Cohort 3 of the NIHR Mentoring Programme is recruiting, and it is open on both sides. NIHR runs mentor and mentee recruitment as two separate applications with the same deadline, so we have listed them together. Pick the side you are applying from and use the matching link below.
This is a formal, matched mentoring relationship running for 12 months, from 1 December 2026 to 1 December 2027. Mentees are NIHR Academy Members. Pairs are deliberately made across organisations, and across disciplines where that works, so your mentor or mentee may come from an associated or complementary professional background rather than your own. Participants get resources and access to professional development events to support the relationship.
There is no money attached. This is a development opportunity rather than an award, but it sits here because NIHR runs it through the same application system as its funding calls.
The two streams
- Early career researcher: final year PhD students, or up to two years postdoctoral.
- Mid career researcher: two or more years postdoctoral.
Both mentor and mentee applications ask which stream you are applying to, and NIHR’s eligibility and what to expect page carries the full criteria for each.
Applying as a mentee
You nominate four matching criteria, the things you actually want help with, and those drive who you get paired with. That makes the choice worth some thought rather than a quick tick through the list. If you are unsure what to ask for, our blog on choosing your mentors and the one on the difference between supervision and mentorship are useful preparation, because the two are not the same thing and expecting one from the other is how these relationships fail.
There is also a free-text section where you can express other preferences, such as wanting a mentor from a particular discipline.
One detail worth knowing before you commit: once pairs are enrolled, the mentee is responsible for making contact and keeping the relationship going. If the first match does not work, you can approach a different mentor from the cohort.
Mentee application guidance | Apply as a mentee (2026/502)
Applying as a mentor
You will support one mentee for 12 months, helping them navigate an academic career and their own development. Your application sets out which areas of support you can offer, and the programme team matches that against what mentees have asked for.
The cross-organisation rule cuts both ways here. You will not be mentoring someone from your own institution, which is much of the point, and several dementia researchers have written about what good mentoring did for their own careers and why it matters. Our Ask Your Mentor podcast series is a decent sense-check of what mentees tend to bring.
Mentor application guidance | Apply as a mentor (2026/501)
How matching works
The programme team reviews all applications together once both close, then works through three stages. First, they take the four matching criteria the mentee has identified and look for mentors who have said they can offer that support. Second, they read the free-text responses to pick up additional preferences on either side. Third, they check for conflicts of interest, including whether both people are hosted at the same institution.
Mentors and mentees are then emailed to confirm the match. NIHR publishes its matching criteria points, which is worth reading before you fill in the form rather than after.
Key dates
- 10 September 2026, 1.00pm, applications opened
- 15 October 2026, 1.00pm, applications close
- October to November 2026, review and pair matching
- November 2026, orientation sessions
- 1 December 2026 to 1 December 2027, the 12 month programme runs
Both applications go through the NIHR awards management system, and anything arriving after 1.00pm on 15 October will not be considered.
Support and adjustments
NIHR states that disabled applicants and people with physical or mental health conditions should not be disadvantaged in applying for or undertaking the programme, and will consider reasonable adjustments. To discuss one, or for any help with either application, email developmentandsupport@nihr.ac.uk. NIHR’s wider research inclusion commitments apply throughout.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.nihr.ac.uk/career-development/nihr-academy/benefits/mentoring-programme)
