Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) Round 4 Guidance Notes

Published: 07 September 2023

Version: Final

Introduction

NHS England (NHSE) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) are pleased to announce the launch of the NHSE/NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic (ICA) Programme’s third round Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) competition.

The DCAF scheme represents a like-for-like replacement of the Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship (CDRF) scheme, which has existed within various funding programmes since 2009.

The scheme is open to all clinical professions (excluding doctors and dentists). These include but not limited to Allied health professions, non-medical public health, nursing and midwifery, pharmacy, social work and dental-related professions registered with the ICA Approved Regulatory Bodies.

This document describes the means by which applications for NHSE/NIHR DCAF must be submitted and will be assessed.

The NHSE/NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic Programme

As a collaboration between the NIHR and NHSE, the NHSE/NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic (ICA) Programme has been designed to:

support registered health and social care professionals (excluding medical doctors and dentists) committed to developing careers that combine research and continued professional practice;
support the provision of a comprehensive practitioner academic career structure for health and social care professionals;
be fully integrated with professional practice and/or post registration training;
support research training from early to advanced levels;
have flexible entry and exit points;
where possible, be trainee centred; and
focus on research within the remit of the NIHR and NHSE.

NHSE funds the ICA Programme, and works in partnership with the NIHR, which manages the programme’s fellowship competitions and the resultant awardees and projects.

The ICA Programme is composed of four principal schemes that together comprise a practitioner academic career pathway for non-medical health and social care professionals:

The Internship Scheme makes short duration awards that engage and expose recipients to the academic research environment whilst equipping them with the practical skills to undertake research.
The Pre-doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF) Scheme enables eligible professionals to undertake master’s level academic training and to prepare an application for a doctoral fellowship whilst maintaining professional practice.
The Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) Scheme (formally the Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship (CDRF) Scheme) enables eligible professionals to obtain a PhD by research whilst concurrently developing their professional skills.
The Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) Scheme (replacing the previous Clinical Lectureship (CL) and Senior Clinical Lectureship (SCL) schemes) enables eligible post-doctoral professionals to undertake research and research training at a post-doctoral level whilst maintaining or enhancing their professional practice in parallel.

In addition to the above, NHSE’s local teams offer short duration ICA Programme Bridging Awards to support ICA eligible professionals who find themselves between funding schemes and awards.

DCAF and ACAF award holders are also invited to access funded career mentorship through the ICA Programme’s Mentorship Scheme.

Applicants to the NHSE/NIHR ICA Programme schemes must hold registration with one of the following Regulatory Bodies or have plans in place to hold the required registration by the proposed award start date:

Academy for Healthcare Science
General Chiropractic Council
General Dental Council (although not as a dentist)
General Medical Council (although not as a doctor)
General Optical Council
General Osteopathic Council
General Pharmaceutical Council
Health and Care Professions Council
Nursing and Midwifery Council
Social Work England
UK Public Health Register

The NHSE/NIHR Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) Scheme

The DCAF Scheme supports graduate (post-degree) health and social care professionals (excluding doctors and dentists) who have at least one year’s experience in professional practice, and who can propose to undertake their doctorate at a recognised Higher Education Institution (HEI) based in England, at an NHS body based in England or at any other English provider of publicly or third sector funded health and/or social care services (for example, a commissioned social enterprise, local authority or hospice).

A DCAF supports the award holder to develop their research skills and their professional skills in parallel; the latter through dedicated time for professional practice and/or through other activities that support development as a practitioner. The DCAF Scheme differs, therefore, from the separate NIHR Doctoral Fellowship Scheme, which is open to anyone wishing to develop health and/or social care research skills and does not support or place emphasis on professional development.

Following completion of a DCAF, the awardee is expected to be able to show evidence of:

Completion of the research proposed in the fellowship application, which should lie within the NIHR remit described below;
Award of a PhD by research;
Completion of a substantial, robust, and wide-ranging training and development programme;
Increased research skills;
Increased professional skills;
Publications arising from the fellowship;
Involvement in collaborative relationships.

Evidence of the above will be sought by the NIHR through interim and final reports.

Professional Development

A key feature of the DCAF Scheme is that awardees are supported and expected to develop professional skills as well as research skills. Applicants must be able to demonstrate how they will develop their skills as a practitioner over the period of the fellowship.

It is expected that approximately 20% of salaried fellowship time will be spent undertaking professional practice, associated training, and professional development. The majority of this time will, realistically, be spent in a supernumerary practice role, and this practice should be negotiated with a view to maximising the experience that it will afford the fellow. Fellows are not limited to practice within a single setting, and applicants are encouraged to negotiate as diverse a range of responsibilities as is appropriate, perhaps through a range of secondments.

Applicants are advised to take account of their current skillset and propose a professional development plan that is appropriate to their level of professional seniority. Senior practitioners may choose to propose activities that will ensure the maintenance rather than development of their professional skills. Applicants may wish to consider whether the research activity and research training proposed might be further utilised to develop or maintain professional skills and /or professional development as a practitioner.

The NIHR Remit

All research funded by the NIHR as part of a training award managed by the NIHR Academy Executive must fall within the following remit:

The overall remit of the NIHR is early translational (experimental medicine), clinical and applied health research, and social care research.

Proposals must have clear potential for directly benefiting patients/service users, carers, and the public (but recognising the training element of the research).
Proposals can involve: patients/service users and/or carers; samples or data from these groups; other people who are not patients/service users and/or carers; populations; health technology assessment; or health or care services research.

At doctoral-level, early translational (experimental medicine) research is not within remit. Doctoral level early translational (experimental medicine) research is funded through the NIHR early translational (experimental medicine) infrastructure and particularly the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) training programmes.

For Advanced Fellowships, early translational (experimental medicine) research is within remit. A clear and plausible path to patient /service user, carer or public benefit must, however, be demonstrable.

NIHR does not support basic research or work involving animals or their tissue.
If the work involves biomarkers:

Research that tests whether application of new knowledge can improve treatment or patient outcomes, and has obvious direct potential benefit, is within remit; this might include application of known biomarkers, or other prognostic factors, to refine and test novel therapeutic strategies.
Research that aims only to elucidate mechanisms underpinning disease or identify risk factors for disease or prognosis (including search for biomarkers) is out of remit.

The NIHR is also prepared to support high quality educational research (defined broadly as education for health and care providers) and methodological research. It is expected that the research will have the potential to have practical application and the potential impact on patients/service users, carers and the public must be made clear.

Further Information in the form of FAQs about the NIHR remit can be found in Annex A.

Priority Themes and the NHS Long Term Plan

The NIHR has issued a call for research into the evaluation of interventions or services to support the delivery of a more sustainable UK health and care system including mitigating the effects of climate change on health and care delivery. This call is a key component of the NIHR response to recognition of the need for further research-based evidence related to the provision of more sustainable health, public health and social care services and processes and to support the UK’s ambition to deliver a ‘net zero’ NHS and meet the goals of the COP26 summit through:

Supporting capacity building across a wide range of disciplines, and,
Increasing the volume of high-quality research on the effectiveness, delivery and organisation of health and care interventions and services to reach net zero carbon.

The expectation is that research funded through this call leads to the development of practical, real-world solutions with demonstrable impact in the short, medium, and longer term. The NIHR is also particularly interested in the differential impact on inequalities that result from decreasing carbon emissions specifically ensuring that reductions in carbon emissions reduce, and do not increase, health inequalities.

In addition, the ICA Programme welcomes applications that address wider themes highlighted within the NHS Long Term Plan (www.longtermplan.nhs.uk). This includes:

Making sure everyone gets the best start in life;
Delivering world-class care for major health problems;
Supporting people to age well.

As part of this, we would particularly encourage proposals that focus on the prevention of illness and tackling health inequalities, as well as applications which look to improve NHS services through the use of digital technology and analysis of patient and population data.

Applications that fall under one of these priority/highlighted themes will not be prioritised or favoured over those that do not.

Eligibility requirements for the DCAF Scheme

Applicants to the DCAF Scheme must meet the following eligibility criteria:

DCAF Scheme applicants must be graduate (post-degree) professionals and either hold registration with one of the following Regulatory Bodies or have plans in place to hold the required registration by the proposed award start date:

Academy for Healthcare Science
General Chiropractic Council
General Dental Council (not as a dentist)
General Medical Council (not as a doctor)
General Optical Council
General Osteopathic Council
General Pharmaceutical Council
Health and Care Professions Council
Nursing and Midwifery Council
Social Work England
UK Public Health Register

Applicants cannot hold GMC registration as a doctor or GDC registration as a dentist or propose to hold such registration over the period of the award.
Applicants must have at least one year’s experience of professional, post-graduation practice at the point of application.
Applicants must propose substantive employment by a recognised Higher Education Institution (HEI) based in England, an NHS body based in England or by any other English provider of publicly or third sector funded health and/or social care services (for example, a commissioned social enterprise, local authority, or hospice).
Applicants are expected to have 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 master’s degree.
Applicants must have research experience and/or research training that prepares them to undertake a PhD (research doctorate).
Successful applicants must register for a PhD (research doctorate) at a recognised HEI in England. Applicants who have already registered for a doctorate are eligible to apply if, by the proposed point of award uptake, they have not been registered for longer than 12 months Whole Time Equivalent (WTE).
This scheme does not support the undertaking of professional doctorates. Individuals who are already registered on a professional doctorate may apply for a DCAF but would be required to transfer their professional doctorate and register for a PhD. The same rules for registration duration described in point 7 above also apply.
Applicants must propose research that lies within the remit of the NIHR.

Applicants are only permitted to make one application for an NIHR administered ICA Programme personal award (a PCAF, DCAF or ACAF) per round. Furthermore, applicants may not make concurrent applications for an NIHR Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship and a NHSE/NIHR DCAF. The second of the two concurrent applications to be submitted would be disregarded without consultation.

Prospective applicants unsure of their eligibility should contact the NIHR at academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk before embarking on the application process.

Individuals not eligible to apply to this scheme may be eligible for the separate NIHR Doctoral Fellowship Scheme.

Applicants must have the support of the HEI at which they intend to register for a PhD, and the support of an appropriate provider of health or social care services. Early discussions with both organisations are recommended.

NIHR Themed Calls - Reducing compound pressures on the NHS and social care

NIHR want to generate high-quality research evidence into the evaluation of health and care interventions and services to reduce compound pressures on the NHS and social care. This cross-programme call for research supports the recently published Department of Health and Social Care Areas of Research Interest which calls for high quality evidence to support those who plan, commission, manage, deliver and use services across the health, public health and social care sector.

We welcome applications for both new primary research studies to establish the effectiveness of new, promising or existing interventions, and implementation science, evidence synthesis and policy research to support the translation of effective interventions into policy and practice. We anticipate that a range of projects in size and scope will be commissioned and that where possible, will be able to report meaningful intermediate data early in the contract period. Further details are available on the NIHR website.

Partnership Fellowships

The NIHR is partnering with a number of charitable organisations to offer jointly funded NIHR Charity Partnership Fellowships. Partnership Fellowships offer award holders the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of an NIHR training award (including NIHR Academy membership) as well as the additional benefits that funding through the named charity can offer (such as engagement with charity patient groups and increased exposure of research outcomes and outputs).

For this round of the DCAF competition, the NIHR will be partnering with the following charity partner:

Moorfields Eye Charity

Research Area: Moorfields Eye Charity is interested in funding research in eye health, vision research, ophthalmic related service improvement, education, or clinical practice.

