Funding and opportunities

Resources

Videos from the ‘Could you be a research delivery leader?’ event on 12 March 2025 about the NIHR Clinician Researcher Credentials Framework are now available. Videos introduce the framework, review course information from participating universities, and outline next steps for undertaking study. If you have any questions about the framework or available bursaries, please email credentials@nihr.ac.uk.

Free E-learning resources are available via NHS Applied Research Collaboration Wessex on starting out in clinical academic research, finding a mentor, and getting support for research applications.

The CAHPR website has a whole repository of research resources helpfully divided into various sections. Check out the videos and podcasts section to find a host of resources made by various CAPHR hubs and beyond.

Inclusive research opportunities and resources

The Wellcome Accelerator Awards support researchers of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK to make successful career transitions. Closes 15 July 2025.

Nuffield Foundation are providing the Racial Diversity UK Fund, which will fund research to understand the barriers and pathways to a racially just and inclusive society. Closes 6 October 2025.

A new study shows the benefit of mentoring to support women from ethnic minority backgrounds to develop their careers in academic medicine and health sciences. The study evaluated the Academic Intersectionality Mentoring in Medical Schools (AIMMS Mentoring) scheme, which is currently looking for new members.

Read the latest Career Q&A pieces from the Nature Changemakers in Science series, celebrating and highlighting initiatives to champion anti-racism and inclusion in all aspects of research.

Following the publication of the new Equity, Diversity and Belonging vision, explore the RCSLT EDB resources including LGBTQIA+ guidance, supporting neurodivergent SLTs and supporting SLTs with disabilities in the workplace.

Race Equity & Diversity in Careers (REDIC) is an NIHR-funded Incubator dedicated to improving race equity and diversity in UK healthcare academia. Find their social channels on their linktr.ee.

Find the latest updates on the NIHR Research Inclusion Strategy.

Researchers in NIHR ARCs who are completing an Equality Impact Assessment may benefit from attending a free NIHR workshop offering supporting. Workshops are on various dates throughout the year. Find out more information about the webinar and dates.

Explore The Centre for Ethnic Health Research resources for increasing participation and diversity in research.

Trial Forge, an initiative aimed at improving clinical trials, published the INCLUDE Ethnicity Framework. The framework aims to help trial teams think specifically about which ethnic groups should be included in their trial for its results to be widely applicable, and what challenges there may be to making this possible.

Project / programme grants and funding

National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)

All funding opportunities from NIHR can be found online.

• NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity. Closes 29 July 2025.
• NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity (HSDR Programme)). Closes 29 July 2025.
• NIHR HSDR Programme researcher-led. Closes 29 July 2025.
• Compensatory interventions to facilitate swallowing in adults with dysphagia to fluids. Closes 30 July 2025.
• The use of thickened fluids in children and young people with oropharyngeal dysphagia. Closes 30 July 2025.
• Increasing social support and parenting skills for parents with learning disabilities. Closes 30 July 2025.
• Increasing social support and parenting skills for parents with learning disabilities. Closes 30 July 2025.
• Evaluating interventions for foster/kinship carers of looked-after children with behavioural difficulties. Closes 30 July 2025.
• Pre-Application Support Fund offering support to prepare a competitive application for NIHR career development awards. Closes 31 July 2025.
• Novel non-pharmacological approaches for diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Closes 5 August 2025.
• Programme Grants for Applied Research June call. Includes underrepresented health and care disciplines and AHPs. Closes 13 August 2025.
• Children and young people’s mental health. Closes 15 August 2025.
• RPSC Highlight Notice: Children’s Social care. Research to increase the effectiveness of social care services, provides value for money and benefit people who need or use social care services. Closes 17 September 2025.
• James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnerships rolling funding (HSDR Programme). Closes 23 September 2025.
• Programme Grants for Applied Research October call. Includes underrepresented health and care disciplines and AHPs. Opens 7 October. Closes 2 December 2025.

Medical Research Council (MRC)

All funding opportunities from MRC can be found online.

• Researching motor neurone disease: highlight notice. No closing date.
• Researching ME/CFS: highlight notice. No closing date.
• Clinician Scientist Fellowship. Closes 3 September 2025.
• Predoctoral clinical research training fellowship. Closes 3 September 2025.
• Postdoctoral clinical research training fellowship. Closes 3 September 2025.
• Neurosciences and mental health research grant. Closes 4 September 2025..

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

All funding opportunities from ESRC can be found online

• ESRC responsive mode: research grants round two. No closing date.
• ESRC responsive mode: new investigator grants round two. No closing date.
• ESRC responsive mode: secondary data analysis round two. No closing date.

Wellcome  

All funding opportunities from Wellcome can be found online.

• Wellcome Accelerator Awards support researchers of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK to make successful career transitions. Closes 15 July 2025.
• Wellcome Career Development Awards. Closes 24 July 2025.
• Wellcome Early-Career Awards. Closes 30 September 2025.

Leverhulme Trust 

All funding opportunities from Leverhulme Trust can be found online.

• Research Project Grants. Submit outline proposal throughout the year, invited detailed application deadlines 1 September and 1 December 2025.

Nuffield Foundation 

All funding opportunities from Nuffield Foundation can be found online.

• Research, Development & Analysis Fund. Outline application deadline 6 October 2025.
• Racial Diversity UK Fund. Closes 6 October 2025.
• POST Fellowship for PhD student to complete a 13 week fellowship at The Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST). Opens October 2025.

Other funders and charities

• Parkinson’s UK Rosemary Maguire educational bursary. For health or social care professionals who want to attend a conference or undertake training. Currently open.
• Parkinson’s UK Grants for non-drug approaches. Closes 11 September 2025.
• BBC Children in Need Grants for charities and not-for-profit organisations. Opens September 2025.

Fellowships and clinical academic opportunities

National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)

Find all NIHR fellowships under the Research career development funding programmes.

• HTA Postdoctoral Award for candidates in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Outline application. Closes 30 July 2025.
• Principal Investigator Pipeline Programme (PIPP) offers AHPs in England the opportunity to develop as Principal Investigators on NIHR portfolio studies. Opens September 2025.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Fellowships

• Daphne Jackson fellowship. For researchers returning after a career break. No closing date.

Wellcome Trust

• PhD Fellowships for Health Professionals. Various Dates.

PhDs

We now share only funded project-based PhD opportunities, sourced from findaphd.com 

Note, that there may be opportunities to apply for funding with institutions to pursue other PhD topics and we encourage you to contact relevant universities and browse Find a PhD to explore this. 

Latest opportunities: 

• Health and Social Care: Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Intensive Learning Academy (ILA) Innovation in Health and Social Care Scholarship. For individuals working in Health and Social Care in Wales. Swansea University. Deadline: 10 August 2025.
• Advanced speech enhancement using transformer networks. University of Southampton. Deadline: 31 August 2025.
• Auditory perception of object properties. University of Southampton. Deadline: 31 August 2025.
• Assistive wearable technologies: What are the right trousers? And who are they right for? University of Bristol. Deadline: 10 September 2025.
• Self-Tracking for Neurodivergent Women: Designing Digital Tools to Support Sport, Health and Wellbeing. Northumbria University. Deadline: 15 September 2025.