NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic (ICA) Programme

The programme, funded by both the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) and National Health Service England (NHSE), is championed by higher education institution (HEI) and clinical academics across the South West. There are key contacts in HEIs across the region that you can contact for advice and support:

• AECC University College: Prof David Newell (dnewell@aecc.ac.uk)
• Bournemouth University: Prof Jane Murphy (jmurphy@bournemouth.ac.uk)
• Plymouth Marjon University: Prof Gary Shum (gshum@marjon.ac.uk)
• University of Bath: Dr Tim Rennie (twr32@bath.ac.uk)
• University of Exeter: Dr Sophie Gould (L.Gould@exeter.ac.uk)
• University of Gloucestershire: Dr Liz Berragan (lberragan@glos.ac.uk)
• University of Plymouth: Dr Lisa Bunn (bunn@plymouth.ac.uk)
• UWE Bristol: Assoc Prof. Mary Cramp (cramp@uwe.ac.uk)

The programme is intended to increase research capacity to improve health and healthcare, by developing people with the potential and aspiration to become leading clinical academics and independent researchers in the future.

It is open to registered health and social care professionals including nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and other non-medical healthcare professionals with ICA approved regulatory bodies. The programme is suitable for clinicians and practitioners who wish to develop careers that combine research and research leadership along with continued practice and professional development.

These awards provide short-term support for those in the South West aspiring to develop a clinical academic career and apply for national awards. There are three levels of awards available:

• Internship award – for individuals that have little research experience or training and would like to develop their knowledge and understanding of research, develop some practical skills, and/or develop a project idea with supervisory guidance and support.
  Link to: Internship Guidance Notes and Internship Application form
  
  
• Pre-doctoral bridging award – for individuals that have some research experience and are developing their research profile, have completed Masters level research training and aspire to gain funding to undertake doctoral research training.
  Link to: Pre-doctoral Guidance Notes and Pre-doctoral Application form
  
  
• Post-doctoral bridging award – for individuals that have completed or will have submitted their thesis at the time of application, are looking to undertake post-doctoral research and build towards applying for a post-doctoral level fellowship such as the NHSE-NIHR Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship.
  Link to: Post-doctoral Guidance Notes and Post-doctoral Application form
  
  

The latest round has recently concluded, but please do check back for announcement of future opportunities. 

For any queries about the awards, please contact SW.ICAP@nihr.ac.uk.

Internships are short duration awards for individuals with little or no research experience. They deliver a range of taught and academically supervised components that engage and expose the award holder to a research environment. Interns develop the practical skills required to undertake a research project or to develop a project idea, supported by an expert supervisor.

The award covers salary costs for the days undertaking the Internship and away from their health or care role.

ICA Internships are managed by local HEE teams.  Further details of the scheme and contact details for your local team are available from the HEE-NIHR Clinical Academic Career web pages. 

The HEE/NIHR ICA Pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (PCAF) scheme offers salaried time to develop a doctoral fellowship application and to undertake funded academic training that will equip awardees with the skills and experience to access doctoral level funding.

Eligibility: The PCAF is open to early career researchers who are committed to a practitioner academic career; combining research with continued practice and professional development. Applicants must hold registration with one of the HEE/NIHR ICA Programme approved regulatory bodies, or have plans in place to hold the required registration by the proposed award start date.

Funding: includes salary costs to support the time undertaking the fellowship, training and development costs and research development support costs.

Timeline: Competition open for applications from the end of January until mid-March, with the fellowship to commence between September to March (the following year). View the current funding opportunities.  

Full scheme details can be found in the PCAF Applicant Guidance Notes.  

NIHR webinars:  

• ‘Find out how to develop a competitive PCAF application’
• ‘Pre-doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship webinar’
• ‘Tips for applying for an NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellowship’

The Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) scheme funds registered healthcare professionals to undertake a PhD by research and, concurrently, to undertake further professional development and practice.

The DCAF is a three year award (up to six years part time), approximately 80% of which will be spent working academically over the course of the fellowship. The remaining 20% of fellowship hours will be spent devoted to practice and professional development. 

Eligibility: This scheme is open to all clinical professionals (excluding doctors and dentists)/ Applicants must hold registration with one of the HEE/NIHR ICA Programme approved regulatory bodies, or have plans in place to hold the required registration by the proposed award start date. See a comprehensive list of eligibility criteria.

Funding: includes salary costs, PhD tuition fees, the costs of an appropriate research project, and the costs of tailored clinical and academic training programmes.

Timeline: competition opens for applications twice a year, in March and September. View the current funding opportunities.

Full scheme details can be found in the DCAF Applicant Guidance Notes. 

The HEE/NIHR ICA Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) supports post-doctoral researchers  to develop their academic career  whilst developing their health or care career.

ACAFs can be between 2 and 5 years in duration if taken up full time or can be taken up part-time between 50% and 100% WTE. Individuals are eligible to be awarded up to two ACAFs sequentially, not normally totalling more than 8 years WTE of funding. Between 20% and 40% of the award time must be dedicated to development of the awardee’s clinical service or practice role, which will be funded through the Fellowship.

Eligibility: Applicants will need to have been awarded, or be will soon be awarded a PhD, and be ready to, or have already begun establishing themselves as an independent researcher. Applicants for an ACAF must hold registration with one of the ICA approved regulatory bodies or have plans in place to hold the required registration by the proposed award start date. See the full eligibility criteria.

Funding: includes lead Applicant’s salary costs, the costs of an appropriate research project, and the costs of a tailored academic and professional development programme.

Timeline: competition opens for applications twice a year, in March and September. View the current funding opportunities.

Full scheme details can be found in the ACAF Applicant Guidance Notes.