Funding to complete a PhD in applied health or social care research (within NIHR’s remit for personal awards) with clear and impactful public and patient benefit.
ELIGIBILITY
All health and social care professionals committed to becoming leading researchers can apply for this scheme:
- Clinical applicants (e.g. doctors or dentists) must have completed any relevant pre-registration training.
- Non-clinical applicants must have completed a first degree (this is expected to be a First Class or Upper Second-Class bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
VALUE AND DURATION
Funding is provided for:
- The salary of the award holder for duration of the fellowship.
- PhD tuition fees.
- Costs for the approved research project.
- Costs for professional and academic training.
- Associated conference fees (up to £3000).
- Patient and public involvement (PPI).
- Open access fees.
Fellowships are for three years full-time (part-time options are available).
Clinical applicants can include up to 20% clinical time.
KEY DATES
Deadline: 16 January 2025 (this call is repeated twice a year – funding rounds open in April and October)
For more information, see opportunity webpage, scheme guidance notes and the below webinar.
Grants previously made under this scheme can be viewed on Pivot-RP (log-in required – get set up here if you have not already done so).
Judith Rankin (Professor of Maternal and Child Health at the University of Newcastle and Chair of the NIHR Doctoral Fellowship Selection Committee) also provides tips for applicants in her blog: What makes an NIHR Doctoral Fellowship application excellent?