The NIHR Doctoral Fellowship is a three year full-time award that supports individuals to undertake a PhD in an area of research within the NIHR’s remit for personal awards. The Fellowship may also be taken up on a part-time basis. Clinicians or practitioners are able to include up to 20% clinical or practice time as part of the Fellowship.
The Fellowship funds:
- the salary of the award holder for the entire duration of the fellowship
- costs for the approved research project
- costs for a suitable training and development plan
- associated conference fees (up to £3000)
- Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) costs
To be eligible for an NIHR Doctoral Fellowship you must:
- have completed a first degree, with an expectation that this is a First Class or Upper Second-Class bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Applicants without a First Class or Upper Second-Class bachelor’s degree or equivalent must normally have a Masters degree (for non-clinical applicants)
- have completed any relevant pre-registration training i.e. completion of FY1 (for clinical applicants)
- have a proposed host who is an English HEI, NHS body, social care organisation, or other provider of health and/or care services
- be intending to register for and complete a PhD.
Where already registered for a PhD (or MPhil with transfer to PhD), you should not have been registered for more than 12 months at 100% WTE by the time the award starts.
Charity partnerships
The NIHR is partnering with 2 charities in Round 12 to offer joint Doctoral Fellowships:
Full details, including eligibility requirements, are available in the Guidance Notes. Please read through these carefully before applying.