Clinical Fellows

An introduction to the National Institute for Health and Care Research. 

Click here to enrol. 

This e-Learning course explains why inclusive research matters and how cultural understanding, values and beliefs can impact on research participation. The module concludes by exploring practical recommendations for removing barriers to inclusion that have come from the findings of the NIHRs Include project.

The course will take approximately 40 minutes to complete.

Click here to enrol

The NIHR Clinical Research Network Yorkshire and Humber Introduction to Informed Consent workshop is designed for all staff wishing to gain a better understanding of the informed consent process required to enrol participants into a research project. It is also suitable for those working with participants engaged in research activity who may not be directly cared for in a clinic or hospital setting.

It is essential that you seek further support and guidance from your local R&D department, research leadership and/or line manager prior to undertaking informed consent for research activities. Whilst this workshop forms an element of your learning in this area you may be required to complete competency documents and follow organisational/Trust guidance in your place of work. 

This workshop builds on the areas discussed in Good Clinical Practice therefore training and prior knowledge of GCP is assumed.  

Click here to enrol onto the Real-Time Virtual session

Click here to enrol onto the Face-to Face session

CPMS is an online database used for the management of all study records within the NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio. This training will help you understand how the system works. 

Click here to enrol.

This course is aimed at those new to research and also more experienced staff who would like to know more about data quality. This package is aimed at staff who will be undertaking data entry or data collection. Ideally, you should have some knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards

Click here to enrol

For staff working to support research delivery, e.g. caring for a patient who is also a research participant. This online course has been designed for those working on studies delivering without 'freedom to act.' This training is limited to working under standard operating procedures and instructions.  

Click here to enrol.

Virtual learning for those involved in laboratory work relating to clinical research studies. 

Click here to enrol

Developed by NIHR Newcastle BRC, this digital tool can help you embed PPIE activities into your projects at all stages of the research cycle. The questions asked in this planner are all the types of questions a PPIE professional would pose to a researcher to help them develop the best possible PPIE plans.

Access the plan4ppie Digital Planner here 

Get step-by-step guidance on every stage of the research process to kickstart your career in health and social care research

Click here to enrol

This course is aimed at those new to site files and also more experienced staff who would like a refresher. You should have completed Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training and it would be useful if you have seen a site file.

Click here to enrol

This four-week clinical trials course is designed to create awareness about the availability and use of digital tools for the recruitment and retention of participants within clinical trials.

Click here to enrol

This resource has been developed to support researchers to better understand how to embed EDI in research design and to meet the NIHR’s EDI requirements. The toolkit advocates for best practice which goes beyond the NIHR's current requirements. 

Click here to visit the the EDI Toolkit page.

This online course will discuss how medical treatments are discovered, tested and evaluated to improve healthcare for all.

Click here to enrol

This training is appropriate for laboratory staff working to support research delivery where typically the work does not involve being delegated tasks that are the responsibility of a Principal Investigator.

Click here to enrol. 

This course is aimed at those new to research and also more experienced staff who would like to know more about safety reporting. This package is aimed at staff who will be undertaking safety reporting. Ideally, you should have some knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards.

Click here to enrol

This online course discusses the importance of trials in evidence-based medicine and provides the opportunity to learn about the trial lifecycle from conception to publication.

Click here to enrol

The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) launched in October 2023, providing free and confidential advice and expertise for health and care researchers in England.  The RSS provides support at every stage of the research journey, from pre-application through to post-award delivery.

The core services offered by the NIHR RSS include:

• Pre and post-award advice from methodologists. This includes statisticians, qualitative researchers, health economists, social scientists, behavioural scientists, clinical trialists and others with expertise in study development

• Advice on patient and public involvement and engagement

• Advice on developing and delivering inclusive research

• Support for clinical trial development and delivery

• Opportunities to collaborate with centres of research excellence

• Signposting to other sources of advice and support

To find out more about the NIHR RSS or to request support from one of the RSS hubs visit the NIHR Research Support Service website.

