NIHR PhD Doctoral Award

This is a single-stage NIHR, doctoral-level funding opportunity. It supports early career researchers to undertake a PhD by research. 

The Doctoral Award is a 3-year training award designed to support the career development of all health and social care professionals through PhD research.

The award supports research in any scientific discipline or sector that contributes to improving health, including public health and social care, within our remit for personal career development awards.

For clinicians, practitioners, and local authority applicants, 20% of the award can be dedicated to clinical or practice time.

A single Doctoral Award

Our simplified Doctoral Award now includes our Doctoral Fellowship, Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship and  Doctoral Local Authority Fellowship.

What funding is available?

The Doctoral Award provides comprehensive funding to support you in undertaking a PhD by research.

Funding covers:

• the full salary of the award holder for the entire duration of the fellowship at the requested FTE. This includes the employer’s contribution to National Insurance and superannuation
• costs for the approved research project
• associated conference fees up to £3,000
• costs for a suitable training and development plan which will lead to further professional development
• working with people and communities costs
• laptop or computer costs up to £1,000

We no longer offer the Full Economic Costing (FEC) model for doctoral-level awards. You must enter all costs at 100%, regardless of the contracting organisation type.

If your application is successful, we will review your budget in line with the funding committee’s recommendations and conditions to ensure value for money and alignment with NIHR requirements.

Further details on eligible costs and limits for this scheme can be found on the Doctoral Award page. For guidance on how to cost your application please see our finance guidance.

Eligibility

Visit the ‘Who can apply?’ section on the Doctoral Award page for full eligibility information.

To apply, you must:

• have prior research experience or training to prepare for a PhD and not already hold a PhD by research
• propose substantive employment with a recognised higher education institution (HEI), NHS body, local authority, or other publicly or third-sector funded health or social care provider in England.
  • if you are applying to the Addictions Healthcare Goals Programme partnership award, you must have an equivalent UK-wide contracting organisation in the devolved nations
  • if you plan to undertake clinical/practice time as part of your award, or your host organisation is not a HEI, a partner organisation must be listed in the application. If this is omitted, your application will not be eligible. Read more about choosing a contracting organisation
• if already registered for a PhD, you must not have been enrolled for more than 12 months full-time by the award start date
• your proposed research must be within our remit for personal career development awards

It is no longer a formal requirement to have a 1st class or 2:1, or equivalent, degree to apply for this scheme. It is at the discretion of the awarding PhD institution to ensure that the applicant has suitable qualifications to undertake a PhD by research. 

Devolved administrations

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are not participating in Cohort 3, however, applicants from the devolved nations may apply for the Addictions Healthcare Goals programme partnership award.

Visit funding web page
(https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/doctoral-award-cohort-3/2026426)