The NIHR Academy Member Event Fund provides support to plan and hold events that promote NIHR Academy programmes and strategic priorities.
Funding is available primarily for individual Academy members to organise their own events that meet the award objectives and to advocate for the NIHR Academy. The funds should not be used as an additional source of funding where funding is already being received for engagement activities (e.g. INSIGHT, Incubators).
Who is eligible to apply?
Individual Postdoctoral Members (including those based within the NIHR Infrastructure, NIHR Schools and NIHR supported Incubators) are eligible to apply. View details of NIHR Academy membership.
NIHR Global Health Training Leads and Global Health Personal Award holders are also eligible to apply. Wider Global Health Members are not eligible to apply.
Events based overseas (e.g. in Lower Middle Income Countries) may be in scope, as long as they meet the other criteria. The institution which will be in receipt of the funding should be based in the UK. If the institution is based overseas, they should already be in receipt of NIHR funds.
Objectives of funded events
Funded events should support one of the following objectives:
- promote NIHR Academy Programmes to individuals from underrepresented professions or individuals working in priority areas
- support individuals from underrepresented professions or individuals working in priority areas to apply for NIHR Academy Programmes
- benefit NIHR Academy members in underrepresented professions or working in priority areas
Events can include, but are not limited to, those that:
- support the development of applications to NIHR Academy programmes
- build networks and provide peer to peer support for NIHR Academy members and/or prospective applicants to NIHR Academy programmes from underrepresented professions or working in priority areas
- provide training or support for NIHR Academy members addressing NIHR’s strategic priorities
Events must target at least one of the following professional groups or priority areas.
Professional groups
- primary and community care professions
- pharmacists
- public health
- social care
- radiographers
Priority areas
- multiple long term conditions
- sustainability
- inclusive research (including sex and gender) as a condition of NIHR funding
- working with industry
Events that are not targeted at one of these groups will be classed as ineligible.
How much funding is available?
Individuals can apply for up to £5,000 of funding. Applications exceeding this threshold will be considered ineligible. Individuals can only receive support for one event per financial year.
The funding can be used to cover:
- event advertising
- hosting the event e.g. venue hire (preference should be given to host organisation venues first); software
- producing resources e.g. handouts; creation of long term resources
- accessibility costs – appropriate costs should be included in the application but only claimed for if required by registered delegates. Flexibility to adjust costs to meet the needs of the delegates will be permitted
- refreshments (excluding alcohol)
- working with people and communities expenses
Funding for events
Events will be funded retrospectively in arrears. If your application is successful, you will receive an NIHR Letter of Support confirming the approved level of support, which may differ from your application.
Your host organisation will need to support your event upfront. After your event, you will be required to submit an invoice and associated evidence for an amount not exceeding the amount in the NIHR Letter of Support.
How applications will be reviewed
Applications will be reviewed on a quarterly basis and outcomes will be issued within one month of the quarterly submission deadline. Please consider this when deciding when to submit an application.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/academy-member-event-fund-2026/97056)