The Conversation is an independent source of news analysis and expert comment written by academic experts, working with professional journalists who help share their knowledge with the world. It offers short courses that cover how to pitch and write for The Conversation and reach non-academic audiences.

To find out more and complete these courses, visit the conversation website. 

The University of Sheffield offer media and social media training sessions throughout the academic year. You can register your interest on their website. The courses offered are:

• Introduction to social media for researchers

• Advanced social media for researchers

• Twitter for Researchers

• Introduction to vertical short form video for researchers

Find out more about these courses.

STEP UP have created a hub of learning resources and training materials from trusted external sources to help facilitate inclusive clinical trial design and delivery.

Visit the STEP UP site to access these resources here.

About the course:
The course will cover the timeline and stages of setting up a clinical trial from the point of receiving the funded grant application to opening the first site. It will provide a practical insight into the individual steps of setting up a clinical trial, with the aim for participants to be able to leave the course feeling confident and ready to set up and manage their own trial (be that multicentre or single site research). The course will be aimed at people working with human participants, specifically within healthcare and / or the NHS.

Who will benefit from the course?
It will be designed for new study managers from across the UK, but would also be relevant to research assistants, new trial managers, PhD students hoping to conduct NHS research, research fellows and associates. Please note that this course is aimed at those working on UK-based clinical trials due to the UK's unique framework of rules.

Register your interest here.

The UK's clinical research infrastructure has developed to adopt and use remote methods in clinical trial delivery. From remote monitoring to remote consultations, there is expertise and willingness to embed innovative approaches to clinical trial delivery. For those looking to incorporate remote methods into their clinical trial design, there are many aspects to consider. The following content aims to  help design and delivery teams and trial sponsors consider and implement remote methods in their studies.

Visit the information site here.

This course explains the regulations and considerations relating to mental capacity and research. It is aimed at those involved in designing or undertaking, supporting or reviewing research, and takes account of research seeking to include adults lacking capacity as well as research where some participants may lack capacity or lose capacity.

Access the e-learning here.

This course explains the regulations and considerations for research involving ionising radiation. It is aimed at those involved in designing or undertaking, supporting or reviewing such research.

*The HRA is currently working to implement updates to this module to reflect The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017. 

Access the e-learning here.

This module is designed with a number of pathways to allow users to select a role which reflects their own professional interest.

Access the e-learning here.

Are you planning to apply for an NIHR Career Development Scheme in the future?

The NIHR Pre-Application Support Fund scheme provides funding which can be used to help you prepare a larger application to the NIHR. It is aimed at individuals that require additional support to submit a competitive application. Through providing additional funding, the Pre-Application Support Fund aims to enhance the opportunities available to those that otherwise would not have sufficient support to apply for NIHR career development funding. 

You can request funding and support for:

• A contribution to your salary to buy out the necessary time to prepare an application

• Training and development, mentorship or supervisory costs specifically associated with developing an application

• Other costs where the additional support required to submit an application extends beyond the categories outlined above

Funding can be requested for up to 12 months to develop an application for an NIHR career development scheme, including:

Pre-Doctoral Fellowship

Doctoral Fellowship

Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) Award

Advanced Fellowship

Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) and Advanced Fellowship (EME-AF)

Population Health Career Scientist Award (PHCSA)

Research Professorship.

NIHR Global Health

Global Research Professorship

NIHR Integrated Pathways Programmes

Pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (PCAF)

Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF)

Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF)

In-Practice Fellowship

Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award.

NIHR Local Authority Academic Fellowship Programme

Pre-Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship Scheme (PLAF)

Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship (DLAF)

Advanced Local Authority Fellowship (ALAF).

For more information about this award, please visit the NIHR page 

Please note that this has now replaced the PCAF

The NIHR Academy Predoctoral Award funds a programme of training and development designed to advance your health and social care research career at masters level.

