The British Heart Foundation’s Research Training Fellowships fund nurses and other healthcare professionals to do a PhD in cardiovascular research. They’re a route into research for people who’ve built their careers in clinical practice and want to answer questions that come straight out of patient care. 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. The research should usually aim to improve care and outcomes for people with cardiovascular disease. More basic science is better suited to other BHF schemes, so contact the BHF if you’re unsure.
Who can apply
The fellow should normally work in a cardiovascular setting and be one of the following:
- Nurses and midwives.
- Allied health professionals, including clinical psychologists.
- Healthcare scientists and clinical perfusionists.
- Pharmacists.
They’d usually hold a good Master’s degree. The application is made by an established investigator who’ll supervise the fellow, with at least 10% of their time on supervision and a second supervisor named.
If you’ve already started a PhD, you can apply within six months of registration, with a start date no more than 12 months after registering.
What it covers
Fellowships usually last three years, or up to five part-time. The award covers your salary, consumables (usually under £18,000 a year), home-rate tuition fees subject to a cap, and up to £3,000 for travel to meetings. Full-time fellows can usually spend up to about 20% of their time on patient care.
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. The Clinical Fellowships Committee decides after external peer review.
How to apply
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 a statement from your Director of Nursing, AHP lead or equivalent describing your non-research cardiovascular work. Our guide to securing your first research fellowship has more on putting together a strong case.
Read the full details and apply
Visit funding web page
(https://www.bhf.org.uk/for-professionals/information-for-researchers/what-we-fund/research-training-fellowships-for-healthcare-professionals)