Postdoctoral Researchers

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

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.

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

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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.

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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

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

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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 

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.

Whether you are new to leadership or well-seasoned, this suite of modules will provide you with the opportunity to build skills, learn about the latest leadership tools and reflect and practise new approaches. The self-led, e-learning modules will provide you with thought provoking content and insights, key learnings and practical ideas to support you in developing your leadership capabilities. And being self-led, means you have the freedom to choose which topic area feels most relevant to your needs at the time. 

Click here to enrol to the ELearning.

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 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. 

A bitesize training video for any research staff that have a role in Archiving a Research Study.

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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.

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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.

Whether you are new to leadership or well-seasoned, this suite of modules will provide you with the opportunity to build skills, learn about the latest leadership tools and reflect and practise new approaches. The self-led, e-learning modules and webinars will provide you with thought provoking content and insights, key learnings and practical ideas to support you in developing your leadership capabilities. And being self-led, means you have the freedom to choose which topic area feels most relevant to your needs at the time. 

Click here to access the course

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.

On Monday 6th November 2023, the NIHR hosted an event for postdoctoral researchers titled 'successfully navigating your post-doctoral research career.'

The day- long hybrid event aimed to support post-doctoral researchers from all fields of health and social care research to successfully navigate this pivotal, and sometimes challenging stage of their career. The event covered:

● the skills and knowledge to craft a successful and robust grant or fellowship application

● a career planning and leadership panel which will enable delegates to hear about navigating the peaks and troughs of a successful research career

● how to get the most from being both a mentee and a mentor

● the chance to meet and network with others at a similar career stage

Listen to the full event here.

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 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 

The NIHR Academy provides postdoctoral Academy Members with career development support through its mentoring programme

The programme aims to support the academic and career development of our post-doctoral communities by:

• extending the NIHR Academy mentoring offering to post-doctoral award holders from disciplines and professional backgrounds which may not have a strong mentoring tradition, or may not have had access to programmes such as this in the past

• promoting interdisciplinarity; mentees will be able to seek a mentor from a cognate or complementary discipline or professional background, where appropriate

• supporting mentoring relationships between individuals from different organisations and institutions

promoting equality, inclusion and diversity through engagement with, and learning from, under-represented groups 

Mentors and mentees will be supported throughout their participation in the programme through regular professional development events and resources. They will also have access to a mentoring platform to support and guide their mentoring relationships.

Here's what some of the mentees and mentors have to say about the programme

“Thank you for the opportunity of being matched, this has been really helpful and something I would have struggled with without the NIHR assistance” - Mentee

“Mentoring others can create useful reflections on my own development” - Mentor

How to participate in the NIHR Academy Mentoring Programme

To join the programme as a mentee, you should be an NIHR Postdoctoral Academy Member who holds an NIHR postdoctoral award and/or hold a postdoctoral position and are based in NIHR Infrastructure (e.g. BRC) or in an NIHR School. You will need to have a minimum of six months remaining on your postdoctoral funding or NIHR personal award from the close of applications of the mentoring programme. 

Register your interest here. 

Please note that this has now replaced the Advanced Fellowship, ACAF, and ALAF. 

The Postdoctoral Award provides funding and support to individuals from all professional backgrounds. To apply, you should be on the way to becoming a future leader in research within the NIHR’s remit. 

You can apply to this award twice a year in April and October.

To be eligible, you must:

• hold a relevant PhD or MD, or have submitted your thesis for examination at the time of application. You must have been awarded your PhD or MD by the time you attend the interview

• propose to undertake the award at a Higher Education Institute, NHS body, local authority or other provider of health or social care services, either in England or a participating devolved nation

• not already hold a chair position at the point of application

• must have completed relevant pre-registration training if you are a clinical applicant

Find out more 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.

For more information and to apply, click here. 

The NIHR Undergraduate Internship Programme (UIP) aims to engage and attract students from underrepresented professions in the early stages of their academic studies to consider a career in health and social care research.

Early to mid-career researchers (the applicant[s]) can apply to host up to 3 interns. Interns will undertake a fully funded and flexible placement in the area or discipline they are interested in pursuing, whilst the applicant(s) will have an opportunity to gain valuable supervisory and grant application experience.

