The NIHR Leadership Support and Development Programme aims to improve the quality of research leadership in clinical and applied health and social care research. 

The NIHR Leadership Programme is tailored to the needs of research leaders in health and social care. It is a major programme with around 400 research leaders involved or having taken part.

Health research is a highly complex business. Many leaders lead large teams and have multi-million pound budgets. They manage relationships with universities and hospital trusts, commissioners and primary care, public and industry. They deal with multiple jobs, bosses and measures. Yet many research leaders attain their roles through excellence in research having had little, if any, development in leadership to help them be effective in their roles. The programme aims to fill this gap.

The NIHR Leadership Programme is provided by Ashridge Business School, having been commissioned through open tender in order to:

        ·  be credible with the research community, having high face validity and an evidence base, utilising ‘industry’ best practices;

        ·  build core leadership and management skills, whilst not “telling people how to lead” but letting leaders develop in ways appropriate to them;

        ·  be applicable to individuals in different roles and organisations, and tailored to individual needs;

        ·  deliver benefits without taking unwarranted time from participants;

        ·  engage research leaders by offering clearly relevant content that meets their needs, including shadowing and feedback in the workplace, and action learning.  

The Leadership Programme is an 18 month process of development based on individuals' day-to-day work rather than on classroom based exercises. The spotlight is on how individual researchers actually lead, and on what they can do to get the results they want in practice.

Senior level support is offered to the most senior research leaders of the NIHR including directors of major research centres, units, networks, clinical research facilities, schools and programmes. These individuals are selected by role and through central nomination.  

Development level programmes are for research leaders who are on course to reach the most senior positions, and who already have significant responsibilities in their organisations. These leaders are selected through open competition announced on the NIHR website.  

Leadership development for NIHR Trainees focuses on individuals who are making the transition to becoming independent researchers, taking on their first significant leadership and management roles. These individuals are selected through competition and via the NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre.

For more information please log on to the NIHR Leadership Portal  

Comments from leadership programme participants

“I see myself now as a leader, not someone trying to sort it all out for others.”