If you are a clinical or practitioner applicant, you should also use a Predoctoral Award to support the development of a PhD application. If you are an aspiring methodologist, you can use this award to help develop a methodology career in roles relevant to health and social care research, which may include development of a PhD application.

The Predoctoral Award provides funding for:

• your full salary, including the employer’s contribution to National Insurance and Superannuation (if taking up the award part-time, your salary will be paid pro-rata)

• if you are a clinical or practitioner applicant, or based in a local authority, and you will be taking up the award full-time, you can request up to 20% paid clinical or practice time

• if you are a fully qualified GP or GDP in Primary care, the funded academic component is subject to a salary cap equivalent to the top of the pre-2003 consultant payscale

• if you are a primary care applicant in vocational training when you apply, you will be subject to a cap on your basic salary of spine point 5 or equivalent on the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) clinical academic pay scale in the first year, and spine point 6 in the second year

• full masters fees at the UK rate or £5000 bespoke masters-level training per full-time year

• £1000 for working with people and communities (previously known as patient and public involvement) and research inclusion

• £1000 supervisory fees

• £1000 conference fees and associated travel and subsistence

Find out more here. 

Please note that this has now replaced the DCAF, Doctoral Fellowship, and DLAF. 

The Doctoral Award provides funding and support to individuals from all professional backgrounds. This flexible scheme enables you to complete a PhD in applied health or social care research. Your research project must be within NIHRs remit for personal career development awards.

The award opens twice a year in April and October. It lasts 3 years full-time, with part-time options available.

To be eligible for the Doctoral Award, you must:

• hold a 1st or 2:1 bachelor’s degree, or equivalent (if not, you will usually need to have a master’s degree)

• have prior research experience or training to prepare for a PhD

• not already hold a PhD by research

• propose substantive employment with a recognised Higher Education Institution (HEI), NHS body, local authority, or other publicly/third-sector funded health or social care provider in England

• register for a PhD at a recognised HEI in England, if you are not already enrolled (if already registered, you must not have been enrolled for more than 12 months full-time by the award start date)

Find out more here. 

The Francis Crick Institute PhD for Clinicians (3 years fully funded) 

NOW OPEN. Application deadline: 15 November 2023

Applications are invited for the 2024 Crick fully funded doctoral fellowships for clinicians. These fellowships provide an opportunity for talented clinicians passionate about research, with a strong academic track record, to perform biomedical discovery research while following our three-year clinical PhD programme. Their multidisciplinary research aims to understand why disease develops and to help improve disease diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

Fellows will be based at the Crick, with a Crick primary supervisor and a secondary supervisor from one of the Crick partner universities: Imperial College London, King’s College London and UCL. 

For information on positions, eligibility and how to apply, visit: crick.ac.uk/doctoral-clinical-fellows

Application deadline: 15 November 2023 (interviews 25 January 2024, start date September 2024)

The Crick postdoctoral career development fellowships for clinicians provide funding for one year full-time or two years part-time postdoctoral research experience for clinicians in a Crick research group. Fellows with their own salary funded via NIHR, their universities or other external funding schemes may also apply to be hosted within a Crick research group. 

The fellowships aim to:

• Foster long-term clinical links and collaborations.

• Provide clinicians with a postdoctoral extension of their research experience, and with scientific networking, training and career development opportunities.

• Provide a platform from which fellows may apply for external funding, e.g. clinician scientist fellowships, to be held at the Crick or elsewhere.

Fellows at the Crick will be embedded in a vibrant multidisciplinary research community of more than 1000 scientists carrying out research to improve our understanding of health and disease. They will benefit from an extensive seminar programme including Crick lectures, Interest Group seminars and Symposia, from clinical academic networking opportunities, and from comprehensive training and career development activities including technical training via our Science Technology Platforms, science communication and grant writing.