At present, the NIHR will prioritise funding internships in the following disciplines/professions of strategic importance:

• Health Care Professional’s (HCP’s)

  • Nursing

  • Midwifery

  • Allied Health Professionals

• Pharmacy

• Healthcare Science

• Social Care

• Research Methodology

• Public Health

• Data Science

If successful, early/mid-career researchers will recruit interns via the host organisations normal recruitment processes.

You must hold a PhD or have equivalent demonstrable years of research experience to apply to host an undergraduate through this scheme. 

For more information, please visit the NIHR Page. 

The Global Research Professorship programme awards outstanding academics up to £2 million over 5 years to work at a professorial level. The programme funds researchers undertaking research that aims to specifically and primarily benefit people in LMICs eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The scheme is open to all health, public health, social care research and methodology professions. The award provides an extensive support package alongside the professorship, to include support posts, research costs and a leadership and development programme.

Find out more and apply to the Global Research Professorship programme.

The NIHR Research Professorships aim to fund research leaders of the future to promote effective translation of research and strengthen health, public health and care research leadership at the highest academic levels. The objective of these awards is to fund leaders in the early part of their careers to lead research and to strengthen health, public health and care research leadership at the highest academic levels

Each award will consist of a package to support a professorship, including one doctoral and two post-doctoral appointments, research running costs, a travel fund, a leadership and development programme (including access to the NIHR Leadership Programme) - the opportunity to request a sabbatical and the basic salary costs of the individual (plus indirect costs, for the lead nominating body. 

The 5-year award allows outstanding academics of all professions to work at professorial level based at a higher education institution (HEI), in partnership with an NHS organisation or another provider of health, public health and/or care services.

The support offered includes:

• three support posts

• research costs

• a leadership and development programme

The NIHR Research Professorships funding call is now open. The scheme funds research leaders of the future to promote effective translation of research and strengthen health, public health and care research leadership at the highest academic levels.

The 5-year award allows academics to work at professorial level based at a higher education institution (HEI), in partnership with an NHS organisation or another provider of health, public health and/or care services.

Candidates must demonstrate they are on a steep career trajectory over the last 5-10 years and are on course to becoming an outstanding research leader. You need to currently be at an early career stage having spent no more than five years at their current level of seniority at the time of application (whether as a Professor, Reader, Senior Lecturer/Fellow, Clinician Scientist, Group Leader or similar).

NIHR Senior Investigators are not eligible to apply as they are considered to be already beyond the scope of this scheme. 

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 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. 

Programme Development Grants are available for researchers to undertake preparatory work to develop a future programme of research (Stream A). PDGs are also available for researchers to develop and enhance the quality and value of an ongoing or recently completed Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) award (Stream B).

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. 

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation is inviting applications from early career researchers (ECRs) to join their Advisory Board, the steering and reviewing committee for the foundation’s Discovery Network. The Discovery Network is a new and ambitious research programme, funding interdisciplinary and multi-institutional teams focusing on the identification of therapeutic targets for motor neuron disease (MND). It is based on Open Science and collaborative principles, and aims to apply industry standards to target assessment. 

Eligible ECRs will be postdoctoral researchers working in the MND field in a UK academic institution and who have experience peer-reviewing research papers and/or project proposals. The deadline for applying is Friday the 23rd of August 2024, 5pm. 

Find out more and register here. 

Partnership and impact (P&I) awards are designed to accelerate the adoption of existing 3Rs models, tools and technologies into routine practice. Awards are for up to 24 months with the amount requested dependent on the science and limited to a maximum of £200k (80% FEC). As part of their continued collaborations with Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and British Heart Foundation (BHF), additional joint awards are available for grants seeking to achieve a 3Rs impact within cancer or cardiovascular research fields, respectively. The budget for the 2024 call is £1.075M.

Applicants should be UK-based researchers who can demonstrate that they:

• Will direct the proposed research.

• Will be actively engaged in accomplishing the project’s aims.

• Hold a graduate degree – the minimum formal qualification required. However, it would normally be expected that an applicant has been awarded a PhD. Applications involving less experienced researchers should be made in collaboration with a more senior colleague. 

They particularly welcome applications from currently under-represented groups in the research and innovation community (including, but not limited to, early career researchers, women, those with a disability, and members of minority ethnic groups). 

Find out more 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. 

Junior Fellowships support post-doctoral researchers to continue research after their PhD and allow them to generate further preliminary data, continue data analysis and/or finalise/secure publications (e.g. from PhD data). Applicants must not have been the Principal Investigator/ Grant holder of a grant award in excess of £100,000 previously.

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