National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Schemes

The National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) has personal funding award schemes open to nurses and other healthcare professionals to cover all research-related career stages. The NIHR infographic below is a good starting point to see which schemes may be relevant and of interest.

Download the NIHR infographic in PDF.

Eligibility and how to apply

Funding schemes are open to nurses and midwives working in England and often Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Please see each scheme’s criteria for more information.

Most of these schemes require considerable groundwork to apply competitively for – so it is well worth reaching out early on to academics in your field you would like to work with, for support and advice on the next best steps and applying.

NIHR Schemes:

• Associate Principal Investigator (PI) Scheme
• Clinician Researcher Credentials Framework
• Undergraduate Internship Programme
• Principle Investigator Pipeline Programme (PIPP)
• Senior Research Leader – Nursing & Midwifery Programme
• Pre-Application Support Fund – for individuals who require additional support to submit a competitive application.
• Pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (PCAF) – check for latest round timelines and guidance.
• NIHR Pre-doctoral Fellowship – check for latest round timelines and guidance.
• Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF)
• Development and Skills Enhancement Award (DSE) 
• Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF)
• NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship
• NIHR Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award.