This opportunity would suit talented and motivated postdoctoral clinicians who are passionate about research and show outstanding potential for continuing a career in academic medicine and research. Applicants should have completed a medical degree, or equivalent clinical professional qualification, and hold, or be about to hold, a research PhD.

Applications for Crick fully funded fellowships open in March 2024. Applications from fellows with funding for their own salary support are welcome at any time.

For further information visit: crick.ac.uk/careers-and-study/clinical-fellows  

The NIHR Advanced Fellowship is a postdoctoral Fellowship aimed at anyone with a PhD who hasn’t yet been appointed to a professorial post. The Advanced Fellowship supports individuals undertaking research in any scientific discipline or sector that can demonstrate a contribution to improving health and/or care.

Researchers from any professional background are eligible to apply for Advanced Fellowships, whether clinical or non-clinical. Applicants who are active clinicians/practitioners can request up to 40% of time be dedicated to clinical/professional service/development, which will be covered by the Fellowship.

The Fellowship funds:

• full salary support, including protected time to concentrate on research

• research costs, and

• a bespoke training and development programme to meet individual needs.

The Fellowship is a flexible award, with individuals able to choose a duration of between 2 and 5 years Whole Time Equivalent (WTE). It may be taken up on a part-time basis between 50% and 100% WTE.

For more information and to apply, click here. 

This scheme offers NIHR Academy members (from pre-doctoral to early career post-doctoral researchers) supported by a part of NIHR Infrastructure to network, train in a specific skill or collaborate with other researchers/specialists.

Individuals can apply to the SPARC scheme for up to £15,000 to undertake a bespoke short placement designed to optimise and enhance their research training experience, CVs and academic careers.

We welcome applicants to consider planning and undertaking placements of their own choosing but we are specifically encouraging applications that focus on:

• multiple long term conditions, or

• navigating and working with parts of the NIHR with links to industry and the commercial sector.

For more information and to apply, click here. 

This scheme is designed to support individuals working in local authority settings, and NIHR Academy members, to design and apply for funds to undertake short placements allowing them to move between NIHR and local authority settings in either direction.

Individuals can apply to the LA SPARC scheme for up to £15,000 to undertake a bespoke short placement. Applications are light-touch and will be assessed in open competition.

The scheme supports:

Individuals based in a local authority setting who would like to undertake a short placement in a part of the NIHR/academia. This may appeal to those who are interested in enhancing their careers, in experiencing research from a different perspective or taking the next step in developing a practice-academic career.

NIHR Academy members supported in a part of NIHR Infrastructure, an HPRU or an NIHR School who would like to undertake a short placement in a local authority/provider of local authority commissioned service setting. This may appeal to individuals who want to work alongside service commissioners and providers to hear the issues and challenges being faced at the local level: to share knowledge and experience, to co-create research that is better connected with practice, and to develop partnerships and joint ways of working.

Find out more and apply here. 

The NIHR has allocated funding for 100 Clinical Lectureships (CLs) for recruitment in 2023/24 through the Integrated Academic Training (IAT) Programme. 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 who 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).

Find out more here. 

The NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) is a clinical specialty training post in medicine that incorporates academic training. The post has a standard duration of 3 years (up to 4 years for GPs). 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 research areas for the remaining NIHR ACF posts will be based on local expertise and the applicant's individual interests.

Find out more here. 

The DSE Award is a post-doctoral level funding opportunity aimed at supporting early to mid-career researchers in gaining specific skills and experience to underpin the next phase of their research career. 

A DSE Award provides funding for:

• the salary of the award holder for up to 1 year Whole Time Equivalent

• training and development costs of up to £5000

• conference costs of up to £1000, and

• mentorship costs of up to £1000

Find out more here. 

The Associate PI Scheme is a six month in-work training opportunity, providing practical experience for healthcare professionals starting their research career. People who would not normally have the opportunity to take part in clinical research in their day-to-day role have the chance to experience what it means to work on and deliver an NIHR portfolio trial under the mentorship of an enthusiastic Local Principal Investigator (PI).