Contact

Name: Martin Cordiner
Role: Funding Manager
E-Mail: martin.cordiner@nhs.net
Tel: 0207 566 2565
Moorfield Eye Charity Website

Please note: Applicants will normally be hosted by either the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or its main HEI partner (University College London). If hosted by another institution a direct collaboration with and benefit to Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust must be demonstrated in order to be eligible to apply for a Partnership Fellowship.

The application process for these fellowships is the same as for our standard Fellowships and successful applicants will become members of the NIHR in the same way as successful applicants to our standard fellowships. This is in addition to additional benefits that come from being funded by the charity partner.

At the point of submission, please indicate in the ‘Application Summary Information’ Section and under the sub-heading “Partnership Fellowship” the name of the Charity or Industry Partner you are applying to for the jointly funded Partnership Fellowship. Any jointly funded Fellowships will be offered at the same funding level as any other NIHR Fellowship and under standard NIHR terms and conditions, except where additional terms and conditions are specified by the joint funder.

NIHR Charity Partnership Fellowships will follow the same review process as standard Fellowships, with all applications being considered by the NIHR alongside each other. The Charity Partner will review the application as part of its own approval process. This means that in the situation where there are more fundable applications to a NIHR Charity Partnership Fellowship than there are fellowships available, the remaining fundable applications will be considered as standard NIHR Fellowships.

We would encourage all applicants interested in applying for an NIHR Charity Partnership Fellowship to contact the NIHR in the first instance to discuss their application and answer any questions. Applicants should take note of the specific eligibility criteria for the relevant charity; as well as the NIHR Fellowship eligibility requirements. We would also strongly encourage interested applicants to contact the relevant charity partner to discuss their research area of interest further. All queriesabout the application process should be directed to the NIHR.

Please note; if you are applying for an NIHR Charity Partnership Fellowship, your information (including your NIHR application form and subsequent progress/annual reports) will be shared with the charitable organisation as part of the review process and ongoing monitoring of the award.

Rules on Re-application

Since the legacy ICA CDRF Scheme’s Round 5 (2019) competition, unsuccessful applicants are only eligible to reapply on one further occasion before a 36-month period of ineligibility is imposed.

This and future DCAF competitions will retain this rule, and will count unsuccessful CDRF applications made in 2020, 2021 and Rounds 1, 2 and 3 of DCAF 2022 & 2023 as unsuccessful applications to the DCAF scheme.

Unsuccessful applications made to CDRF competitions held before 2020, and/or to other schemes (e.g., the ICA PCAF scheme or the NIHR Doctoral Fellowship scheme) will not be counted as ‘unsuccessful applications’ for the purposes of determining eligibility. Similarly, an unsuccessful application to this or any previous CDRF round will not be counted when determining eligibility for funding through any other NIHR administered scheme.

In addition, given that the DCAF scheme runs two competitions per year, it is no longer permissible to apply to two sequential competitions.

Scope of Fellowship Uptake Options

The DCAF is a personal research training award. As such, Fellowship proposals are written and submitted directly by the prospective award holder. The NIHR cannot, however, contract with the Fellow directly and, therefore, all personal award applications must be supported by a suitable Host Organisation.

Suitable Host Organisations:

A recognised HEI based in England
an NHS body based in England
an English provider of publicly funded health and/or social care services
a provider of third sector publicly funded health and/or social care services (for example, a commissioned social enterprise, local authority or hospice)

Whilst ALL applicants will require hosting by a Higher Education Institution (HEI) AND by a provider of health and/or social care services, one organisation must be identified as the organisation that will host the applicant’s Fellowship – referred to as the ‘Host Organisation’. This may or may not be the applicant’s current employer. Applicants proposing a health or social care providing Host Organisation must include the HEI at which their PhD will be registered as their Partner Organisation.

The Host Organisation must be capable of fulfilling the role of research sponsor as set out in the UK Policy Framework for Health & Social Care Research (.PDF). Further guidance on the roles and responsibilities of a research sponsor can be found on the Health Research Authority’s (HRA) website.

Where the applicant is undertaking a clinical/practitioner academic role (i.e. combining research/research training with a clinical/practice role) then the organisation at which they undertake their clinical/practice time must be included as a Partner Organisation if they are not already the Host Organisation.

The applicant can propose to be employed by either the Host Organisation or Partner Organisation. This means, for example, if an applicant is currently working in a clinical/practice setting e.g. NHS Trust, and the proposed Host Organisation is a HEI, then the applicant can choose to continue to be employed by the NHS Trust or move employment to the HEI. In either case there should be an honorary contract in place for the duration of the award with whichever organisation is not the substantive employer.

The decision on where to host a personal award and the subsequent employer for the duration of the award is down to the applicant in discussion with their supervisors, line managers and mentors. The decision should be made based on what is best for the applicant, their career development and the research and training they are proposing to undertake.

Applicants must propose to commence the DCAF on the 1st September 2024, 1st October 2024, 1st November 2024, 1st December 2024, 1st January 2025, or the 1st February 2024. Fellowships cannot be deferred without very good reason and the consent of the NIHR.

Applicants must propose to undertake the DCAF either:

Full-time (1.0 WTE) for 36 months;
Part-time (between 0.95 and 0.5 WTE at one of ten available 0.05 increments).

WTE	0.95	0.9	0.85	0.8	0.75	0.7	0.65	0.6	0.55	0.5
Duration (Months)	38	40	42	45	48	51	55	60	65	72

The scheme is unable to support awards of any other duration or profile. Activities undertaken outside of the contracted fellowship hours are at the fellow’s discretion and are not funded by the fellowship.

A DCAF includes a requirement that professional practice be undertaken within it, and applicants planning a part-time fellowship in order to undertake additional (non-fellowship) professional practice should consider the potential impact of this on their future academic career trajectory although they may have justifiable reasons why they would want such an arrangement. This is not, obviously, a consideration that individuals proposing a part-time fellowship for any other reason need make. Applicants who, for personal reasons, already work part-time (or, indeed, anticipate working part-time in the near future) are more than welcome to propose a part-time fellowship.

Scope of Funding

The Fellowship may be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. Activities undertaken outside of the Fellowship are at the fellow’s discretion and will not be funded by the Fellowship.
A DCAF is an individual training award and will only offer funding to cover the salary costs of the fellow, their PhD tuition fees, and the costs of an appropriate research project and training and development programme.
Whilst this personal award may support 'shared staff' (e.g., a statistician or software developer) to undertake specialist work that the fellow is unqualified to undertake, it does not fund generic ‘research assistant’ time.
DCAFs have been designed to support aspiring practitioner academics. A DCAF requires the fellow to undertake professional practice within the hours of the fellowship.
DCAFs are not project or programme grants, therefore, extensions to the duration of awards to allow for completion of research and/or training and development are not permitted. This does not affect suspensions of awards to allow for periods of parental, adoption, or sickness leave.
If applicants are successful in being awarded an NIHR research training award whilst simultaneously holding another NIHR award, they will be asked to decide which award they would like to continue with and will be withdrawn from the other.
The costs that will be met by a DCAF differ slightly depending on the type of host that is chosen by the applicant. These costs are summarised in the table below.

ICA DCAF costs	Higher Education Institutions (Proportion funded)	Providers of health and/or social care (Proportion funded)
Salaries	80%	100%
Travel, subsistence and conference fees. Conference associated spend capped at £3000 in total	80% (excepting conference related costs paid at 100%)	100%
Equipment, consumables, patent and legal, patient and public involvement, and other specific costs needed to support the research	80%	100%
Training and development	100%	100%
Estates charges and other indirect costs	80%	0

Additional points to consider when preparing a DCAF application

The NIHR can advise applicants on their eligibility and on completing the application form but not on the design and/or methodology of specific research projects. An applicant’s local NIHR Research Design Service may be able to provide advice on developing a suitable research proposal. It is highly recommended that applicants contact the NIHR Research Design Service at the earliest opportunity.

Irrespective of the research methods proposed, applicants should provide a full theory-based justification for their choice of methods, detail their experiences of utilising these methods, detail any training they hope to undertake in the use of the chosen methods and identify the relevant experiences of their proposed supervisory team.

Research projects undertaken as part of a DCAF may be eligible for inclusion on the NIHR Portfolio and, as a result, for associated NIHR CRN support. Applicants should speak to their proposed Host Organisation’s R&D Office about this in the first instance.

Applications for NIHR research training awards differ from applications to other NIHR funding streams, such as the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programmes. In applications for NIHR research training awards, the research project proposal does not stand alone, but is part of a package of elements expected to provide an excellent training experience that will allow the successful applicant to take his / her skills and experiences to a higher level. Thus, along with the research proposal, NIHR selection committees will assess the abilities, academic trajectory, existing experience, commitment to a career in health and/or social care research, ambition and aspirations of the applicant, the standards in the research training environment, and the plans for explicit training in research methods. The research proposal provides a framework for research experience, so has to be of high quality, but a good research proposal will not be supported if other elements are weak.

NIHR will only support primary research* where the proposed research is informed by a review of the existing evidence. If your application includes primary research, then it should include reference to the existing evidence and explain how this evidence has informed the proposed research. Where a systematic review already exists that summarises the available evidence, this should be referenced, as well as including reference to any relevant literature published subsequent to that systematic review. Where no such systematic review exists it is expected that the applicant will undertake an appropriate review of the currently available and relevant evidence (using as appropriate a predetermined and described methodology that systematically identifies, critically appraises, and then synthesises the available evidence) and present a summary of the findings of this in their proposal. All applicants must also include reference to relevant on-going studies, e.g., from trial registries.

The selection committee’s expectations of the application, including prior work to support the research proposal, will vary with the seniority of the award. At early career stages (up to and including the first postdoctoral level), plans to perform or update a systematic review may be included as part of the training award, provided that the proposal is also informed by any existing evidence, and that existing systematic reviews are referenced. The rationale for this is that the systematic review provides a training experience in a research methodology – evidence synthesis. However, the review also needs to be justified within the context of the research proposal (and not be too ambitious or perfunctory e.g., where there are likely to be no studies to synthesise).

*Primary Research defined as: Original research conducted to collect new data to answer a research problem.

Application Procedure and Selection Process

Fellowships will be awarded following open competition. The selection process and subsequent administration of the fellowships will be managed by the NIHR.

All applications must be submitted via the NIHR’s online Award Management System.

The ICA Programme uses an adapted single stage version of the NIHR Standard Application Form (SAF), and application forms must be submitted by 1pm on 14th November 2023. Please give yourself sufficient time to obtain signatory approvals before the deadline. No extensions for signatory approval will be granted.

All components of a fully approved application, including supporting documents, must be submitted by the deadline. No additional supporting documents will be accepted after the deadline.

All documents must be submitted in English.

The selection process and subsequent Fellowships will be managed by the NIHR. Following the submission deadline, the NIHR will check applications for completeness and eligibility, and distribute eligible applications to members of the selection committee for assessment.

The selection committee will assess all eligible applications (using the Assessment Criteria listed in this document). Applications will only be sent for external peer review if deemed necessary by the reviewers.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of selection committee meetings by email when all required processes are complete. No outcome indications will be given in advance.

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed by selection committee members. Interviewees will be asked to give a 5-minute presentation, followed by 25 minutes of questioning.

The Selection Committee will make recommendations for funding that will be considered by NHS England (NHSE) and by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

If applicants are successful in being awarded a DCAF whilst simultaneously being assessed for another NIHR research training award, they will be required to choose between the two and to abandon one. Fellowships cannot be deferred.

Key Dates

Application / Assessment Stage	Date
Application Submission Deadline	1pm on the 14th November 2023
Shortlisting	February 2024 (Indicatively)
Applicant Interviews	16-17April 2024 (Indicatively)
Earliest Uptake	1st September 2024
Latest Uptake	1st February 2025

Assessment Criteria

Applications are assessed by the Selection Committee using the following criteria:

Applicant

The relevance of the applicant’s research experience and achievements to the proposed fellowship.
Evidence of the applicant’s ability to translate research activity into good quality outputs.
The relevance of the applicant’s recent and overall professional experience to the development of a practitioner academic career in the proposed field.
Evidence of the applicant’s commitment to a career as a practitioner academic.

Research Programme

The suitability of the proposed research project to the level of award and scope of funding.
The quality of the research design and its suitability to the research question being proposed.
The quality, scope, and relevance of the review of existing evidence.
The extent to which the involvement of patients/service users, carers and the public is appropriate and meaningful.
The potential of the project to benefit patients/service users/carers/services/the public.
The quality of the plain English summary.
The capacity of the proposed project to serve as a vehicle for academic and professional development.

Training and Development

The suitability of the proposed training to the needs of the project.
The extent to which the training and development plan will support the practitioner academic career aspirations of the applicant.
The extent to which the proposed practice will support the development of the applicant as a practitioner academic.
The suitability and experience of the proposed academic support team, and their appropriateness to the development of the applicant’s practitioner academic career.
The suitability and experience of the proposed practice support team, and their appropriateness to the development of the applicant’s practitioner academic career.
The extent to which the statement of support is tailored to the applicant and demonstrates a partnership between the Host and Partner Organisations to support the applicant's practitioner academic career development.
Evidence of the host organisations’ commitment to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive research culture, including evidence of commitment to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion and research integrity.
The track record of the academic department in the research area being proposed.

In addition to assessing the above, the Selection Committee will also take the appropriateness and value for money of the funds requested into consideration.

The NIHR strongly recommends that you remain mindful of these assessment criteria, and return to them, when developing your application.

Completing the Application Form

All applications must be submitted via the NIHR’s online Award Management System.

After answering some high-level eligibility questions, you will receive full access to the online application form. Please make sure that you continue to refer to all available guidance, including this document, whilst completing the form.

The deadline for this call is 1pm on the 14th November 2023.

All participants and signatories must have completed their sections and actions by the submission deadline.

Please note: In addition to the above guidance, detailed information to support the completion of each section of the application form is provided below (“Application Form Specific Guidance”).

Applicants should ensure they are referring to the relevant guidance when completing each question on the form.

You are advised to validate your application regularly, and between entering information into different sections. You will find a 'Validation Summary' option in the left-hand menu. This section will detail any points within your application that are incomplete or incorrectly presented. Failing to validate your answers may result in you being unable to submit your application by the required deadline.

If you are copying pre-prepared text into a free text box with a word limit, please be aware that different word counting programs may give different results. It is the word count in the application system that will be used. The validation system may advise you if you have exceeded a word limit.

ORCID Registration

The NIHR is an ORCID member and requires all its funded researchers to hold an ORCID iD; this persistent digital identifier distinguishes individual researchers. Applicants must include their own ORCID iD in their application. Without the applicant’s ORCID iD, an application cannot be validated and submitted.

The “personal details” section of your application (which includes the ORCID iD) is automatically populated from the “Basic Information” section of the 'Manage My Details' page of your ARAMIS account.

The application and all associated documents must be submitted in English.

Submitting the application form

Once the applicant has completed their sections of the form and the Participants and Signatories (see below) have made their contributions, the applicant is required to ‘Submit’ the application to the Signatories for final sign off before the closing date.

Applicants can only ‘Submit’ an application for final sign off by the signatories when:

all mandatory sections of the application form are complete.
all named participants have agreed to be part of your application.
all named signatories have agreed to their role and made their contributions.

Participants and Signatories

Applicants are required to supply the names and email addresses (if not already registered on the award management system) of the individuals who will be undertaking ‘Participant’ and ‘Signatory’ roles as part of the application. All Participants and Signatories must agree to be part of the application before it is submitted.

Participants and Signatories are required to review the declaration for their role before confirming participation. By confirming participation, Participants and Signatories are acknowledging their involvement and input into an application. Applicants must ensure that all Participants and Signatories are happy for the application to be submitted before submitting it on the online system.

Please note it is permissible, and often the case, that one or more of the Participants are also named as Signatories.

Participants

You are required to supply the names and email addresses (if not already registered on the ARAMIS system) of your Primary Doctoral Supervisor, up to 2 additional Academic Supervisors, up to 3 Practice Supervisors and an Administrative Authority / Finance Officer at your Host Organisation. Everyone named in this section will be acting as a ‘Participant’ to your application and will need to agree to be part of this application.

By confirming participation, participants are acknowledging their involvement in the application, and, where relevant, agreeing to be involved in the proposed fellowship. You must ensure that all participants are content for your application to be submitted before you submit it.

Once the Administrative Authority / Finance Officer at your Host Organisation has confirmed their participation they will have access to the Budget page; their expertise should be drawn on when completing this section.

Participants must confirm their participation on your application before you will be able to select the ‘SUBMIT’ option. Please see the Submission Process Flow Diagram for further information.

Participant types:

Primary Doctoral Supervisor: The individual named as the primary supervisor of your PhD must agree to participate in the application and confirm that they will act as your Primary Academic Supervisor, support your career development, and abide by the conditions under which an award may be granted. The Primary Supervisor must also confirm that the information provided by you describes the status of your current / proposed research doctorate studies and also confirm that any proposed part-time study arrangements have been agreed and meet University regulations.

Academic Supervisor(s): All supervisors detailed in the ‘Training and Development and Research Support’ section must agree to participate in the application, confirm that they will act as your supervisor for research and career development, and agree to abide by the conditions under which an award may be granted.

Practice Supervisor(s): All supervisors detailed in the ‘Training and Development and Research Support’ section must agree to participate in the application, confirm that they will act as your supervisor for professional and career development and agree to abide by the conditions under which an award may be granted.

Administrative Authority or Finance Officer: The Administrative Authority or Finance Officer for the Host Organisation is required to complete the finance section of the form in conjunction with the lead applicant and confirm, via the declaration, that they will ensure the accuracy of the financial details of the application.

Signatories

You are required to supply the names and email addresses (if not already registered on the ARAMIS system) of the relevant Heads of Department / Senior Managers at your Host and Partner Organisations. Once their contact details have been entered, these signatories will be invited to log in and confirm their participation on your application.

Once they have confirmed their participation, the Heads of Department/Senior Managers must collaborate to provide the required joint statement in the ‘Training & Development and Research Support’ section. This statement can be completed independently whilst you work on the rest of the application.

Signatories must confirm their participation and complete their joint statement before you will be able to select the ‘SUBMIT’ option.

The signatories must also approve the application after you have selected the ‘SUBMIT’ option but BEFORE the application submission deadline. Please see the Submission Process Flow Diagram for further information.

The final signatory approval will result in the application being fully submitted to the NIHR. All parties (applicant, participants, and signatories) will be notified of this via an automated system generated email. NIHR will not accept any applications unless fully approved by your signatories prior to the 1pm deadline on 14th November 2023.

Signatory types:

Head of Department (Host Organisation): In agreeing to participate in this application, the Head of Department of the host organisation in which this award will be based must confirm that they support this application and that, if funded, the research and training will be supported and administrated in the named organisation and that the applicant for whom they are responsible will undertake this work.
Head of Department (Partner Organisation): In agreeing to participate in this application, the Head of Department of the partner organisation in which this award will be based must confirm that they support this application and that, if funded, the research and training will be supported in the named organisation and that the applicant for whom they are responsible will undertake this work.

It is permissible for a single individual to serve as both a signatory and a participant, but they will need to be added separately under each heading.

Participants and Signatories must complete actions in respect to your application prior to submission; signatories must, additionally, approve your application after submission. All actions / approvals must be completed by the application deadline.

Once the applicant is ready, they will be able to ‘Submit’ the application for final sign off by the signatories. At this point, the signatories will be prompted to log back into the system and approve the finalised application.

The application will not be complete until all the required signatories have approved the final version. When the last signatory presses the ‘approve’ button, the application will be submitted to the NIHR.

Annex B illustrates the submission process for the application form in the form of a flow diagram.

Please note that all of the steps described here need to take place before the deadline of 1pm on 14th November 2023. No exceptions will be made.

Should you require assistance in completing the online form, please contact the NIHR on 0113 532 8444 or by emailing academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk

Application form specific guidance

Application Summary Information

Host Organisation

Please give details of the organisation that will be the contractor if the project is funded.

Please note that we require the applicant’s proposed host organisation to act as the contractor.

The contractor must be a recognised Higher Education Institution (HEI) based in England (at which the applicant proposes to register for PhD study), an NHS body based in England or any other English provider of publicly or third sector funded health and/or social care (for example, a commissioned social enterprise, local authority or hospice).

Please also bear in mind that:

The contractor is expected to respond to annual financial reconciliation exercises, provide the final financial reconciliation statement for the project and to provide responses to ad hoc requests for financial information during the lifetime of the project.
In the same way, the contractor is expected to respond to any queries relating to Intellectual Property, commercialisation, and benefit realisation.

Partner Organisation

Please give details of the partner organisation that will be supporting this application.

If the proposed host organisation is a recognised HEI based in England, then the partner organisation must be an NHS body based in England or any other English provider of publicly or third sector funded health and/or social care (for example, a commissioned social enterprise, local authority or hospice).

If the proposed host organisation is an NHS body based in England or any other English provider of publicly or third sector funded health and/or social care, then the partner organisation must be a recognised HEI based in England, and the HEI at which the applicant proposes to register for PhD study.

Research Title – 300-word limit

The project title should state clearly and concisely the proposed research. Any abbreviations must be spelled out in full.

Partnership Fellowship

If applying for a charity partnership fellowship, please select the relevant charity from the list. Otherwise please select N/A from the list.

Proposed WTE (including Duration)

Fellowships can only be undertaken at one of the Whole Time Equivalence (WTE) options given. This choice dictates the duration of the fellowship being proposed.

These fellowships include a requirement that professional practice be undertaken within them. Applicants planning a part-time fellowship in order to undertake additional (non-fellowship) professional practice should consider the impact of this on their future academic career trajectory and, thus, on the competitiveness of their application. This is not, obviously, a consideration that individuals proposing a part-time fellowship for any other reason need make. Applicants who, for personal reasons, already work part-time (or, indeed, anticipate working part-time in the near future) are more than welcome to propose a part-time fellowship.

Proposed start date if grant awarded

1st September 2024
1st October 2024
1st November 2024
1st December 2024
1st January 2025
1st February 2025

Fellowships can only begin on the 1st of a month, regardless of whether this is a working day or not. Please be realistic about your start date, taking account of any necessity for backfill recruitment and contracting prior to starting your project.

Research Type

Select the appropriate research type. If you are not sure which category to select, choose the closest match to your project. Categorisations can be amended at a later date if this is required. NIHR definitions of these terms can be found in the NIHR Glossery.

Applicant CV

Please note: some of the responses to these questions are automatically imported from information entered in the ‘Manage My Details’ page of your ARAMIS account.

The Publication Record section of the form is automatically populated from publications added into the ‘My Research Outputs’ page of your ARAMIS account.

Please note: You must ensure that this section contains any information necessary to determine eligibility for the scheme (please refer to the eligibility criteria) or your application may be rejected.

Degrees and Professional Qualifications

Please include the full details of any completed degree(s) and, where relevant, the full details of any higher degree(s) you are currently undertaking.

Please ensure that your degree classification is included, if applicable.

