Senior Investigators

About this funding programme

We fund Senior Investigators every year. They are active NIHR Academy Members and help guide research capacity development. They play a leading role in guiding strategy and tackling challenges in the health and social care landscape, working closely with the NIHR and Department of Health and Social Care. They are ambassadors for the NIHR across the social care, public health and NHS landscape.  

Applications are currently being accepted for a deadline of 1pm 21 August 2024. Once that closes the next round will open in summer 2025.

• Funding opportunity: Senior Investigators Round 18

Who can apply?

You need to work in health, public health or social care in England. To be eligible for the scheme, you must already be:

• making a substantial contribution to NIHR
• receiving NIHR funding
• leading applied health, public health or social care research

Many applicants support our committees and serve on NIHR boards. They provide leadership for NIHR activities at a regional, national or international level. You can find the eligibility criteria on the guidance notes for this scheme.

Current Senior Investigators

We have 200 Senior Investigators and have made more than 800 appointments since 2008. In March 2024, we announced the appointment of 43 NIHR Senior Investigators.

If you would like to find out about Senior Investigators in your area of interest, please email academy@nihr.ac.uk.

Why apply?

Senior Investigators receive discretionary funding of £20,000 per year of appointment to support their research activities.  We award this funding for 4 years.

Senior Investigators can reapply for a second term on completion of their first. They can complete a maximum of two awards totalling no more than 8 years.

What’s involved?

Senior Investigators should:

• contribute significantly to NIHR as senior leaders
• lead the training and development of NIHR’s people, for example through the our mentoring programme and the Future-Focused Leadership Programme
• act as ambassadors for the NIHR
• demonstrate research excellence
• advocate for patient, care users, carers and public involvement and engagement in research
• play a leading role inNIHR’s contribution to growth, for example by:
  • attracting, developing and retaining a highly skilled health research workforce
  • supporting collaborations and contract research within the life sciences industry

Senior Investigators are exceptional research leaders committed to supporting NIHR. We particularly encourage applications from researchers working in social care and public health as well as:

• social care practitioners
• nurses
• midwives
• allied health professionals

We hold an annual, open competition to appoint Senior Investigators. You should submit your application on ARAMIS, our online awards management system.

A funding committee will review your application. You will not need to attend an interview as part of the selection process.

To reflect the diverse professions of applicants, there are three funding sub-committees:

• nursing, midwifery, allied health professional and methodology sub-committee
• social care sub-committee
• medical, dental and public health sub-committee

Our guidance for applicants provides further detail on the application and assessment process.

Help with your application

The following documents provide guidance for completing an application:

• Guidance notes for applicants - describes how applications should be submitted and details on how they will be assessed
• Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Resource Pack - provides extra guidance on how to demonstrate expertise in PPIE in an application
• Round 17 Chair’s Report - outlines the funding committee observations and a summary of the applications and awards

For timeframes and specific criteria for the upcoming round see:

• Funding opportunity: Senior Investigators

Contact

To contact the team that manages Senior Investigator award:

• Telephone: 0113 532 8444
• Email: academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk