different stages of their research career trajectory towards becoming future leaders in NIHR research.

Development and Skills Enhancement Award

The Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) award is a post-doctoral level award aimed at supporting current NIHR Academy Members to gain specific skills and experience to support the next phase of their research career. The DSE award will support a range of applications in areas of strategic importance and researcher led applications. This includes NIHR Academy Members requiring support for career continuity in advance of applying for further NIHR Academic Career Development funding, who haven’t been able to source support from elsewhere e.g. from Research Capability Funding. Applicants are required to demonstrate the new skills and experience they hope to gain through the award and how it will benefit their future career in research.

Open to: Current NIHR Academy Members.

Launch date - January, May, September annually.

Deadline: N/A

Advanced Fellowship

The Advanced Fellowship is for those at a post-doctoral level and can be utilised at several specific points of a researcher’s career development.

You may have:  

Recently completed or be about to be awarded a PhD, but haven’t yet established yourself as an independent researcher

Established yourself as an independent researcher or you are in the process of doing so, but are not yet recognised as an international leader in your field

Transitioned into applied health research from a basic science background or re-established your research career following a significant career break.

In addition, you may use the Advanced Fellowship to undertake innovative knowledge mobilisation (to support the more effective use of research knowledge), whilst simultaneously researching implementation processes and impacts.

Each round, the Advanced Fellowship scheme also offers partnership awards with charities and highlights strategic themes and themed calls. Please see the round details for more information.

Open to: All, medical and non-medical and other health professionals.

Launch date: 06th April 2022

Deadline: 30th June 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.

Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF)

The HEE/NIHR Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) has been developed to replace the ICA Clinical Lectureship and Senior Clinical Lectureship schemes and represents increased opportunity for post-doctoral applicants to the ICA Programme.

The ACAF supports post-doctoral researchers to develop their academic career whilst developing their health or care career. These fellowships can be between 2 and 5 years in duration if taken up full time or can be taken up part-time between 50% and 100% WTE. Individuals are eligible to be awarded up to two ACAFs sequentially, not normally totalling more than 8 years WTE of funding. Between 20% and 40% of the award time must be dedicated to development of the awardee’s clinical service or practice role, which will be funded through the Fellowship.

Open to: Nurses, midwives, allied health professionals etc. (excluding doctor and dentists)

Launch date: October 2022

NIHR Integrated Academic Training Programme for doctors and dentists

The Integrated Academic Training (IAT) Programme is specifically for doctors and dentists. 

NIHR Clinical Lectureships in Dentistry 2022

The NIHR Clinical Lectureship (CL) is a postdoctoral award that provides a clinical and academic training environment for dentists to establish themselves as independent researchers and leaders. The NIHR has allocated funding for 11 CLs for recruitment in 2021/22, through the Integrated Academic Training (IAT) Programme.  

As an NIHR CL you will spend 50% of your time in research or educationalist training.

Full details, including the eligibility criteria for the NIHR CL, are available in the 2021 Clinical Lectureships (Dental) Guidance Document. 

Closing date: 31st March 2023.

NIHR Clinical Lectureships in Medicine 2021

NIHR CLs are postdoctoral, higher specialty training (ST3+ entry) awards of up to 4 years duration that provide 50% protected academic time for doctors in specialist training, or GPs that have completed their vocational training, that have completed a higher research degree (PhD or MD).

NIHR CLs provide opportunities for postdoctoral research and facilitate applications for further research funding for doctors working towards gaining a certificate of completion of specialty training (CCT).

Full details, including the eligibility criteria for the NIHR CL, are available in the Clinical Lectureship (Medical) Guidance for Recruitment and Appointment 2021.

Closing date: 30th June 2022.

Wellcome Trust 

Career Development Awards

This scheme provides funding for mid-career researchers from any discipline who have the potential to be international research leaders. They will develop their research capabilities, drive innovative programmes of work and deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing.

Open to: Postdoctoral researchers in health-related humanities and social sciences.

Closing date: 21st July 2022 

Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers

This scheme provides small grants to enable clinical lecturers to pursue their research work, gather preliminary data and strengthen their applications for longer-term fellowships and funding. Funding is for 12 to 24 months.

The scheme is administered by the Academy of Medical Sciences and is a collaboration between the Wellcome Trust, the British Heart Foundation, Arthritis Research UK, the Medical Research Council, the Royal College of Physicians and Diabetes UK.

Full application closing date: March annually.

Decision from the committee: June annually.

Springboard Awards

Springboard Awards provide small grants to support basic biomedical scientists as they develop their independent research careers. The scheme is a collaboration between the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) and the Wellcome Trust. Applications are considered once a year.

Please visit the Academy of Medical Sciences website here for more details.

Medical Research Council

Clinical Research Training Fellowship (CRTF) Post Doctoral

The scheme provides a route for post-doctoral applicants who achieved their PhD some time ago but who have not been research active since due to clinical training commitments to reacquire research skills. 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.

Launch date: 22nd July 2022

Deadline: 07th September 2022

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

Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCF)

The Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCF) supports talented medically and other clinically qualified professionals, with an effective track record of internationally competitive independent research, to make the transition to research leadership.

The SCF provides funding for a challenging research programme, and an ambitious programme of research training which offers accelerated personal and career development.

Open to: Senior Post Doctoral level looking to transition into research leadership. Individuals who have gained a PhD (or equivalent), generally at least five years prior to their application, and have undertaken a significant period of post-doctoral research since. 

Launch date: February 2023

Closing Date: N/A

Senior Non Clinical Fellowship (SCF) 

Open to: Senior Post Doctoral level looking to transition into research leadership. Individuals who have gained a PhD (or equivalent), generally at least five years prior to their application, and have undertaken a significant period of post-doctoral research since. 

Launch date: 05th August 2022

Closing Date: 14th September 2022

Career Development Award (CDA): Transition to Independence

The Career Development Award supports talented post-doctoral researchers to lead their own research plans and establish their own research team to make the transition from post-doctoral researcher to independent investigator. Applications are considered twice a year.

Open to: Senior Post Doctoral level looking to transition into research leadership. 

Launch date: 05th August 2022

Closing Date: 14th September 2022

Future dates can be found on the Medical Research Council Application Timelines page.

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