National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) scholarship

What is INSIGHT?

There are 12 Regional Programmes funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) INSIGHT initiative, which is part of the NIHR Academy's £30M investment aimed at expanding training and career development opportunities for health and social care professionals.

The programme focuses on newly graduated or qualified, underrepresented professions, to enhance diversity among individuals entering and advancing in rewarding research careers and understanding more about research and how to embed it in practice. Its goal is to attract more nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, and other registered health professionals, as well as public health and social care practitioner academics.

INSIGHT in the East Midlands (EM. INSIGHT) offers the exciting opportunity for fully funded studentships (course fees and a UKRI rate tax free stipend – pro rata for part time students) to undertake Master's level research training in the East Midlands

You must:

• Be a home student for tuition fees purposes.
• Be a new graduate (you must complete your studies prior to September in the academic year you are applying for) or recent graduate (up to 5 years FTE).
• Be a non-medical health care professional on the list* of HEE/NIHR ICA. programme approved regulatory bodies on the NIHR website. *If your profession is not listed, you are not eligible to apply for this program. Your professional registration must be active if you are qualified. Public health professionals must already be employed in a public health role, with no more than five years of experience, and an indicative commitment to apply for UKPHR within 10 years.
• Have the support of your employer (if employed) to release you for the duration of your studies.
• Have completed your degree (if currently studying) by the time of registering for the academic programme.
• Be living, studying, or working in the East Midlands.

Application process:

The application for an Research Master’s Studentship is a 2-part process which can be completed in tandem:

Part 1:

All applicants must complete the following.

1. The NIHR INSIGHT in the East Midlands (EM. INSIGHT) Scholarship Application Form Part 1
2. The NIHR INSIGHT in the East Midlands (EM. INSIGHT) Scholarship Application Form Part 2
3. Confirmation of employer support: The NIHR INSIGHT in the East Midlands (EM. INSIGHT) Employer Support Form will be provided directly to your Line Manager for completion. This must be submitted prior to interview.

Part 2:

All applicants must apply directly to the university offering the Master's programme they wish to pursue. The same personal statement may be used for both applications; however, please ensure you mention in your Master's programme application that you have also applied for the NIHR INSIGHT East Midlands (EM. INSIGHT) Scholarship.

Please REGISTER HERE to register your interest and receive an application form. Please ensure you read the accompanying guidance notes.

Closing date: Friday 2 May 2025

Application criteria

Have a 2:1 or more achieved at undergraduate degree (predicted/currently achieving if still studying) or 60% or more at masters level (currently achieving if still studying and doesn't meet UG academic requirements) or able to demonstrate equivalence (to be discussed on a case by case basis with the project lead).

Application timeline:

Application opening date: Monday 3 February 2025

Application closing date: Friday 2 May 2025

Outcome for written application: Thursday 22 May 2025

Interviews will take place between: Monday 9 June – Friday 20 June 2025

Outcome of interviews: Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Start date:

Academic year Autumn 2025/2026. Registration and induction for academic programmes will be at the end of September/beginning October (university dependent).

For more information, please contact HS-EM-INSIGHT@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk

Please note this process is for EM.INSIGHT funding ONLY. You will also be required to submit an application for the programme of study you are wishing to undertake. This can be done simultaneously whilst applying for INSIGHT funding.

Find out how to apply for a postgraduate masters degree course at the University of Nottingham.

FAQ’s

What does newly graduated or qualified mean?

• INSIGHT studentships are designed for recent graduates or newly qualified professionals who have recently completed their professional registration. This includes:
  • New and recent graduates from health, social care, public health undergraduate/pre-registration programmes, including those graduating in the summer of 2025.
  • Professionals who have been qualified for less than 5 years; for public health less than 5 years working in public health with an indicative commitment to apply for UKPHR registration within 5 years.
  • We recognise some individuals may not clearly fall into these categories due to personal circumstances, such as taking a career break or needing to complete a required period of practice for regulatory purposes. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact the EM. INSIGHT team for guidance.

Can I work while I study?

• Those undertaking a full-time EM. INSIGHT Studentship are expected to complete their programme within 12 months, during which time you will receive the full stipend in instalments. Whilst we understand that full-time students may wish to take on additional paid work, we recommend limiting it to no more than one day per week. This will help you focus on your studies, meet course requirements, maintain a healthy work-life balance and actively engage with the EM. INSIGHT community.
• For part-time students, the programme must be completed within 2 years. The stipend will be paid in instalments, over this period. We recommend limiting it to no more than three days per week 0.6 FTE (three days) of additional paid employment to ensure you have sufficient time to focus on your studies, meet course requirements, maintain a healthy work-life balance and actively engage with the EM. INSIGHT community.
• Regardless of your study status, if you undertake any additional paid work while receiving your tax-free stipend it is your responsibility to comply with HM Revenue and Customs Income Tax laws.

What does the funding cover?

• The studentship covers the full fees of Master’s programme study, for both full-time and part-time programmes, plus, a UKRI Rate Stipend.

For full-time study, you will receive an annual stipend of at least £19,237 (rate in 2024/25 academic year), paid in instalments. For part-time study, you will receive 50% of the stipend, also paid in instalments, over each year for the two-year programme.