When entering details of your current and previous positions please indicate at what percentage (WTE) in each post you were undertaking research. For example, if you were a Clinical Lecturer and undertook research for 2.5 days a week and clinical work for 2.5 days per week; please enter 50% for that position. If you have worked part time at 60%, and undertook research for half of that time, please enter 30% for that position.

Research grants held

Details of all grants and project funding (research or otherwise) obtained in the last five years should be provided, including personal research training awards or fellowships, plus any additional previous grants (including travel grants and any other small funding awards) relevant to this application. Please clearly indicate any co-applicants and provide brief details of the nature and full extent of your involvement (e.g., project design, project management, day to day running, data collection, data analysis, writing papers for publication, etc.).

Please also include in the ‘Role in Research Grant’ box for each entry: registration number and name of registry and the DOI of the main related publication. Where the study is still ongoing or final results have not yet been published, please provide an estimated publication date. This is in line with the NIHR policy on clinical trial registration and disclosure of results.

It is not necessarily expected that applicants at the doctoral level will have been awarded research grant funding as a Principal Investigator (PI) or as a co-applicant, but please detail any such achievements here.

Please note - your research grant record must be completed within the application form and not via the CV section on ARAMIS.

Publication Record

The publication record is automatically populated from the information added to the ‘Research Outputs’ section of your ARAMIS account. To update, please ‘save and close’ your application, return to the ‘home’ screen and select ‘Research Outputs’ from the left-hand menu.

When publications have been added, the applicant’s name can be edited to show in bold within application forms via the ‘Assign Grant Contacts’ option.

To ensure publications display correctly, with all of the required information, applicants are strongly advised to use the ‘import’ function and import their publications from Europe PMC.

Do not include publications in preparation. If relevant, details of these may be included in the ‘Applicant Research Background’ section.

Do include relevant abstracts, conference proceedings and articles (peer-reviewed or otherwise) that have been published.

Depending on professional background and expertise, applicants are not necessarily expected to have an extensive list of publications.

Only publications relevant to your application should be included.

At the doctoral level, ‘relevance’ is not defined as pertaining to the same subject area. Any publication in a peer reviewed journal, for example, might serve to evidence a range of pertinent and applicable skills.

Applicants are strongly advised to check how their publication record displays on their application PDF before submission.

Relevant Prizes, Awards, and other Academic Distinctions

Please provide details of any awards or distinctions that would be relevant to your application including details of what the award was for.

Examples may include travel bursaries for a conference, presentation prizes, innovation awards etc.

ORCiD

The NIHR is an ORCID member and encourages all researchers to obtain this persistent digital identifier that distinguishes them from every other researcher. Applicants must include an ORCID iD in their application. Without it, your application will not be validated, and you will not be able to submit. For more information and to register go to the ORCID website.

Applicant Research Background

Professional Background

Select the option that best describes your professional group. This will determine the options that appear below. The selection of ‘Nurse’, ‘Midwife’ or ‘Social Worker’ will result in no further options. AHPs and Other Registered Health Professionals should select their specific profession from the lists provided.

It is not anticipated that any eligible applicant will be unable to select their profession from the list. The 'Other' profession option should only be selected by individuals with personal special dispensation to apply from the NIHR.

Do you have current/active professional registration?

Applicants must, by the point of award uptake, hold current/active registration with one of the approved professional bodies/councils listed in these guidance notes and available from the NIHR website.

If an applicant holds current / active professional registration then they must enter their professional registration number / pin, followed by the registering body, in the box provided.

If an applicant does not hold current / active professional registration but anticipates holding it by the point of award uptake, then they must explain this in the box provided (250-word limit).

Please describe your research career to date – 1000-word limit

Please use this question to describe your expertise and experience to date, and how this makes you suitable for this award. Please include the following:

Research experience:

research projects that you have led or made a significant contribution to (making clear what your role was);
the research methods you have experience of;
the impact and outputs of the research you have been involved in (linking to details given in your CV);
any other relevant experience such as supervisory, management, teaching, public engagement, or leadership experience;
any experience of service user and public/community involvement and engagement activities in health/social care research;
other skills and experience that highlight your suitability for the fellowship you are applying for, and that demonstrate your potential as a future health/social care research leader.

Professional experience. Please provide details of your professional experience and its relevance to your application and your development as a practitioner academic in your chosen field.

Have you already registered for a PhD?

Please answer these questions if you are currently undertaking a research doctorate.

If you are currently undertaking a master’s degree as the first phase of studying toward a PhD, please also complete these research doctorate questions, prefixing the title of your research degree with ‘Masters – first phase of PhD study’.

If you have indicated that you are registered part-time for the doctorate, the NIHR will assume that you are studying for this degree 0.5 WTE. If this is not the case, please note this in Section 2 under ‘Degrees and Professional Qualifications’ and/or ‘Present and Previous Positions’.

Has this application, or a similar application, previously been submitted to this or any other funding body? – 500-word limit

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to indicate whether this or a similar application has previously been submitted to this or any other funding body. This must include any previous submissions for an NIHR research training award, even if the proposed research has changed. Please detail the title of each previous submission, the funding body, scheme and outcome or the date that this is due if a decision is pending. If the application was unsuccessful, please indicate why and detail how this application differs from previous submission(s) and how any feedback received has been used to inform this application.

Contextual Factors – 500-word limit

Please use this question to detail any contextual factors you wish to make the Selection Committee aware of. NIHR wants to know about any circumstances so that they may take them into consideration during the assessment of your application. contextual factors may include:

Career breaks due to parental leave, or periods of illness.
Reduced time spent undertaking research due to a disability or caring responsibilities. This could include any physical or mental difficulty that may have impacted your research career. These are situations that have a significant impact on your ability to undertake research
Reduced opportunities to career support e.g. mentorship, and limited opportunities to undertake prior research and training.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your research career

Please also use this section to detail any other factors that may have impacted your research career not listed in the examples provided. The impact on your career to date will be specific to your particular circumstances but could include such impacts as limited opportunities to obtain grant funding, or fewer publications. In general terms, mitigating factors should be significant, and relevant.

NIHR acknowledges that you may be reluctant, or uncomfortable disclosing relevant information that is sensitive. However, you should bear in mind that we are unable to take into account factors that you do not disclose. Please be assured that information provided by you is sensitive and will be treated confidentially and in line with General Data and Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Career breaks due to parental leave, or periods of illness.
Reduced time spent undertaking research due to a disability or caring responsibilities. This could include any physical or mental difficulty that may have impacted your research career. These are situations that have a significant impact on your ability to undertake research
Reduced opportunities to career support e.g. mentorship, and limited opportunities to undertake prior research and training.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your research career
Please also use this section to detail any other factors that may have impacted your research career not listed in the examples provided. The impact on your career to date will be specific to your particular circumstances but could include such impacts as limited opportunities to obtain grant funding, or fewer publications. In general terms, mitigating factors should be significant, and relevant.

Plain English Summary of Research – 600 word limit

A plain English summary is a clear explanation of your research.

Many reviewers use this summary to inform their review of your funding application. Reviewers include practitioner academics and researchers who do not have specialist knowledge of your field as well as members of the public. If your application for funding is successful, the summary will be used on the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and on other websites.

A good quality plain English summary providing an easy-to-read overview of your whole study will help:

those carrying out the review to have a better understanding of your research proposal.
inform others about your research such as members of the public, health and social care professionals, policy makers and the media.
research funders to publicise the research that they fund.

If it is felt that your plain English summary is not clear and of a good quality, then you may be required to amend it prior to final funding approval.

It is helpful to involve service users / carers / members of the public in developing a plain English summary.

Content

When writing your summary consider including the following information where appropriate:

aim(s) of the research;
background to the research;
design and methods used;
public involvement and engagement;
dissemination.

The plain English summary is not the same as a scientific abstract - please do not cut and paste this or other sections of your application form to create the plain English summary.

Further guidance on writing in plain English is available.

For further support and advice on writing a plain English summary, please contact your local Research Design Service.

Scientific Abstract – 500 word limit

The scientific abstract should be a clear and concise scientific summary of the Detailed Research Plan / Methods.

The following is a list of potential elements / headings that might be included depending on the design of the proposed research, the setting and programme being applied to, and whether it is for primary research or evidence synthesis. It will be for researchers to decide the appropriate elements to be included in the scientific abstract and could include elements outside this list. Applicants may find the guidance on the EQUATOR Network website (www.equator-network.org) useful.

Background
Research question
Aims and objectives
Methods
Timelines for delivery
Anticipated impact and dissemination

Detailed Research Plan – 5000 word limit

Using all of the headings (in the order presented) and guidance below, please use this section to clearly explain your proposed research. As this is the main part of your application detailing your proposal which will be considered by the reviewing Panel you should ensure that the information is accurate, succinct, and clearly laid out.

The NIHR expects appropriate and relevant involvement of patients/service users, carers and the public and other key stakeholders in the research it supports. It is essential to set out your plans to involve patients/service users and the public in this application. Your patient/service user, carer and public involvement plans will be assessed by the selection committee including patients/service users, carers and public members.

Information and resources to assist prospective applicants can be found on the NIHR website (a detailed definition of public involvement in research, and briefing notes for researchers on how to involve the public).

In addition, the NIHR has contributed to a Toolkit for Increasing Participation of Black Asian & Minority Ethnic Groups in Health & Social Care Research, and has produced a further resource on Public Involvement in Social Care Research

In this section it is important that you identify all stakeholders who are relevant to your research proposal. For each stakeholder group you need to be clear about how they benefit from your proposed research and, where appropriate, how they have been involved in the development of the application, as well as the plans for their involvement in the proposed research.

Guidance for applicants on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion for study participants:

Every person eligible to take part in research should be offered the same opportunity of taking part in that research regardless of:

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Ethnicity - link (for example) to the toolkit for increasing participation of BAME groups in health and care research
Religion or belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
Geographical location
Socioeconomic status
Access to health or social care

All NIHR applications are expected to include information about how this data will be collected.

In addition, applicants should demonstrate how these factors have been considered and addressed in their proposal, including steps taken to ensure the research sample is representative of the population the study is targeted at. Applicants need to explain who they are planning to recruit to ensure inclusivity of study participants and justify and explain any exclusions, for example by completing an Equality Impact Assessment. Costs associated with inclusivity, which may include, but are not limited to justified translation of research participant material into other relevant languages, would be expected and where appropriate should be included in the detailed budget section under ‘Other Direct Costs’. Additionally, applicants should demonstrate that all potential recruiting locations have been considered and the research is deliverable to those areas.

Helpful links:

Equality, diversity and inclusion

If the research you are proposing includes a clinical trial, feasibility study or pilot study, or if your area of research is related to clinical trials, you are strongly encouraged to read the NIHR Clinical Trials Guide for Trainees before starting an application.

What is the problem being addressed?

Provide a clear explanation of the health and/or social care problem to be addressed, the impact on service users as well as health and/or social care services, and how this research would fill a demonstrable evidence gap.

Why is this research important in terms of improving the health and/or wellbeing of the public and/or to service users and health and social care services?

It is essential that you clearly identify the health and social care need your research meets or contributes to. Please outline the anticipated value or contribution the study will provide.

Review of existing evidence - How does the existing literature support this proposal?

Explain why this research is needed now, both in terms of time and relevance. We will only fund primary research where the proposed research is informed by a review of the existing evidence.

What is the research question / aims and objectives?

Please summarise the research question / key aims and objectives.

Project Plan

Provide an expert description of the project plan of investigation plus any additional points required to support statements made in the previous sections, and include any key references required to justify the points made (e.g., in the use of particular outcome measures or methods of analysis). You should include where applicable; study design, justification of sample size, selection and exclusion criteria, methods of data collection and analysis,and justification for your choice of methodology.

Dissemination, Outputs, and anticipated Impact

The purpose of this section is for the applicant to describe what the outputs of the research might be, how and who they will talk to and what impact there might be. NIHR understands that the impact of any research may take time to be realised and will likely involve other funders and institutions. In many cases it may be difficult to provide definitive answers or any guarantees. However, addressing the below questions will allow you to describe what you hope or expect the pathway to impact to be, what might prevent impact and who else might be involved.

What do you intend to produce from your research?

This could include but is not limited to:

Conference presentation or other workshop events;
Publications (academic or otherwise);
Guidelines (clinical/care, service or otherwise);
Other copyright (e.g., questionnaires, training aids, toolkits, manuals, software, etc);
New or improved design of devices or instrumentation;
New or improved diagnostic;
Trial data that could be used to support a CE mark, market authorisation or equivalent;
Trial data that could be used to shape or influence a healthcare market or government;
Potential healthcare or social care intervention.

Please provide brief details of each of the anticipated outputs.

How will you inform and engage service users, services, and the wider population about your work?

Describe your plans for disseminating this research. If you have not yet made plans, please outline at what stage in your project you intend to start formulating these.

How will your outputs enter our health and social care system or society as a whole?

Describe how any new or improved outputs generated through the proposed research will be recognised, captured, managed, and used directly in the health and social care service or wider society. This might be through commercial exploitation or other non-commercial routes or means. If the output(s) from your research are likely to be commercial, describe the proposed route to market and by whom, or how you plan on developing this.

What further funding or support will be required if this research is successful (e.g., From NIHR, other Government departments, charity, or industry)?

This should be linked to the responses to the questions above.

What are the possible barriers for further research, development, adoption, and implementation?

Will the proposed research use data, technology, materials or other inventions that are subject to any form of intellectual property protection (e.g., copyright, design rights, patents) or rights owned by another organisation(s)? If yes, provide brief details including how such third party IP will be accessed (e.g., collaboration agreement, drug supply agreement).

What are the key current and future barriers to uptake of any likely output or innovation directly in the health and care service, through commercial exploitation or other means, e.g., potential regulatory hurdles?

What do you think the impact of your research will be and for whom?

Describe the anticipated impact of the expected outputs on the health and social care of service users, the public/community, and on health and social care services in the short, medium, and long term in terms of: service user benefit; changes in service (including efficiency savings); commercial return (which could contribute to economic growth). Indicate the anticipated timescale for the benefits to reach service users, the public and services, providing a quantitative estimate of the scale of these potential benefits, if possible

Project Management

Please outline the processes that will be put in place to ensure that the activities proposed will be well managed. This should complement your research timetable upload (see ‘Uploads’ below)

and include:

The management structure that will ensure that milestones are achieved in a timely manner;
A description of how you intend to manage the project;
The meetings schedule;
The financial management of the award.

Ethics

Please describe any ethical issues your research project raises and how you intend to address these. Research requiring ethical approval must have the appropriate approvals in place before it can commence. Further guidance on the approval process is available from the Health Research Authority (HRA). The MRC and the HRA have designed a tool to help you decide whether you need ethical approval. However, if you are unsure whether your research requires ethical approval please contact the HRA directly for advice.

Success Criteria

Please set out the measurements of success you intend to use and also the key risks to delivering this research and what contingencies you will put in place to deal with them. This section should identify appropriate actions that would reduce or eliminate each risk or its impact.

Patient and Public Involvement

Please describe how patients/service users, carers and the public have been involved in developing this proposal – 350 word limit

You should describe who has been involved and why this is appropriate, what role(s) they have played and what influence or change has happened as result of their involvement.

Please describe the ways in which patients/service users, carers and the public will be actively involved in the proposed research, including any training and support provided – 350 word limit

INVOLVE developed guidance both on how service users and the public/community can be involved and the processes, procedures and values necessary to support this involvement.

Service users and the public/community can be involved in every stage of a research project, from developing a proposal through to dissemination and evaluation.

In your description you will need to say who will be involved and why.

Explain why your approach to involvement and engagement is appropriate for this proposal.

Describe how you will support and enable involvement and engagement in your research (e.g.: payments, training).

If it is considered not appropriate and meaningful to actively involve patients/service users, carers and the public in your proposed research, please justify why – 350 word limit

Complete / justify as necessary.

Training & Development and Research Support

Proposed training and development programme – 1000 word limit

Whilst the principal purpose of the training and development plan should be to afford the applicant with the skills needed to successfully undertake the proposed fellowship, it is permissible that limited elements of the plan serve primarily to support the applicant’s wider and longer-term career aspirations, as an academic, a practitioner and as a practitioner academic leader.

Please describe the following:

Proposed formal study

Detail the formal training that you will receive and how it will meet your training needs. This is most likely to be the formal taught element of a PhD programme.

Details of any academic training and development you wish to undertake in addition to the ‘Proposed formal study’ to support your personal development as a researcher and academic leader.

The training should include any specialist skills that may be required to undertake the proposed research and should also address research capacity development.

It is expected that the training will equip you with a detailed understanding of research governance and the principles that underpin research including: research design; a variety of research methods; statistics; data analysis/interpretation; and presentation of research findings. A timetable and milestones for the proposed training programme should be included.

Details of any training and development you wish to undertake to support your personal and professional development as a practitioner and practice leader.

A key feature of this fellowship is that successful applicants are supported to develop as practitioners and as researchers in parallel. Applicants must be able to demonstrate how they will develop their professional skillsets over the period of the fellowship. Applicants need to take into account their current skill level and need to propose a development plan that is appropriate for their level of seniority as a practitioner. If applicants are senior practitioners, they may choose to propose ways in which they will maintain rather than develop their professional skillsets.

Details of the practice that will be undertaken over the course of the fellowship.

Supervision – 250 words per justification of participation

Primary Doctoral Supervisor

Give details of the proposed Primary Doctoral Supervisor.

Describe their experience of PhD supervision to date (how many PhDs they have supervised to completion) and how the proposed project aligns with their current research programme and expertise.

Careful thought should be given to the practicalities of effective continued supervision by this individual. The award will not cover any fees the supervisor may wish to charge the applicant.

The Primary Doctoral Supervisor must be employed by the English university acting as either Host Organisation or Partner Organisation on the application.

Additional Academic Supervisor:

Give details of each proposed Additional Academic Supervisor (up to 2).

Describe their experience of PhD supervision to date (how many PhDs they have supervised to completion) and how the proposed project aligns with their current research programme and expertise.

Careful thought should be given to the practicalities of effective continued supervision by this individual. The award will not cover any fees the supervisor may wish to charge the applicant.

Practice Supervisor:

Give details of each of the proposed Practice Supervisor(s) (up to 3) who will provide you with practice-based supervision during your Fellowship. As well as supporting the development of your professional skillsets and your access to opportunities for wider experience, it would be advantageous for this/these individual(s) to be able to support and advise you on your broader professional development appropriate to your career stage. The award will not cover any fees the supervisor(s) may wish to charge the applicant.

All of the individuals you list here must be detailed within the ‘Participants and Signatories’ section of the application form. The award will not cover any fees the supervisors may wish to charge the applicant.

Collaborations – 600 word limit

Explain what collaborations you intend to establish to support your research and, if applicable, your training and development programme. This may involve short visiting placements (e.g., an Overseas Research Visit), or secondments in new (to the applicant) research environments.

The NIHR is particularly keen to enhance the cadre of researchers equipped to work at the university/public service/industry interface, translating ideas into new treatments and products from which service users can benefit. Therefore, where appropriate, you should consider any industry collaborations you may wish to establish during the course of your Fellowship. You should include; the training and development the collaboration will provide; the facilities and expertise you will have access to; and how the collaboration will strengthen links between academia, industry, and public services.

Host Organisation support statement – 1000 words

This statement must be written and entered onto the application form by relevant Heads of Department/Senior Managers at the proposed Host Organisation and Partner Organisation, and should detail how these organisations are going to support the applicant, in partnership, to complete the DCAF if awarded.

This statement should be specific and tailored to the applicant and their training needs, and describe how the organisations intend to support the applicant to develop their practitioner academic career in the long-term.
The NIHR views Host and Partner Organisations as key contributors to the training and development of our next generation of research leaders. Therefore, information should also be provided that pertains to the organisations’ track records of, and approaches to, supporting early career researchers.

In addition, the Senior Manager at the health and/or social care provider organisation is required to detail the plans in place to support the continuation/evolution of the applicant’s professional role over the course of, and following the completion of, any subsequent award.

The statement should also describe the host organisation’s approach to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive research culture for all. The statement should provide evidence of how the organisation values and supports equality, diversity, and inclusion as well as acknowledging the organisation’s responsibilities with respect to research integrity. Statements may wish to refer to the principles and best practice outlined within relevant Charters and Concordats in these areas, such as the Researcher Development Concordat and Advance HE’s Equality Charters. It should be noted that being a signatory to Concordats or holding bronze/silver status from the Equality Charters isn’t a requirement of funding and evidence can be provided through other means.

Host Organisations are expected to comply with the relevant Principles and Obligations for clinical academic training and it is recommended Host Organisations read these documents, where relevant, before completing the statement of support.
NIHR expects that all commitments made to the applicant within this statement will be honoured for the lifetime of the award.

This section can only be accessed by the Heads of Department/Senior Managers once they have agreed participation and cannot be edited, but can be viewed, by the applicant. Invitations to participate are sent by the applicant via the 'Participants and Signatories' section of the form.
Please note - The Host Organisation Statement of Support is a key, and heavily scrutinised, element of application form; applicants are advised to discuss the statement with their Heads of Department/Senior Managers well in advance of the competition deadline.

Detailed Budget

Justification of Costs

Please provide a breakdown of research costs associated with undertaking the research and provide justification for the resources requested. This should include the following costs: staff costs, travel and subsistence, dissemination costs, equipment (including lease versus purchase costs), consumables, public involvement, and engagement (PI&E) and any other direct costs. For help with estimating PI&E costs please see the INVOLVE cost calculator.

When justifying staff costs you should also provide the % amount of time input of each member of staff and link this to the specific area/work package of the proposed study where this input will be taking place.

You should indicate here how this research might benefit the NHS, public health and/or social care. For example, where appropriate, describe the likely cost savings or benefits in terms of numbers of service users supported, wait times etc.

You should describe the value for money of the conduct of the proposed research. For further information please refer to the NIHR Payment Guidance for Researchers and Professionals.

Please provide a breakdown of the NHS costs associated with undertaking the research and provide justification for the resources required. If there are no NHS Support or Excess Treatment Costs associated with the research, you must explain why you think this is the case.

Please provide a breakdown of any non-NHS intervention costs and provide justification for the resources required. Non-NHS intervention costs should include costs incurred in delivering the intervention that would continue to be incurred after the trial, should the intervention become standard care

Detailed Budget Breakdown

The finance section should provide a breakdown of costs associated with undertaking the research as described in the proposal.

General Information

The information entered in this section should provide an analysis of the total funds requested to undertake the research proposed and should be based on current prices. These costs will be used to assess value for money.

It is in your best interest to undertake a thorough, realistic, and accurate costing. You must provide a clear and full justification for all costs including NHS costs. You must also ensure that you include all costs including those required to secure good research management.

Costs must be provided at current prices. An adjustment for inflation will be made annually thereafter at rates set by the Department of Health and Social Care. Whilst allowances for incremental increases should be included on the form, nationally or locally agreed pay increases should be excluded.