The scheme is open to any health and care professional who does not have research as a core part of their role, but wishes to gain skills and experience by contributing towards an NIHR Portfolio adopted study. This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and so on. We encourage all health and care professionals to consider taking part.

Interested applications must:

• Be a healthcare professional who wants to gain knowledge of what it means to deliver an NIHR portfolio study.

• Be able to commit to six months of working on a study registered onto the scheme at the same local site, once their spot on the Associate PI Scheme is confirmed.

• Have spoken to the Local Principal Investigator of their chosen study and gained their mentorship approval prior to applying.

• Not currently working in a full time funded research role (e.g research nurse).

• If you are a ‘Fellow’ (e.g Research Fellow, Clinical Fellow) then you must not be receiving funding to work on the study that you want to be an Associate PI for. However, you can be an Associate PI on a study that is outside of your funded fellow role. Enrolment in these cases will be made on an individual basis.

Find out more here. 

The Equity in Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation (EDEPI) programme is looking for passionate and talented individuals to pursue original research and broaden their professional horizons through a part-time PhD programme.

EDEPI has partnered with NHS Trust across Nottingham, Sheffield and Liverpool to offer fee-waived, part-time PhD places to eligible NHS staff to pursue research alongside their role. The PhD programme is designed to enable staff from racially minoritised groups to set a new research agenda relevant to their experiences and to remove barriers to leadership roles within the NHS. Sheffield Teaching Hospitals staff who are a UK resident (eligible for home student fees) from a racially minoritised group are eligible to apply.

To find out more about PhD study and to signup for the workshops run by Sheffield Hallam University, visit Is a PhD at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) right for me? 2025 Entry | Rise 360 

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), led by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), worked with Higher Education Institutions to develop a national framework of Master’s level qualifications, which provide the necessary networks, skills and confidence needed to lead and support clinical research delivery. The Framework is aimed at experienced healthcare practitioners from all professional backgrounds who aspire to take on  leadership roles in clinical research delivery, such as Co-Investigator or Principal Investigator (PI). This includes those who have no or limited research experience and those currently working in research delivery.   

Find out more here. 

The Guarantors of Brain offer three types of fellowships.

• “Entry” clinical fellowships up to 12 months, to provide clinicians transitional funding prior to starting a higher degree.

• Post-doctoral clinical fellowships up to 12 months, for clinicians undertaking research after their PhD; and

• Post-doctoral non-clinical fellowships up to 36 months, for basic scientists embedded in clinical research teams.

Find out more here. 

The NIHR Reviewer Development Scheme is for early career researchers or professionals who are new to reviewing funding applications. You will have the opportunity to gain experience of peer reviewing for NIHR funding programmes, and in turn influence research commissioning. As a scheme member you will be given guidance on how to complete a review task. You will receive constructive feedback on your reviews to help hone your reviewing skills. You will also be able to view anonymised comments from other experienced reviewers who have been given the same review task, to see how your review compares to theirs. You will then be informed of the committee’s decision about the research brief or proposal you have reviewed, which will allow you to judge how closely your views on the project are aligned with other experts. 

Find out more here. 

YES is an innovative global competition developed to raise awareness among Master's and PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, research fellows and technicians, about how ideas can be commercialised.

For the past 28 years, teams, united by a dedication to their subject, curiosity, enthusiasm and a desire to learn, attempt to deploy novel science and engineering to address societal challenges such as the ageing population, sustainable food production and global warming. In this way, they develop a business plan for a start-up company based on a hypothetical but plausible idea. 

By taking part, you will have the opportunity to hear from leading industry experts about the ways they go about making a business work. This competition has been devised for you to further understand the processes involved in bringing a service/product to market.

Find out more and register here. 

