The British Heart Foundation’s Consultant Research Awards buy NHS consultants protected time to lead substantial research of their own alongside their clinical job. If you’re a consultant who has kept research going in the margins and wants to do it properly, this is the scheme. The next deadline is 13 January 2027.
The BHF funds research into heart and circulatory diseases, and that remit takes in the vascular side of brain health, including stroke, small vessel disease and vascular dementia.
Who can apply
The scheme is for substantive NHS consultants in clinical posts, usually with a PhD or MD and a record of good academic cardiovascular research. You might already have a PA or two of research time that you want to build on. University-based clinicians with substantial research contracts aren’t eligible, and nor are locums without a substantive post. The BHF particularly welcomes applications from women, who are under-represented.
The research has to be a distinct programme that you own and lead. The award can’t be used mainly to buy time to write future grant applications. You can hold a maximum of two awards, and a second needs a strong case for how it moves you towards independence.
What it covers
You’d spend 20% to 50% of your time on research, over up to two years full-time or five years part-time. The award covers:
- Salary backfill for your NHS PAs, up to two years full-time equivalent.
- Up to £35,000 a year for staff, consumables and essential equipment.
- Up to £1,000 a year each for travel and a discretionary fund, plus up to £200 a year towards caring costs.
Deadlines and decisions
The next deadline is 13 January 2027 at 17:00, by which point the application must be fully submitted after sign-off from your Head of Department and Administrative Authority, so build in time for that. Miss it and your application rolls over to the following round, which closes on 16 June 2027. Shortlisted candidates are usually interviewed, and the Clinical Fellowships Committee decides after external review.
How to apply
The BHF encourages an informal chat with its Fellowships team first. Send a two-page CV, a one-page project description, the proposed duration, the research time you’re expecting and an estimated cost. Applications go through the BHF’s online system at researchgrants.bhf.org.uk. The case for support is a single PDF in Arial 12, and the BHF rejects applications in any other font size before they’re considered, so check the formatting rules in the scheme guidance carefully. You’ll need current and proposed job plans, and letters from your Trust and your university Head of Department. Our blog Getting a Grant Funded: A View from the Panel gives a useful view from the other side of the table.
Read the full details and apply
Visit funding web page
(https://www.bhf.org.uk/for-professionals/information-for-researchers/what-we-fund/consultant-research-awards)