Years should be calculated starting from the anticipated start date of the proposed research. For example, if your research is expected to start on 01 June 2024 then its second year starts 01 June 2025.

Further itemisation of costs and methods of calculation may be requested to support the application at a later date.

Payments will be made to the contracted organisation only, and the contracted organisation will be responsible for passing on any money due to their partner organisation(s).

Appropriate sub-contracts must be put in place for any element of the award that is to be paid to another organisation.

NHS Support Costs, including costs for social care research, are funded via Clinical Research Networks. Researchers should contact their local NHS R&D Department initially and, if they are unable to help directly or if there is no local NHS R&D Department, contact their Local Clinical Research Network. Further details about CRN contacts are available.

All applications are expected to have any appropriate NHS, HEI, commercial and other partner organisation input into the finance section of the application form.

There is no need to individually itemise costs (except equipment costs) where the total is below £1,000.

Information on different types of organisations

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should determine the Full Economic Cost (FEC) of their research using the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) methodology. For HEIs, up to 80% of FEC will be paid, provided that TRAC methodology has been used.

NHS bodies and other providers of NHS or social care services in England

For applications where the contractor is an NHS body or provider of NHS or social care services in England, up to 100% of direct costs will be paid.

If you are a commercial organisation/consultancy, please fill in direct costs and commercial indirect costs. Indirect costs should be charged in proportion to the amount of research staff effort requested on the funding application form. Up to 100% of costs will be paid.

Other Organisations

If you are another organisation (e.g., charity or NGO), please fill in direct costs and other partner organisations indirect costs. Indirect costs should be charged in proportion to the amount of research staff effort requested on the funding application form. Up to 100% of costs will be paid

1. STAFF DETAILS

Details of posts and salaries

This section presents an overview of salary costs for the applicant and other support/shared staff contributing to the research, including normal salary increments broken down individually.

Please state the proposed salary point and scale at the start of the fellowship. Please note, immediate promotion to a higher grade as a result of securing a fellowship will not be funded. Please do not include any Clinical Excellence or Discretion/Merit awards or discretionary points.

Please include all members of staff working on the research by clicking ‘add staff details’ or editing a current one. Where applicants are already receiving salaries funded by NIHR, these should be declared in the application.

The Apprenticeship Levy can be included in the salary costs from 1st April 2017 where relevant.

2. DIRECT COSTS

These are costs that are specific to the research, which will be charged as the amount actually spent and can be supported by an audit record. They should comprise:

Salary costs

This section specifies the annual costs of the applicant and other staff contributing to the research. You should now allocate the individual staff member costs to each year of the research, allowing for increments. Use current rates of pay and build in any known annual increments (again at current rates). You will not be able to claim for pay awards retrospectively, once your research is underway.

Please note the salary figures need to be calculated using the current annual costs, WTE and number of months. If the research lasts for several years and an individual’s involvement varies over the course, it may be necessary to explain fully in the justification of costs section the WTE and months per year for an individual staff member.

It is important to double check that the WTE, total months and yearly costs information are consistent with the information presented in ‘Details of Posts and Salaries’ (‘Details of Posts and Salaries’ should show the full current staff costs independent of WTE etc, whereas the yearly costs in ‘Salary Costs’ depend on WTE etc).

Please ensure that you check the ‘Type of Cost’ box which describes the employing organisation for a member of staff as this impacts on the level of funding provided. Staff employed by a Higher Education Institution (HEI) are funded at 80% of cost and staff employed by NHS, commercial or other partner organisation at up to 100% of cost.

Please note that this section also includes ‘Shared Staff Costs’ which is located under directly allocated costs in some other funders’ applications. These are costs of an institution’s research resources which can be charged to the research on the basis of estimated use, rather than actual costs. These may include: IT technicians, laboratory staff, and costs of pooled staff efforts. HEI indirect costs cannot be claimed on these shared costs.

The NIHR reserves the right to question any costs deemed excessive, and will not fund:

Contributions for individuals providing research support (previously referred to as mentors), supervisors and/or other collaborators involved in the research.
Administrative or secretarial support.
Whole or significant percentages of support posts over and above those permitted by the scheme.
Technical or research support staff whose costs are funded through institutional indirect costs (HEIs only)
Thesis binding and printing.

Travel, subsistence, and conference costs.

This section includes journey costs, subsistence costs, and conference fees. Where applicable, you will need to include the travel and subsistence costs of your Project Advisory Group, Steering Committee and/or Data Monitoring & Ethics Committee. Travel and subsistence costs relating to dissemination should also be included here, as should costs relating to overseas travel. Where applicable, you will need to include the travel and subsistence costs relating to meetings with individuals providing research support. Please note that mentors’ (including supervisors and individuals named as providing research support) expenses will not be funded.

If a cost relates to travel, subsistence or fees for a conference please select ‘conference’. Costs relating to conference attendance will be funded at up to 100% for all host organisation types, but support is capped at £3000. Conference costs don’t need to be individually itemised for each conference. The justification box should detail the conferences the costs will cover.

Journey Costs

Enter the total cost of transport for all journeys for destination/purpose. If travel is by car, apply your institution’s mileage rates (however this should not exceed HMRC approved mileage allowance payments, which is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p thereafter).

Travel by the most economic means possible is encouraged. NIHR programmes do not usually fund first class travel.

Subsistence

Subsistence covers accommodation (if necessary) and meals associated with the travel, excluding any alcoholic beverages.

Conference Fees

There is a £3000 limit on the amount that can be requested in support of conference attendance related costs (including all related travel and subsistence as well as conference fees).

Equipment

Essential items of equipment plus maintenance and related costs not included as part of estates should be input in this section. These can be lease or purchase costs. The purchase cost of pieces of equipment, valued up to £5,000 excluding VAT, will be considered.

Pieces of equipment costing more than £5,000 to purchase will usually need to be leased. Where applicants are leasing equipment with a purchase price of more than £5,000, a comparison of leasing verses purchasing costs must be provided in the ‘Justification of Costs’ section.

Items of equipment valued at £250 or more must be itemised separately; however, grouping same type equipment is permitted. Costs of computers are normally restricted to a maximum of £1000 excluding VAT and a statement of justification must be included, in the relevant ‘Justification of Costs’ section for any purchase above this limit.

Equipment must exclude VAT, but if your organisation is unable to reclaim/recover the VAT on a piece of equipment, you should check the box ‘VAT cannot be reclaimed’.

You will need to seek expert advice from the organisation purchasing the equipment regarding its VAT status. If you check the ‘VAT cannot be reclaimed’ column, VAT at 20% will automatically be calculated into the overall cost of that item.

Consumables

This section includes non-reusable items specific to the research. Please itemise and describe the requirements fully (e.g., postage, stationery, photocopying). These items should be research specific, not just general office costs which should be covered by indirect costs. Please do not include cost for binding and printing of thesis.

Patient and Public Involvement

Please itemise and describe fully the costs associated with patient/service user, carer and community/public involvement and engagement. These are likely to include individual travel, out of pocket expenses, payment for time and any relevant training and support costs. Costs related to study participants should not be itemised here.

If voluntary, charity, or community groups are supporting the research via activities such as facilitating contact with potential participants, hosting research activities, or providing advice, an adequate budget must be included to compensate for their time and resources.

INVOLVE have produced a number of useful payment-related resources.

Other Direct Costs

These are costs, not identified elsewhere, that are specifically attributed to the research. For example, costs associated with the use of research facilities, external consultancy costs, costs associated with inclusivity (which may include, but are not limited to justified translation of research participant material into other relevant languages), computer licensing, recruitment, and advertising costs. Please note that for organisations claiming indirect/overhead costs, costs such as recruitment of staff, and general training (e.g., in common IT packages) are costs that should be covered by the indirect costs element of the award being sought and should not appear in this section.

If external consultancy costs are included in this section, they must be fully justified in the ‘Justification of Costs’ section. Please specify the hourly rate and the number of hours and note that consultants must not be people who are already employed by the applicant’s institution. If they are, any costs should be entered as direct costs in the ‘Details of Posts and Salaries’ and ‘Annual Costs of Posts’ sections.

Note on Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) costs in Personal Training Awards

Costs claimed should be for the additional support from the CTU for the necessary expertise that the trainee cannot provide themselves. For example, part time support from a trial manager, database manager, and statistician are all costs that could potentially be included. The level of support and input from the CTU will likely vary depending on the level of fellowship and experience of the applicant. For example, doctoral applicants will be expected to be undertaking the majority of the day-to-day tasks involved in running a trial, with oversight from a more senior member of CTU staff (though specialist input in database programming may be needed). For more senior post-doctoral awards, it may be more appropriate for other members of staff to be undertaking some of the day-to-day tasks. This also very much depends on the experience and expertise of the applicant and the applicant’s training needs and should be agreed with the CTU before submitting an application. These costs should all be agreed with the CTU and budgeted for. Staff costs should be detailed under the ‘other direct costs’ section. Staff costs should include basic salary and on-costs for each member of staff involved and it should be made clear within the justification section what role each member of staff has within the context of the personal award application and the time they will spend on the award. Please note that because NIHR Fellowships and other research training awards are personal awards and not project or programme grants we can’t fund whole or significant portions of posts other than that of the applicant themselves and their support staff member (where applicable).

We would not normally expect the time commitment of any individual costed into the application other than the applicant to exceed 0.3 WTE. In total we wouldn’t normally expect the total WTE of all staff costed into the application to support clinical trial activities to exceed 1 WTE (excluding the applicant). The level of additional staff input will obviously depend on the type and scope of the trial and the experience of the applicant. Full justification should be provided for all staff costs requested. Overheads (estates and indirect costs) can be included for CTU staff costed into the application. The justification section should split out the overheads from the salary costs and overheads shouldn’t exceed 40% of the total CTU staff cost.

Any costs must be realistic in order to deliver the trial but must also represent value for money. Applicants can also include non-staff costs for the CTU for example; randomisation service, and license fees for clinical data management software.

Note on dissemination costs (in addition to conference costs

Open Access Costs

During the course of your project and throughout the review and publishing phase you may choose to submit an article based on your research to an Open Access publication. Depending on the publication you may be subject to an article processing charge (APC). APC rates vary but are usually within the range of £300 and £3000. Open Access publications usually list their APC rates on their websites.

From the 1st of June 2022 awards made through this scheme will have an open access funding envelope allocated to them, on top of the approved cost of the award, which is ring-fenced for open access costs to support contractors with the implementation of the NIHR Open Access policy. As open access funding envelopes will be automatically allocated to successful awards, applicants are no longer required to predict open access costs and cannot include open access costs within their application.

Other Dissemination Costs

Any large costs should be further detailed with a breakdown of constituent parts or a timescale profile of the costs. Meetings to share best practice, training events and events to disseminate research findings must be run at the lowest possible cost with minimal catering. ‘Conferences’ which are described as such are not eligible for funding.

Training and Development

All costs in this section will be funded at up to 100% for HEI, NHS and Commercial/Other Partner organisations. Please itemise and describe fully the costs associated with training and development. Please provide estimates if exact costs are not available at the time of application. Any travel and subsistence associated with training and development including overseas research visits should not be included here and should be included in the travel section of the form.

Applicant PhD Tuition Fees

NIHR will cover individual HEI’s published PhD fees at the institution’s standard UK/home rate for all applicants.

There is no longer a cap on the funding NIHR will provide for fees (previously this was up to the UKRI indicative fee level).

Training programme, short courses and workshops

These are costs relating to the applicant’s training programme.

Overseas Research Visits.

