Senior Research Leader Programme for nurses and midwives

Overview

The Senior Research Leader (SRL) Programme offers nurses and midwives the opportunity to shape and embed a research culture within their organisation and beyond. You will use your knowledge and personal experiences to motivate and enable others to get involved in research projects that help improve patient care.

We are looking for people from various health or social care backgrounds who are good at leading research activities, connecting with others, and who bring fresh ideas.

What do senior research leaders do?

As a senior research leader, you will:

• make a significant contribution to health or care services
• join a community of SRLs and network with colleagues across England
• lead the development of research capacity and capability in nursing and midwifery in your organisation
• bring together research activities across your organisation to influence your Senior Management Team
• act as an ambassador for the NIHR SRL Programme and the wider NIHR
• use links with local universities to optimise the integration of clinical research into nursing and midwifery programmes
• work with senior research leaders and NIHR nursing and midwifery colleagues to develop and pilot initiatives related to national research goals and priorities
• have a strong commitment and drive to promote equitable and inclusive practices

We will support you as you lead research initiatives. Together, we will foster a diverse pipeline of research leaders who can represent and advocate for nurses and midwives from all backgrounds.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the SRL programme, you need to be:

• a nurse or midwife registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council or a dental nurse registered with the General Dental Council
• a nurse or midwife in England who has experience in research leadership in health or social care at a local and/or regional level
• employed by an institution delivering services funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in England, these could include NHS Trusts, recognised universities, and social and primary care organisations (please see employment criteria below)

You will also need to ensure your employer will support you to be on the programme for 2 days (0.4 WTE) a week over 3 years.  

If you applied for the Senior Research Leader Programme before and did not get a place, you are welcome to apply again, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.

Employment criteria

You must have an employment contract with an eligible organisation throughout the programme. Below is a list of some eligible organisations:

• NHS trusts
• recognised universities - check universities on gov.uk
• primary care or social care organisations
• dental practices
• residential care homes
• GP practices or primary care networks
• local authorities 
• hospices
• ambulatory services
• prison service
• charities
• any organisation delivering services funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in England

If you have a substantive contract with a university, you must also have an honorary contract with an organisation funded by the DHSC. This role should have a specified clinical or leadership remit for at least 0.4 WTE and be in place before your application.

What if I move to a new job?

If you move jobs, you can continue on the programme, as long as your new employer meets the eligibility criteria.

Who we are looking for

We particularly welcome applications if you work in:

• community care
• dental practices
• mental health
• midwifery
• learning disabilities
• primary care
• public health
• rural and coastal communities
• social care

and if developing research capacity at work accounts for less than 50% of your role.  

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and communities. We are committed to having leadership and teams that are made up of diverse skills and experiences. To find out more, visit our equality, diversity and inclusion page.

Applied before?

If you applied for the Senior Research Leader Programme before and did not get a place, you are welcome to apply again, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria and can provide evidence of how you have addressed previous feedback from reviewers.

If you have any questions about eligibility or would like to discuss your situation before applying, please email srl@nihr.ac.uk 

Funding

We will fund the secondment of each senior research leader onto the programme at an Agenda for Change Band 8b (entry level) or the equivalent. We will pay this regardless of your current band. The funding will last for 3 years at 0.4 WTE.

You can also claim up to £1,000 every year in travel and subsistence for programme related activities, training and learning materials.

Your employer will pay you at 0.4 WTE band 8b (entry).

Funds are paid directly to your employer.

Application process

How to apply

You can apply for the 2025 cohort from 30 August 2024. 

Apply online through ARAMIS, our online awards management system.

You will need to create an account if you don't already have one.  

Once you have logged in, go to 'New Application'. 'NIHR Senior Research Leader Programme Nursing and Midwifery' will be listed as an award type you can apply for.

Closing date for applications is 31 October 2024 at 1pm.

Assessment criteria 

We will assess applications against the criteria below. Make sure you include these in your application:

• quality and relevance of answers in your application
• evidence of relevant senior research leadership
• ability to demonstrate impact of previous research projects and initiatives
• suitability and commitment to work strategically to promote change and better research culture in your organisation
• ability to plan and articulate clear research priorities and link them to relevant wider organisational and national priorities
• your potential to influence organisational change
• demonstrated ability to build and maintain strategic links and networks internally and externally
• track record of supporting nursing and midwifery research and committing to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive research culture

Process

We screen all applications to ensure they meet the eligibility and assessment criteria.  

A selection committee will review eligible applications and will select the successful applicants.

In the 2024 cohort, there were 25 places on the programme.

We will announce successful applicants to the 2025 cohort in January 2025.

More information

Please email srl@nihr.ac.uk