Those looking to start a career in research are set for a boost as the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announces £30m of extra funding per year to increase visibility and expand opportunities.
NIHR singles out nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, pharmacists, and healthcare scientists as occupations that will benefit from the investment.
Some of the benefits enabled through the money include:
- NIHR’s INSIGHT programme expanding to more than 300 places per year
- Enhanced support for early career researchers with the expansion of an existing pre-doctoral fellowship to encompass a wider array of professionals in primary care
- The introduction of the New Generation Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award, which will prioritise healthcare professionals (HCPs) at a post-doctoral level
- A new Clinical Research Leaders Programme for allied health professionals, which will aim to tackle leadership visibility and help staff facilitate change in their organisations
- New NIHR regional research leadership offices to promote opportunities for HCPs
Associate Dean of the NIHR Academy, Professor Anne-Maree Keenan OBE, said: “Since its establishment in 2006, the NIHR has been pivotal in supporting HCPs build research-active careers.”
She continued: “This increased investment will create a highly expanded community of research HCPs to sit alongside the already established medical academic communities, to effectively work together to deliver higher quality research.”
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