Please provide costs for any overseas research visits that the applicant wishes to undertake during the course of the award. The NIHR will consider overseas research visits on an individual basis and reserves the right to limit expenditure. Overseas visits (excluding conference attendance) are normally restricted to one visit per Fellowship and a maximum duration of 3 months.

3. INDIRECT COSTS/OVERHEADS

HEI Indirect Costs

Total HEI indirect costs must be fully justified. HEIs are permitted to claim estate and other indirect costs. These costs are calculated on the basis of the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) methodology. Proposals from other types of institutions/organisations should leave this section blank.

HEI indirect costs are based on the number of full-time equivalent research staff working on the research and the indirect/estates charges set by an institution. Please note HEI indirect costs cannot be claimed on shared staff costs. Where staff from more than one HEI are working on the research there may be different indirect/estates charges for each one. Please list each institution on a separate line.

The applicant should consult their HEI Finance Departments for the appropriate figures to include in the estate charges and other indirect cost sections.

Commercial/Other Partner Organisation Indirect Costs

Commercial/Other Partner Organisations can claim indirect costs which are the costs of resources used by the research that are shared by other activities. Please seek advice from your finance department about the appropriate cost for this section.

Total Commercial/Other Partner Organisation indirect costs must be fully justified.

Indirect costs will be charged in proportion to the amount of research staff effort requested on the award. Commercial/Other Partner Organisations should calculate them, using their own cost rates.

They comprise:

General office and basic laboratory consumables
Premises costs
Library services/learning resources
Typing/secretarial
Finance, personnel, public relations and departmental services
Usage costs of major research facilities
Central and distributed computing
Charge out rates for shared equipment
Cost of capital employed

4. NHS AND SOCIAL CARE SUPPORT AND TREATMENT COSTS (incl. Excess Treatment Costs/Savings)

The finance section includes a section that asks researchers to provide an estimate of the service user care costs associated with the research (if applicable). An explanation of why these costs are being incurred and the basis on which the estimations have been made should be fully detailed under the relevant ‘Justification of Costs’ section.

The Selection Committee will take NHS and Social Care Support and Treatment Costs into account when considering the value for money of the research. It is important that you consider these costs and discuss them with the NHS bodies or providers of NHS or social care services involved in order to avoid any delay in commencing the research.

Please be aware that the research award does NOT include NHS and Social Care Support and/or Treatment Costs. NHS and Social Care Support Costs will be funded via the Clinical Research Networks. NHS Treatment Costs, including any Excess Treatment Costs/Savings, will be met by the NHS through normal patient care commissioning arrangements.

A representative of the NHS body or provider of NHS or social care services incurring any NHS and Social Care Support and Treatment Costs must sign off the application. The ‘Declarations and Signatures’ page is intended to ensure that the aforementioned organisation is satisfied that all NHS and Social Care Support and Treatment Costs in the application are correct and is prepared to meet these costs.

Please note that as part of the work to address the issues surrounding the way in which Excess Treatment Costs are funded, new arrangements are now being implemented as part of a pilot. To underpin the new arrangements, a cost attribution tool has been created by the Health Research Authority (HRA) in partnership with charity funders and research sponsors. This tool provides a standardised approach across England, ensuring that the attribution of study activities complies with the Department of Health and Social Care Guidance on Attributing the Costs of Health and Social Care Research and Development (AcoRD). As part of their funding applications, researchers are required to complete this new tool, known as a Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Tool (SoECAT) for clinical research, which has been developed from the current HRA Schedule of Events. This tool is designed to capture the different costs associated with clinical research and attribute them accordingly. The totals for excess treatment costs and NHS support costs calculated by using the SoECAT can be entered directly into the application form.

Researchers and/ or their study teams and Research Sponsor/ Lead NHS Provider (e.g., R&D office/ Clinical Trial Unit) are supported by AcoRD Specialists in the Local CRN to verify the accuracy of the SoECAT. For more information, please see the NIHR CRN Route map.

Under the new arrangements, sign off via the LCRN AcoRD Specialist is required to confirm the study attribution complies with the Department of Health and Social Care AcoRD guidance. This early attribution support will underpin the excess treatment cost management process by providing formal sign off, supporting the role of the research sponsor and lead R&D office or Clinical Trial Unit. Completion of the Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Tool will be required for studies eligible for the NIHR portfolio and the support this provides, which will include access to excess treatment cost payments under the new arrangements. This ETC value, alongside recruitment activity in the NIHR Central Portfolio Management System, will then be utilised to inform the payments to NHS providers.

Please be aware that if your planned project includes the recruitment of participants, your application should be accompanied with the Funder Export from the online SoECAT, obtainable via the NIHR Central Portfolio Management System (CPMS).

In order to create a SoECAT, you will need to create an account in CPMS. After creating the account, you will need to login to CPMS to activate this account. If any assistance is required in creating the account, please refer to the CPMS user guide. Once your account has been created and is active, you can proceed. Guidance for the completion of the SoECAT by the applicant is present in the online tool to assist at each page and stage of the application process and further details can be found on the Online SoECAT Guidance page.

There is also an Online SoECAT Guidance Module which includes video tutorials and linked resources (an NIHR Learn account is required to access and enrol onto the module) and a helpful Study Representative – Online SoECAT Top Tips infographic.

Please note that completion of the SoECAT may not be necessary when applying for funding to support: programmes with no specific research study protocol, infrastructure, where the grant is to be used for direct employment of a member of staff or purchase of an asset, and data or diagnostic reviews where recruitment data is not collected. Such applications should be submitted with supporting documentation to explain why a SoECAT was not submitted in this instance.

More information can be found.

NHS and Social Care Support Costs

These are the additional patient/service user/carer care costs associated with the research, which would end once the R&D activity in question has stopped, even if the service involved continues to be provided. These might cover items such as extra patient tests, extra in-patient days, and extra nursing attention. Applicants should contact their local NHS R&D Department initially and, if they are unable to help directly or if there is no local NHS R&D Department, contact their Local Clinical Research Network (LCRN) for advice on NHS Support Costs. Further details about LCRN contacts are available.

NHS Treatment Costs

These are the patient care costs that would continue to be incurred if the patient care service in question continued to be provided after the R&D activity has stopped. In determining NHS Treatment costs, you must assume that the patient care service being assessed will continue even though there may be no plans for it to do so. Where patient care is being provided which differs from the normal, standard, treatment for that condition (either an experimental treatment or a service in a different location from where it would normally be given), the difference between the total Treatment Costs and the costs of the “usual standard care" (if any) constitutes Excess Treatment Cost/Saving, but is nonetheless part of the Treatment Cost, not an NHS Support or Research Cost. These costs should be determined in conjunction with your NHS body or provider of NHS services and their commissioners.

If the patient care intervention under investigation is in addition to usual care, there is no need to complete the ‘Usual Treatment Costs’ section however this will need to be justified in the relevant ‘Justification of Costs’ section. If the patient care intervention under investigation either wholly or partially replaces usual care, the ‘Usual Treatment Costs’ section must be completed.

Applicability of the Above To Social Care Research Proposals

Social care studies are eligible for Clinical Research Network (CRN) support, it does not just apply to NHS-based research, and researchers should speak to the CRN and include support costs where relevant. For the purposes of social care studies ‘treatment costs’ should be interpreted as ‘intervention costs’ and should be included in the proposal when needed. Further information can be found on the NIHR website.

For further information, please see:

Attributing the costs of health and social care research and development (AcoRD)

HSG(97)32: Responsibilities for meeting patient care costs associated with research and development in the NHS

5. SUMMARY OF COSTS

NIHR programmes currently fund HEIs at a maximum of 80% of full economic cost, NHS bodies and other providers of NHS and social care services in England 100% and commercial/other partner organisations at 100%.
Please note that whilst these percentages will be used to calculate the maximum grant payable, the programme reserves the right to award a grant for less than this maximum where it is considered appropriate.

Uploads

To support your research plan, you are able to upload the following documents in the ‘uploads’ section of the form:

Optional Upload:

Figures/Tables

1 A4 page of figures/tables may be included to supplement your research plan. All submitted figures should be referred to within your research plan (e.g., see figure 1; see figure 2). These figures are restricted to tables/diagrams/images/illustrations; figures that contain only text will not be considered. Each figure should be accompanied by a short descriptive legend.

Mandatory Uploads:

References

1 A4 page listing all references cited in the application.

Research timetable

1 A4 page detailing specific milestone and deliverables. Please only upload a single image of a table or Gantt chart.

CTU letter of support (if applicable)

If a CTU has supported the application and/or will support the proposed fellowship, please include a supporting letter from that CTU. The letter should describe the input of the CTU to the proposal and the continuing support they will provide over the course of the Fellowship.

Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Tool (SOECAT)

Applications including the recruitment of participants must upload a completed SoECAT form. The SoECAT form can be uploaded in CSV format. If a SoECAT is not required for your application, please upload documentation explaining why a SoECAT was not submitted in this instance. There is further Guidance for the completion of the form in these Applicant Guidance Notes.

If any upload (other than the SoECAT and any CTU letter of support) is longer than a single page, only the 1st page of that upload will be considered.

All uploads (other than the SoECAT) must be made in MS Word or Adobe PDF format.

Participants and Signatories

A number of participants and signatories are required to be added to your application and, where applicable, to complete sections of it. Details of the required individuals are provided on the online application form. The flow diagram in Annex B details the actions required of participants, signatories, and the applicant.

Acknowledge, review and submit

Conflict checks – 300 word limit

Please declare any conflicts or potential conflicts of interest that you may have in undertaking this research, including any relevant, non-personal & commercial interest that could be perceived as a conflict of interest.

Agreement to terms and conditions

Please click the check box to confirm you agree to the Terms and Conditions of submission as detailed on the application form.

Additional Supporting Information

NIHR Research Design Service

The NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) supports prospective applicants to make high quality applications for research funding from the NIHR and from other national research funders. Assistance is primarily focused around refinement of research questions, research design and methodological support, so complementing the advice applicants receive from supervisors and/or mentors. The RDS also assists prospective applicants to understand the scope of the NIHR’s various funding streams and to develop public involvement and engagement strategies. This includes involvement of service users, carers and/or practitioners in social care. The RDS may be able to support applicants with small grants to work up public involvement and engagement plans with, for example, service user groups.

The RDS has regional offices and links with local networks. Further information regarding support that the RDS can provide, and contact information for each regional office, is available via the NIHR website.

New Service: On 1 October 2023 the Research Design Service will be replaced by the new NIHR Research Support Service (RSS). You can find out more about the new service here.

CRN support

The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) supports researchers and the life sciences industry in planning, setting up and delivering high quality research to the agreed timelines and study recruitment target, for the benefit of the NHS and social care and patients/service users/carers in England.

In partnership with your university’s R&D office, we encourage you to involve your local CRN team in discussions as early as possible when planning your study to fully benefit from the support the NIHR CRN offers as outlined in their Study Support Service.

Public Involvement and Engagement

The NIHR expects appropriate and relevant involvement of service users, carers, the public and other key stakeholders in the development and conduct of the research it supports.

Although no longer updated, the INVOLVE website also serves as a repository of useful information and resources. INVOLVE was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research to support active public involvement and engagement in NHS, public health and social care research.

NIHR Applied Research Collaborations

NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) support applied health and care research that responds to, and meets, the needs of local populations and local health and care systems.

These 15 local partnerships between NHS providers, universities, charities, local authorities, Academic Health Science Networks, and other organisations also undertake implementation research to increase the rate at which research findings are implemented into practice.

The ARCs, announced in July 2019, aim to improve outcomes for patients and the public; improve the quality, delivery and efficiency of health and care services; and increase the sustainability of the health and care system both locally and nationally.

