The NIHR is working closely with the Medical Research Council (MRC), Alzheimer’s Society and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to grow clinical research capacity and improve career paths through the aligned Clinical Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF).
The first NIHR Clinical FLF opportunity represents a coordinated cross funder initiative to strengthen support for clinical academic careers, in response to the findings of the reports commissioned by the Office for Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research. It is therefore open to health and care professionals, as defined by NIHR, doctors and dentists. We will be looking at developing these opportunities to include social workers and researchers from other non-clinical professions.
If you are a senior postdoctoral clinical academic, you can apply to undertake funded research and a bespoke training and leadership development programme.
The 7-year award will provide you with protected research time and leadership development opportunities. It will enable you to transition from postdoctoral researcher to research leadership roles.
We offer Clinical FLFs in partnership with contracting organisations. To apply, your contracting organisation must nominate you and commit to providing significant support. The support offered by your contracting organisation must include:
- contributing to tapered salary costs throughout the fellowship
- committing to the provision of an open-ended UK based independent research or innovation position, to be taken up during or upon the completion of the fellowship
- this must be in-line with organisational employment policies and practices
Who can be nominated?
You are eligible to apply for nomination if you are an experienced postdoctoral health and care professional who is proposing research within NIHR remit and doesn’t yet hold a professorial post.
Your contracting organisation must be based in England or Northern Ireland, and committed to providing significant support throughout the fellowship. Visit our Clinical FLF award page for full eligibility details.
How many nominations can each organisation make?
We invite eligible organisations to nominate a maximum of 3 eligible applicants for each Clinical FLF funding opportunity.
If a contracting organisation nominates 2 or 3 individuals, it must ensure a spread of nominees across professions, gender and ethnicity.
Devolved nation applications
Read more about participating devolved nations.
If you are applying from Northern Ireland you must contact the HSC Research & Development Division to discuss your intentions before starting the application form. You must also inform your contracting and partner organisations of your intention and seek their advice prior to completing an application.
A letter of support from an authorised representative of the HSC R&D Division, contracting organisation, and where applicable, partner organisation should be included as part of the application. Applications received without this letter will not be eligible.
Please note that successful applicants based in Northern Ireland will be managed by the HSC Research & Development Division and will be bound by their terms and conditions. Applicants should contact them with any queries.
Northern Ireland applicants should discuss with the HSC R&D Division if they wish to undertake any clinical service during the time of the fellowship. Successful candidates will not have their clinical salary paid as part of this award and as such must take this into account when calculating costs for salary split between academic/research and clinical work. It is expected that your employing organisation would cover the costs of all clinical duties.
Northern Ireland Devolved Administration
Address: Health & Social Care R&D Division of the Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, 9th Floor Linum Chambers, Bedford Street, Belfast, BT2 7ES
Email Sorcha.Finnegan@hscni.net or call 028 9536 3490.
Overview
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Opportunity status:Open
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Type:Career development
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Opening date:
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Closing date:
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Reference ID:2025/444
Ready to apply?
Apply for this opportunity through our online application form.
We are working closely with the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to grow clinical research capacity and improve career paths through the aligned Clinical Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF).
The first NIHR Clinical FLF opportunity represents a coordinated cross funder initiative to strengthen support for clinical academic careers, in response to the findings of the reports commissioned by the Office for Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research. It is therefore open to health and care professionals, as defined by NIHR, doctors and dentists. We will be looking at developing these opportunities to include social workers and researchers from other non-clinical professions.
If you are a senior postdoctoral clinical academic, you can apply to undertake funded research and a bespoke training and leadership development programme.
The 7-year award will provide you with protected research time and leadership development opportunities. It will enable you to transition from postdoctoral researcher to research leadership roles.
We offer Clinical FLFs in partnership with contracting organisations. To apply, your contracting organisation must nominate you and commit to providing significant support. The support offered by your contracting organisation must include:
- contributing to tapered salary costs throughout the fellowship
- committing to the provision of an open-ended UK based independent research or innovation position, to be taken up during or upon the completion of the fellowship
- this must be in-line with organisational employment policies and practices
Who can be nominated?
You are eligible to apply for nomination if you are an experienced postdoctoral health and care professional who is proposing research within NIHR remit and doesn’t yet hold a professorial post.
Your contracting organisation must be based in England or Northern Ireland, and committed to providing significant support throughout the fellowship. Visit our Clinical FLF award page for full eligibility details.
How many nominations can each organisation make?
We invite eligible organisations to nominate a maximum of 3 eligible applicants for each Clinical FLF funding opportunity.
If a contracting organisation nominates 2 or 3 individuals, it must ensure a spread of nominees across professions, gender and ethnicity.
Devolved nation applications
Read more about participating devolved nations.
Northern Ireland
If you are applying from Northern Ireland you must contact the HSC Research & Development Division to discuss your intentions before starting the application form. You must also inform your contracting and partner organisations of your intention and seek their advice prior to completing an application.
A letter of support from an authorised representative of the HSC R&D Division, contracting organisation, and where applicable, partner organisation should be included as part of the application. Applications received without this letter will not be eligible.
Please note that successful applicants based in Northern Ireland will be managed by the HSC Research & Development Division and will be bound by their terms and conditions. Applicants should contact them with any queries.
Northern Ireland applicants should discuss with the HSC R&D Division if they wish to undertake any clinical service during the time of the fellowship. Successful candidates will not have their clinical salary paid as part of this award and as such must take this into account when calculating costs for salary split between academic/research and clinical work. It is expected that your employing organisation would cover the costs of all clinical duties.
Northern Ireland Devolved Administration
Address: Health & Social Care R&D Division of the Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, 9th Floor Linum Chambers, Bedford Street, Belfast, BT2 7ES
Email Sorcha.Finnegan@hscni.net or call 028 9536 3490.
Partnership awards
Partnership awards are funding opportunities offered jointly by the NIHR and our charity and industry partners. The charities offering a partnership award for this submission window are:
Alzheimer’s Society
Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading care and research charity for people with dementia. It funds research into all types of dementia and across all areas including diagnosis and detection, treatment, support and care.
Contact Katherine Gray, Head of Research and Influencing Partnerships, for more information
katherine.gray@alzheimers.org.uk
Moorfields Eye Charity
Moorfields Eye Charity is interested in funding research in eye health, vision research, ophthalmic related service improvement, education or clinical practice. Please note: applicants will normally be hosted by either the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or its main HEI partner (University College London). If hosted by another institution a direct collaboration with and benefit to Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust must be demonstrated in order to be eligible to apply for a Partnership Fellowship.
Martin Cordiner
Funding Manager
What will a Clinical FLF provide?
A Clinical FLF will provide funding to support your transition into an independent and permanent research position and covers your salary, a research project and your training and development costs. See Clinical FLF award page for details.
How much can you apply for?
With the exception of salary costs, clinical trials unit charges and conference costs, this award does not have strict budgetary caps. All costs must offer value for money and you must fully justify them in your application. Please visit our finance guidance for more detail.
Award duration
The Clinical FLFs are 7-years full time equivalent in duration which may be undertaken on a part time basis.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/clinical-future-leaders-fellowship-cohort-1/2025444)
