Upcoming changes to NIHR Academy research career development opportunities
Date: 21 January 2025
We’d like to let you know about upcoming changes to research career development opportunities at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
What’s changing?
Since 2018, the NIHR Academy has been working to break down barriers to career progression in research. But our portfolio of opportunities has grown over the years and become complex. To ensure our career development opportunities are accessible and easy to understand, we are simplifying our fellowship offering to a single award at predoctoral, doctoral and postdoctoral levels. By simplifying our awards, but keeping our background-specific funding committees, we will improve the experience for applicants but maintain the level of funding and background-specific support that is currently available.
All our other research career development opportunities will continue as they currently are.
Timelines
The first simplified award to launch will be the Predoctoral Award in January 2025. Doctoral and Postdoctoral awards will run twice a year.
| Award | Application Window |
| Predoctoral Award | 29 January – 20 March 2025 |
| Postdoctoral Award | 26 March – 21 May 2025 |
| Doctoral Award | 9 April – 10 June 2025 |
Find out more : See simplification slide deck and simplification blog by Professor Waljit Dhillo, Dean of the NIHR Academy.