The ARCs undertake research on a number of areas of need highlighted by the NIHR Future of Health report, including: the challenges of an ageing society; multimorbidity; and the increasing demands placed on our health and care system.

The £135 million five-year funding also aims to deliver national-level impact through significant collaboration between the ARCs, with individual ARCs providing national leadership within their fields of expertise.

The 15 ARCs are:

Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) support

Applicants thinking of including a clinical trial, feasibility or pilot study as part of their application, or are undertaking a research and/or training related to clinical trials are encouraged to consider working with a CTU where appropriate. Further guidance for trainees and applicants is available in the NIHR Clinical Trials Guide for Trainees. This includes guidance on how to go about approaching a suitable CTU to support your application.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) complex intervention research framework

Where appropriate applicants are encouraged to read the MRC NIHR Complex Intervention Research Framework.

Ethics / Regulatory Approvals

Guidance on the application process for ethical and other approvals should be sought from the supporting university in the first instance, but can be found on the HRA website. Please note that if your study is led from England and involves the NHS in England you should apply for HRA approval.

If you are using service user information from an existing database, you should check whether the service users have given their consent for their data to be included in that database for research purposes, or if not whether the database is exempt under Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006. Where exemptions are not already in place, approval to use confidential service user information without consent must be requested from the HRA who make decisions with advice from the Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG).

NOTE: NIHR is interested in taking advantage of the growing utility of routine data (such as HES, GP records etc.), and would like investigators, where appropriate, to ask study participants to consent to long term follow up (e.g. beyond the outcomes to be collected in the funded trial) using routinely collected data, and appropriate linkage to allow this data to be best used.

Plagiarism in NIHR funding applications

NIHR expects all content within applications for funding to be original material of the applicant's own work, with the exception of sections that other participants are required to complete. Whilst we anticipate and expect that applicants will get help and advice from various sources when putting together an application, including on occasion input from those previously awarded funding, care must be taken to ensure this does not lead to plagiarism of either published work or other previous applications. If an allegation of plagiarism is raised against an application this will be investigated in accordance with the NIHR policy on plagiarism, a copy of which is available on request from academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk.

NIHR Privacy Policy

Our purpose for collecting information is to communicate with you about your application and have the necessary information to evaluate you for a fellowship. The data we collect here is collected in the public interest. Information provided here may be subject to Freedom of Information requests.

The NIHR is part of the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). The contracting agent for the NIHR Academy is the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust (LTHT). The DHSC is the Data Controller and LTHT is the Data Processor under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) EC 2016/679. DHSC NIHR respects the privacy of individuals who share their data and processes it in a manner that meets the requirements of GDPR. The DHSC Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at data_protection@dhsc.gov.uk)

The NIHR privacy policy includes further information including ways we may use your data, our contact details and details on your individual rights regarding how your data is used. Your data may be shared across the NIHR, including with other coordinating centres, to allow the application to be managed and for statistical analysis, and with external grant reviewers as part of the process for managing the allocation of a grant. Information collected from you will not be shared outside the EEA without your consent.

This notice is under constant review and will be updated and / or revised based on that review as appropriate.

Requirements for systematic reviews to be registered with PROSPERO

Applicants undertaking systematic reviews should note the commitment of NIHR to publication in the database. PROSPERO was developed by the NIHR’s Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD), and is the first online facility to register systematic reviews for research about health and social care from all around the world. Access is completely free and open to the public. PROSPERO registration is a condition of NIHR funding for eligible systematic reviews.

International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN)

All primary research studies need to be assigned an ISRCTN. Please note that the remit of this database has been widened to include all primary research projects, even those that are not randomised controlled trials.

Existing data resources

Applicants are encouraged to consider whether existing data resources may be able to provide suitable data for their study. We do not want to discourage establishment of new collections of participants and their data where this is necessary to address the research questions under consideration, but rather to avoid applications for funding to set up cohorts where the use of existing data would prevent wasteful duplication of effort and activity.

The UK Data Service provides a unified point of access to an extensive range of high quality social and economic data, including UK census data, government funded surveys, longitudinal studies, international macrodata, qualitative data and business microdata.

UK Biobank is a major national health resource, and a registered charity in its own right, with the aim of improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses – including cancer, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, eye disorders, depression and forms of dementia. UK Biobank recruited 500,000 people aged between 40-69 years in 2006-2010 from across the country to take part in this project. They have undergone measures, provided blood, urine and saliva samples for future analysis as well as detailed information about themselves. The health of members of this large cohort will be followed over the coming years and the participants have consented to be approached about health research.

NIHR Carbon Reduction Guidelines

Researchers applying for NIHR funding are asked to consider the carbon footprint of their research and take steps to reduce carbon emissions where appropriate. Advice on how to do this can be obtained from the NIHR Carbon Reduction Guidelines.

Transparency Agenda

In line with the government’s transparency agenda, any contract resulting from this tender may be published in its entirety to the general public.

Contractual Arrangements

Financial support under an NIHR Fellowship is subject to a contract between the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the host organisation.

Once funding for a Fellowship has been discussed and agreed, NIHR will confirm the financial arrangements with the host organisation. NIHR will provide the host organisation with a contract setting out the details of these arrangements.

Government procurement transparency regulations require publication of details of all contracts made with the DHSC on their Website. Confidential information including research proposals (Plain English Summaries will be published), detailed finance information, bank details, and departmental staff names (other than the award holder’s name) will be removed from the published versions.

Freedom of Information Act

The NIHR manages ICA Programme awards on behalf of NHSE. As such the findings of researchers funded by the programme are incorporated in to the Department of Health and Social Care Freedom of Information Publication Scheme.

Equal Opportunities and Diversity

NIHR is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in research and asks applicants to provide Equality and Diversity Monitoring Information (age, sex, ethnicity and race, and disability). By answering these Equality and Diversity Monitoring Information questions, you will help us to better understand the different groups of people that apply to us for funding and their experiences of the funding process – particularly the groups protected by UK equality legislation. Although it is mandatory to answer these questions, it is possible to select “prefer not to say” as a response. However, the more information you provide, the more effective our monitoring will be. This information will not be used to make decisions about funding.

Contact Details

Please read these Guidance Notes carefully. If you require any further information, advice or guidance please contact the NIHR

Phone: 0113 532 8444 Email: academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk

NIHR Remit frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The following FAQs are designed to help applicants decide whether the research they are proposing as part of a Fellowship or other research training application falls within the remit of the NIHR. Please bear in mind that in these applications, the research project proposal does not stand alone, but is part of a package of elements expected to provide an excellent training experience that will allow the successful applicant to take his/her skills and experiences to a still higher level. Therefore, along with the research proposal, NIHR selection committees will assess the abilities, academic trajectory, existing experience, commitment to a career in health and/or social care research, ambition and aspirations of the applicant, the standards in the research training environment, and the plans for explicit training in research methods. The research proposal provides a framework for research experience so has to be of high quality, but a good research proposal will not be supported if other elements are weak. If you have queries over whether the research you are proposing as part of a research training application falls within the NIHR remit you are strongly advised to speak to a Programme Manager for the award you are applying for before submitting an application.

Do you fund the evaluation of education and/or training schemes?

Yes. Proposed studies should be within the overall remit of the NIHR and outcomes measured should be health or social care related, or there should be good evidence for a link between the outcome measured and a health or care outcome.

Do you fund the development and/or evaluation of decision aids for patients?

The development or updating of a decision aid will be considered as part of a larger project or programme.

Do you fund the development of interventions, devices, technologies, or services?

The development or adaptation of interventions can be considered as part of a larger project or programme of work. We will not fund standalone developmental studies.

Do you fund the development and/or evaluation of outcome measures, questionnaires, or surveys (e.g., Patient Reported Experience/Outcome Measures)?

The development, adaptation or updating of outcome measures questionnaires or surveys can be considered as part of a larger project or programme of work.

Do you fund the development, evaluation and/or validation of models (e.g., risk factor models, health economic models etc)?

Yes – we will consider funding the development of models where there is a case for service need or patient/public benefit. There should also be an evaluation or validation aspect to the study.

Do you fund research requiring observational/applied epidemiological methods?

We fund research according to the potential for patient/public benefit rather than according to specific methodologies. We therefore fund research using a wide range of study designs including observational and applied epidemiological methods. Any study that uses observational and applied epidemiological methods should be an evaluation of an intervention itself, or have a clear, credible and articulated trajectory to further research within NIHR remits. An applied epidemiological component can also be considered as part of a larger project or programme of work.

Do you fund research that is relevant to, or takes place outside the NHS?

We fund research aimed at improving health, public health, and health related social care in a broad sense; we therefore fund research to meet the needs of health services, the NHS, public health and health related social care. Proposed studies should be within the overall remit of the NIHR, and outcomes measured should be health related, or there should be good evidence for a link between the outcome measured and a health outcome.

Do you fund research into workforce?

Yes. Proposed studies should be within the overall remit of the NIHR and should concern the impact on health and well-being, whether of patients, the public, or of the workforce itself.

Contents

Introduction

The NHSE/NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic Programme

The NHSE/NIHR Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) Scheme

Professional Development

The NIHR Remit

Priority Themes and the NHS Long Term Plan

Eligibility requirements for the DCAF Scheme

NIHR Themed Calls - Reducing compound pressures on the NHS and social care

Partnership Fellowships

Moorfields Eye Charity

Contact

Rules on Re-application

Scope of Fellowship Uptake Options

Scope of Funding

Additional points to consider when preparing a DCAF application

Application Procedure and Selection Process

Key Dates

Assessment Criteria

Applicant

Research Programme

Training and Development

Completing the Application Form

ORCID Registration

Submitting the application form

Participants and Signatories

Participants

Signatories

Application form specific guidance

Application Summary Information

Host Organisation

Partner Organisation

Research Title – 300-word limit

Partnership Fellowship

Proposed WTE (including Duration)

Proposed start date if grant awarded

Research Type

Applicant CV

Degrees and Professional Qualifications

Research grants held

Publication Record

Relevant Prizes, Awards, and other Academic Distinctions

ORCiD

Applicant Research Background

Professional Background

Do you have current/active professional registration?

Please describe your research career to date – 1000-word limit

Have you already registered for a PhD?

Has this application, or a similar application, previously been submitted to this or any other funding body? – 500-word limit

Contextual Factors – 500-word limit

Plain English Summary of Research – 600 word limit

Content

Scientific Abstract – 500 word limit

Detailed Research Plan – 5000 word limit

Guidance for applicants on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion for study participants:

What is the problem being addressed?

Why is this research important in terms of improving the health and/or wellbeing of the public and/or to service users and health and social care services?

Review of existing evidence - How does the existing literature support this proposal?

What is the research question / aims and objectives?

Project Plan

Dissemination, Outputs, and anticipated Impact

Project Management

Ethics

Success Criteria

Patient and Public Involvement

Please describe how patients/service users, carers and the public have been involved in developing this proposal – 350 word limit

Please describe the ways in which patients/service users, carers and the public will be actively involved in the proposed research, including any training and support provided – 350 word limit

If it is considered not appropriate and meaningful to actively involve patients/service users, carers and the public in your proposed research, please justify why – 350 word limit

Training & Development and Research Support

Proposed training and development programme – 1000 word limit

Collaborations – 600 word limit

Host Organisation support statement – 1000 words

Detailed Budget

Justification of Costs

Detailed Budget Breakdown

Uploads

Participants and Signatories

Acknowledge, review and submit

Conflict checks – 300 word limit

Agreement to terms and conditions