NIHR Doctoral Award

The award pays the holder's full salary, including national insurance and pension contributions, at their full-time equivalent for the whole three years. It also pays for the approved research project (equipment, consumables, travel including overseas research visits, and dissemination), a training and development plan, open access publication, and conferences up to 3,000 pounds for travel, accommodation, subsistence and fees.

Full economic costing no longer applies at doctoral level, so estates and indirect costs cannot be claimed, and all costs are entered at 100% whatever the employer. Clinicians, practitioners and local authority staff can include up to 20% of their time for paid clinical or professional practice to keep their skills current.

The award is for early career researchers working in health and social care settings, including local authorities, universities and the NHS. Applicants need some research experience or training to prepare them for a PhD, must not already hold a PhD by research in a relevant subject, and, if already registered for a PhD, must not have been enrolled for more than twelve months full-time by the start.

A first-class or upper second degree is no longer required: whether an applicant is qualified for a research PhD is up to the awarding university. Applicants must propose employment with an eligible organisation (a university, NHS body, local authority or other publicly or charitably funded care provider), must live in the UK throughout, and the research must fall within the NIHR remit for personal career awards. The award does not fund global health research.

The award lasts three years full-time equivalent and can be held part-time, at any level between 50% and 100% in steps of 5%. Each round sets which parts of the UK take part: Cohort 3 required employers in England, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland taking part only through a UK-wide partnership award on addiction. Applicants whose employer is not a university, or who plan to keep practice time, must name a partner organisation.

Some rounds include partnership awards with charities, which work like the standard award and give extra benefits from the charity; in Cohort 3 these included diabetes, epilepsy, kidney, eye health, prostate cancer, stroke and women's health charities. The NIHR also prioritises, among equally fundable applications, candidates hosted by post-1992 universities and non-university hospital settings.