Pre-Application Support Fund

The NIHR Pre-Application Support Fund offers extra support to prepare a competitive application for an NIHR career development award. 

The Pre-Application Support Fund is open to all career stages and offers extra support to those who need it. It’s designed to help you prepare a competitive application for an NIHR career development award, with up to 12 months of flexible funding available. We normally expect funding through this award to last a minimum of 6 months.

This funding enhances the opportunities and support available to those who otherwise may not be able to apply for one of our career development awards. You can enhance your skills and knowledge through bespoke training, placements and mentorship.

Benefits of a Pre-Application Support Fund award

The benefits of this funding include:

• protected time from professional or caring responsibilities to prepare your planned application for an NIHR career development award
• access additional support to remove barriers you would otherwise face as a result of a disability or health condition
• gaining access to necessary research training resources 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
• opportunities to further develop and broaden your collaborations, as well as get supervisor or mentor input on your application

If your application is successful, you will become an NIHR Academy Member.

Watch webinar for application tips and insights

Funding available

All costs requested should be directly related to developing your application for an NIHR career development award.

This funding opportunity provides funding for:

• 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
• other direct costs where additional support is required. Please see further guidance on this.

Research costs, including consumables and equipment, publication, and indirect costs, are not supported by the Pre-Application Support Fund.

Costs for this award will be funded at 100% and Full Economic Costings (FEC) are not covered by this award. Full details of costs for this scheme are available on the  Pre-Application Support Fund page.

Guidance about how to cost your application is available via the NIHR finance guidance.

Eligibility

To apply, you must:

• state the NIHR career development award you will use the Pre-Application Support Fund to apply to. Please see the Pre-Application Support Fund award page for a list of eligible NIHR career development awards
• explain what additional support you need to prepare an application for NIHR career development funding
• have a proposed English contracting organisation, and partner organisation if applicable, that is an HEI, NHS body, or other provider of health or care services
• 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 NIHR career development award you would use the fund to apply for
• if applying for a post-doctoral level award, you must hold a relevant PhD or MD, or have submitted your thesis for examination before your Pre-Application Support Fund start date
• not have submitted a Pre-Application Support Fund application in the previous submission window.

You must not have another active NIHR career development award application at the time of submitting your Pre-Application Support Fund application. Find full eligibility information.