The NIHR Pre-Application Support Fund offers extra support to help you prepare a competitive application for an NIHR career development award. Cohort 10 is now open and closes at 1pm on 19 November 2026.
The scheme is open to people at all career stages. It offers up to 12 months of flexible funding, normally lasting at least 6 months, and is aimed at those who otherwise may not be able to apply for one of the NIHR’s career development awards. You can use it to build your skills and knowledge through bespoke training, placements and mentorship.
What the award offers
The benefits of a Pre-Application Support Fund award can include:
- protected time away from professional or caring responsibilities to prepare your planned NIHR career development award application
- additional support to remove barriers you would otherwise face because of a disability or health condition
- access to research training directly related to your future application, for example in research methods or working with people and communities (previously referred to as patient and public involvement)
- the chance to develop and broaden your collaborations, and to get supervisor or mentor input on your application
Successful applicants become NIHR Academy Members. For an overview of the scheme, what the funding committee looks for, and tips on building a competitive application, watch the Pre-Application Support Fund webinar.
Funding available
Everything you request must be directly related to developing your application for an NIHR career development award. The award can fund:
- the salary of the award holder
- conference costs up to £1,000, including travel and subsistence
- training and development costs up to £5,000, including travel and subsistence
- support and mentorship, working with people and communities, and research inclusion costs up to £3,000
- reasonable adjustment costs where additional support is required
The award does not cover research costs, including consumables, equipment, publication and indirect costs. Costs are funded at 100% and full economic costing (FEC) is not covered. See the NIHR finance guidance for applicants for help costing your application.
Eligibility
To apply, you must:
- state which NIHR career development award you will use the Pre-Application Support Fund to apply to (the award page lists the eligible awards)
- explain what additional support you need to prepare your application
- have a proposed contracting organisation based in England, and partner organisation if applicable, that is an HEI, NHS body, or other provider of health or care services (applicants to the Addictions Healthcare Goals Programme partnership award can have an equivalent contracting organisation in the devolved nations)
- have a research area of interest, including a plan for your future application, that fits within the NIHR remit for personal awards
- meet, or expect to meet at the time of application, the eligibility criteria for the career development award you plan to apply for
- hold a relevant PhD or MD, or have submitted your thesis for examination before your award start date, if you are aiming for a postdoctoral-level award
- comply with the NIHR resubmission policy for career development awards
- justify why you need further support if you have previously held an NIHR award
- not have another active NIHR career development award application at the time you submit
Partnership award
Partnership awards are offered jointly by the NIHR and its charity and industry partners. Through this call you can also apply for a partnership award with the Addictions Healthcare Goals Programme.
Key dates
- Opening date: 15 September 2026
- Closing date: 19 November 2026 at 1pm
- Funding committee review: November 2026 to January 2027
- Funding committee decision: February 2027
- Award start dates: 1 May, 1 June, 1 July or 1 August 2027
How to apply
This is a single-stage application made through the NIHR awards management system. You will need to create an account if you do not already have one. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
You must provide the following uploads:
- Narrative CV
- Research area of interest, stating the NIHR career development award you intend to apply to and giving an overview of the planned research area (no references needed)
- Career development programme, setting out the activities you plan to undertake during the award, through to submitting your career development award application
- Gantt chart or project plan, aligned with your career development programme and showing when you will submit your future application
- Letters of support from your contracting organisation and, if applicable, your partner organisation, each up to 3 pages
Do not include any other uploads or use the flexible upload option, as reviewers will not consider them. The NIHR recommends converting uploads to PDF before submitting. You can only have one NIHR Academy personal career development award application under consideration at a time, so if you already have one in, wait for the outcome before applying.
Before you start, read the application guidance, the assessment criteria and the research inclusion guidance, which is worth considering when planning what training you need.
Support with your application
If you are based in England, the NIHR Research Support Service offers free, confidential advice on developing career development funding applications, from refining your research question and methods to involving people and communities and building inclusive research. Find out more about the Research Support Service.
The NIHR is committed to removing barriers for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. Include any reasonable adjustment costs in your budget, but do not give detailed information about them in your application. To discuss adjustments to the application process or the award, email personal.awards@nihr.ac.uk.
For help with your application, contact personal.awards+pasf@nihr.ac.uk. Looking for other options? Browse our latest funding calls.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/pre-application-support-fund-cohort-10/2026508)
