Top Tips - NIHR Fellowships

Aim

To support individuals with the potential and on a trajectory to become future leaders in NIHR research.

Funding

Five levels of NIHR Fellowship award are available (pre-doctoral, doctoral, advanced, professorship and development & skills enhancement award)

Fellowships for All

Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF)

1 year (between 50 and 100 WTE)
aimed at getting necessary skills and experience required to undertake a PhD
will only fund applications which address one of the named strategic themes:
- medical statistics
- health economics
- clinical trial designs
- operational research
- modelling
- bioinformatics
- qualitative research
- mixed methods
- epidemiology
applicants need to demonstrate commitment and potential to develop as a future leader in research relevant to NIHR
covers individual's salary, training and development costs up to £5,000, conference related costs up to £1000 and supervision fees up to £1,000

Doctoral Research Fellowship (DRF)

3 years (between 50 and 100 WTE); clinical applicants can include up to 20% clinical time as part of the fellowship
assessment looks for high-quality research proposal, sound training and development programme along with commitment and support arrangements from supervisory team
covers full salary, PhD tuition fees, and full research, training and development costs

Advanced Fellowship (AF)

2-5 years (between 50 and 100 WTE); clinical applicants can request 20% time dedicated to clinical service/development (cost will be covered by the fellowship)
assessment looks for high-quality research proposal, strong and appropriate training and development plan, high level of support from host organisation and mentoring team
1 WTE Support post can be included (max 3 year post), includes PhD fees & £3000 training budget for post
can be awarded up to two Advanced Fellowships sequentially, not normally totalling more than 8 years WTE of funding
covers full salary, full research, training and development costs and conference related costs up to £2,000 per year

HEE-NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic Programme

Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF)

full time & part time option available
must hold registration with one of the HEE/NIHR ICA programme eligible regulatory bodies
aimed at getting necessary skills and experience required to undertake a PhD
applicants need to demonstrate commitment and potential to develop as a clinical academic or practitioner academic in research relevant to NIHR
covers individual's salary, Masters level training and development costs up to £5,000, conference related costs up to £1000 and research development support costs (including PPI and supervision costs) up to £1,000

Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF) Bridge

funding to support submission of a Doctoral fellowship application & to undertake a small amount of academic training at Masters level (not full Masters)
must hold registration with one of the HEE/NIHR ICA programme eligible regulatory bodies
6 months duration (1 year part time)
covers individual salary costs, up to £400 formal courses, up to £500 conference fees and up to £500 supervision/mentorship

Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (DCAF)

3 years (between 50 and 100 WTE); clinical applicants are expected to include 20% clinical time as part of the fellowship
must hold registration with one of the HEE/NIHR ICA programme eligible regulatory bodies
assessment looks for high-quality research proposal, sound training and development programme along with commitment and support arrangements from supervisory team
covers full salary, PhD tuition fees, full research, training and development costs and conference related costs up to £3,000

Advanced Clinical Academic Fellowship (ACAF)

2-5 years (between 50 and 100 WTE); clinical applicants must include 20-40% time dedicated to clinical service/development (cost will be covered by the fellowship)
must hold registration with one of the HEE/NIHR ICA programme eligible regulatory bodies
assessment looks for high-quality research proposal, strong and appropriate training and development plan, high level of support from host organisation and mentoring team
1 WTE Support post can be included (max 3 year post)
can be awarded up to two ACAFs sequentially, not normally totalling more than 8 years WTE of funding
covers full salary, full research, training and development costs and conference related costs up to £2,000 per year

NIHR Local Authority Academic Fellowship Programme

Pre-Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship (PLAF)

full time & part time option available
must hold a contract of employment with a Local Authority or provider of services to a Local Authority
aimed at getting necessary skills and experience required to undertake a PhD
applicants need to demonstrate commitment to a career as a practitioner academic, combining continued employment within a local authority type setting with related health and/or social care research and, ultimately, research leadership.
covers individual's salary, Masters level training and development costs up to £5,000, conference related costs up to £1000 and Supervision and mentorship costs up to £1,000

Pre-Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship (PLAF) Bridge

funding to support submission of a Doctoral fellowship application & to undertake a small amount of academic training at Masters level (not full Masters)
must hold a contract of employment with a Local Authority or provider of services to a Local Authority
6 months duration (1 year part time)
covers individual salary costs, up to £400 formal courses, up to £500 conference fees and up to £500 supervision/mentorship

Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship (DLAF)

3 years (between 50 and 100 WTE); applicants are expected to include 20% clinical/professional time as part of the fellowship
must hold a contract of employment with a Local Authority or provider of services to a Local Authority
assessment looks for high-quality research proposal, sound training and development programme along with commitment and support arrangements from supervisory team
covers full salary, PhD tuition fees, full research, training and development costs and conference related costs up to £3,000

NIHR Schools of Public Health, Social Care & Primary Care

Doctoral and Post-Doctoral studentships and fellowships are available at the different core member Universities and advertised on their individual websites

NIHR Professorship

aims to fund research leaders of the future to promote effective translation of research and to strengthen health, public health and care research leadership at the highest academic levels
5 year award with an extensive support package
Applicants MUST be nominated by their host institution
Funding includes three support posts, research costs and leadership and development programme costs
By the end of the award must have established 2 international collaborations and demonstrate leadership at national level

Development and Skills Enhancement Award

- 1 year (between 50 and 100 WTE but max. duration is 1 year regardless of WTE)
- must be a current member of the NIHR Academy
- hold a relevant PhD or awarded before the start of the award
- assessment looks for clear articulated plan for how the award will support an application for future funding and a list of skills and experience that will be gained with the award
- researchers can receive several awards over the lifetime of career
- host organisations will be expected to match the level of funding; award will cover the salary plus training and development costs up to £5,000, conference costs up to £1,000 and mentorship costs up to £1,000
- The award runs three times a year – opening in January, May and September – and will support a mixture of researcher-led applications and applications from areas of strategic importance. The current themes are:
  - health data science
  - clinical trials
  - entrepreneurship and working with industry
At each level of fellowship there will be opportunities to apply for jointly funded fellowships with either a charity or an industrial partner. Additional specific eligibility criteria will be available for co-funded fellowships.

Process

The majority of fellowships will be awarded in response mode but a strategic component will also be introduced. Strategic themes will form the areas that will be prioritised for any given round of funding (areas of high importance, specific research skills or methodologies, or professional groups).

Key tips

Applicants should use the current NIHR Standard Application Form
2 rounds per year for Doctoral and Advanced Fellowships; reapplication only after 12 months
Candidates can apply a maximum of two times for the same fellowship (applications deemed fundable but below the funding cut off will not count towards the maximum of 2 application attempts)
Applicants can select any percentage option between 50 and 100% WTE
Post-doctoral fellowships will be assessed depending on where you are in your career (different panels depending on stage of post-doctoral career)
Funding for a support post is available as part of the Advanced Fellowship but the justification for the support will be assessed as part of the review process

Author: Rachel Evley Created: March 2018 Last Updated: December 2022