Published: 08 June 2023
NIHR will fund 10 Incubators from next year to support academic research career capacity in areas where there is a national need.
The NIHR Incubator programme was established in 2018. They encourage networking, training and career development support for health and care professionals.
Seven new NIHR-supported Incubators were successful in a recent competition, and three current Incubators were successful in re-applying. All 10 Incubators will start their set-up phase from 1 July and begin in January 2024. NIHR will support them for three years.
NIHR-supported Incubators for 2024, and leads
- Applied Health and Care Research Methodology Incubator - Professor Dawn Teare (successful reapplication)
- Clinical Education Incubator - Professor Gillian Vance (successful reapplication)
- Community Rehabilitation Incubator - Professor Lindsay Bearne
- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiographers Incubator - Professor Helen McNair
- Emergency Care Incubator - Dr Edward Carlton/Professor Heather Jarman (successful reapplication)
- Mental Health Social Care Incubator - Professor Catherine Robinson
- Paediatric Critical Care Incubator - Dr Padmanabhan Ramnarayan
- Pharmacy professionals Incubator- Professor Debi Battacharya
- Race Equity and Diversity in Careers Incubator - Professor Yemisi Takwoingi and Professor Mahendra Patel
- Regulatory Science in AI and Digital Healthcare Incubator - Professor Alastair K Denniston and Dr Xiao Liu
Community-led approach to overcome barriers
Incubators are virtual and bespoke to their community. They provide funding to help stakeholders identify barriers to research capacity and find solutions. They play an important role in attracting, training and supporting researchers to tackle the complex health and care challenges of the future.
Associate Dean of NIHR Academy, Professor Anne-Maree Keenan said: “I am delighted to announce the funding for these 10 Incubators which will help overcome barriers to early career researchers in these areas. They will work closely with the community to address their needs and play an important role in supporting under-represented groups and areas of research most in need.
“I am excited to see the positive changes they can make. They will help the NIHR shine a spotlight on these crucial areas and think creatively about how to solve the issues that they face.”