LSBU wins £450,000 to support 90 NHS healthcare professionals into high-level clinical research
London South Bank University (LSBU) has won a £450,000 award from Health Education England to work with Kings College London to support 90 NHS healthcare professionals who want to become practitioner researchers.
The £450,000 award is part of the ICA programme, funded by Health Education England and run by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to provide opportunities for fully funded clinical research, research training and professional development, while maintaining clinical practice and salary. The £450,000 award will only support healthcare professionals outside of medicine (not doctors and dentists).
The £450,000 funding will provide three bridging schemes for NHS staff working in the London region who want to apply for an ICA award. Ten places will be available annually (2021-2023) on each of the three schemes:
- Internship: This scheme will provide NHS staff who hold a first degree with an insight into research, and support to develop the knowledge and skills they need to design and deliver high-level clinical research.
- Pre-doctoral bridging scheme: This scheme will support those with and without a master’s level qualification to develop competitive applications for NIHR ICA pre-doctoral and doctoral fellowships.
- Post-doctoral bridging scheme: This scheme will provide healthcare professionals who already hold a PhD or Professional Doctorate, support to prepare a competitive application for a NIHR clinical lectureship or another relevant award.
Healthcare professionals outside of medicine who wish to apply for a place on one of the bridging schemes should email: bench@lsbu.ac.uk or stewara2@lsbu.ac.uk
Suzanne Bench, LSBU Professor of Critical Care Nursing said, “We’re delighted to have been awarded the £450,000 Health Education England contract. It’s a brilliant opportunity for NHS staff outside of medicine to develop the skills and knowledge they need to become senior research and practice leaders in the NHS.
“The Health Education England award is further evidence of the leading role LSBU has in training the next generation of healthcare professionals, including high-level clinical-academic leaders."