The Clinical Entrepreneur Programme is an award winning, NHS initiative, delivered by Anglia Ruskin University. Launched in 2016 the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (NHS CEP), is a free entrepreneurial work force development programme aimed at NHS staff and healthcare professionals.

The programme is part of the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) which brings together industry, government, regulators, patients and the NHS to remove barriers and accelerate the introduction of new ground-breaking treatments and diagnostics which have the potential to transform care.

Eligibility: All NHS workforce staff (including NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland) and those providing NHS Services such as: GP’s, dentists, pharmacists, physios, are welcome to apply, including those in both clinical (including clinician academics who work in research/university) and non-clinical roles. If you are working as a locum, or in a hospice you can also apply. 

Find out more and register here. 

4Ward North PhD Fellowships are three years in duration and should include supervision from at least two of the 4Ward North institutions. Each individual PhD will be hosted by one of four institutions: The University of Manchester, the University of Leeds, Newcastle University and The University of Sheffield.

Successful applications will receive:

• a training programme 

• bespoke mentoring

• an opportunity to compete for the Leading Scholars’ Programme (12 months of research support immediately after the PhD to pump-prime postdoctoral clinical career development applications)

• a key skills development opportunity by supervising and mentoring NRP students.

Those who are shortlisted but are not successful in securing a fellowship will receive:

• help in building their project

• guidance, advice and mentorship through the application process for an equivalent research training award from other funders

Eligibility: Fellows recruited to a programme must have completed their undergraduate degree, and must be practicing healthcare professionals and be registered with a professional regulatory body in the UK/Republic of Ireland, such as the General Medical Council or the Health and Care Professions Council. Medical graduates must be registered on a UK/Republic of Ireland specialist training programme or must be a registered GP. Eligible healthcare professionals include those practicing in nursing, midwifery, allied healthcare professions, pharmacy and healthcare sciences, dental and medical specialties.

Find out more and apply here. 

Master's level qualifications in clinical research delivery leadership. Suitable for all registered healthcare professionals at all stages of their career. 

The NIHR and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, led by the Royal College of Physicians worked with higher education institutions to create a national framework of Master’s level clinical research delivery leadership qualifications. These qualifications provide learners with the necessary skills and build the confidence required to be able to lead and support clinical research delivery. All the qualifications are aimed at experienced healthcare practitioners from all professional backgrounds, who aspire to take on  leadership roles in clinical research delivery, such as Co-Investigator or Principal Investigator. This includes those who have no or limited research experience and those currently working in research delivery. 

The course is run at four institutions: 

• King's College London

• Newcastle University

• The University of Exeter

• The University of Sheffield

Find out more and apply here. 

If you are looking to undertake a PhD in Respiratory medicine, you may be able to apply to Asthma and Lung UK. 

PhD Studentship applications must be made by a prospective PhD student as the principal applicant, with established investigator(s) named as co-applicants who will act as primary and secondary supervisors for the named student. Supervision should be provided from a respiratory clinician and a senior data scientist who has an interest in health. The PhD project and application should be developed alongside supervisors. The PhD student can have a respiratory (clinical or non-clinical) and/or data science background. 

To find out more, visit Apply for funding 2024 - 2025 | Asthma + Lung UK 

We are seeking individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who are passionate about addressing the pressing challenges within neurotechnology. Your ideas could be at any stage of maturity, and could focus on:

• Early-stage diagnosis of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

• Therapeutic approaches, including novel modalities, bio-hybrids, innovative device-based platforms, medicinal agents, and other non-drug interventions. 

• Providing support for those living with these disorders.

You also don’t need to consider yourself part of the “neurotech” community to apply—what matters is your ability to think boldly and contribute innovative solutions. We encourage applications from:

• Engineers, scientists, clinicians, medical professionals, and industry experts.

• Those who can explore speculative ideas or refine them for transformative impact.

• Those who will be empowered by this partnership – in ways otherwise not possible.

To find out more, visit Fellowship Programme | Cambridge Network