Apply to be an Associate Principal Investigator
The Associate Principal Investigator Scheme is a unique NIHR development opportunity, aimed at any health and care professional who would like to get more involved in research as part of their career.
This page outlines the steps you need to follow to apply for the Associate PI Scheme.
Already know the process? Apply online
Eligibility criteria
The scheme is open to healthcare professionals who don't primarily work in research but want to gain research experience on a NIHR Portfolio research study.
This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals.
You are not eligible to apply if you are a student, research nurse, or work in a fully-funded research role. See our Eligibility FAQs for further details.
You will also need to:
- commit to work on the study at the same site for 6 months
- get approval from the local Principal Investigator
Research nurses and research midwives
The Associate PI Scheme is aimed at clinical staff who wish to gain skills and experience in participating in NIHR Portfolio research and to provide them with formal recognition of the contribution they have made over and above the standard expectations of their role. If you're a research nurse or research midwife, you won't be eligible as you already have research skills and experience.
You should consider the Principal Investigator Pipeline Programme (PIPP). It is specifically for research nurses and research midwives who want to work towards becoming Principal Investigators to deliver NIHR portfolio studies.
Find out more about research courses, funding programmes and initiatives for nurses and midwives: Career development for nurses and midwives
Find a suitable study
You first need to find a study that is:
- registered onto the Associate PI Scheme
- open to recruitment at your local site
We’ve created a dashboard to help users find a study that fits the above criteria. Using our dedicated 'Where Can I Take Part?' tool, you will be able to view a list of studies that are:
- already registered onto the Associate PI Scheme
- open and recruiting at the site where you work
- within a selected specialty area / field
How to access the 'Where Can I Take Part?' tool
- visit the Associate PI Scheme dashboard, linked below
- click on the 'Where Can I Take Part' tile
- follow the instructions at the top to filter for your choice of Trust
Can’t find a study?
If you know about a study that isn’t registered, we can ask the study team to register the study. Email the study details to associatepischeme@nihr.ac.uk
Get approval from the Principal Investigator
Before you apply, you need to get approval from the Local Site Principal Investigator (PI).
If you are not sure who the Local Site PI is, please speak with your R&D department.
If they are unable to help you, please email associatepischeme@nihr.ac.uk and we can investigate further for you.
Apply to be an Associate PI Scheme Trainee
Once you have found a suitable study and you have approval to proceed, apply via NIHR Learn:
Apply to become an Associate PI trainee on NIHR Learn
First time users of NIHR Learn
You will need to create an account before you can log in. You can register on NIHR Learn with your work email address.
Need help?
Watch the trainee application instructions video:
More information
Associate Principal Investigator Scheme
Visit the Associate PI Scheme resources website
If you have any questions about the scheme, please email associatepischeme@nihr.ac.uk
