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The NIHR is increasing opportunities for undergraduates across the UK to engage with research by partnering with the devolved administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS).
The NIHR INSIGHT Programme will now incorporate the INSPIRE scheme for doctors and dentists, founded by the AMS. This UK-wide partnership will expand the programme to support innovative engagement activities that promote research to students from all health and care backgrounds in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The combined scheme will help current undergraduate students and newly qualified professionals to experience research at an early stage in their careers. It will highlight the opportunities available to embed research into practice and build careers in research delivery and academia.
Professor Waljit Dhillo, Dean of the NIHR Academy and Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “This is a great opportunity to work with the devolved administrations and AMS, as it will ensure research opportunities for undergraduates are streamlined into a combined and unified offer. It will create a comprehensive approach to attract undergraduate clinicians and practitioners from different professional backgrounds into research.
“We are keen to build on the strong reputation of the INSPIRE scheme and stimulate innovative approaches to encourage more undergraduates to begin a career in research.
“Bringing both programmes together across the UK will enable us to provide a simpler, more comprehensive offer that will create a future research workforce that is able to tackle some of the most important health and care challenges we face.”
The next NIHR INSIGHT Programme will open for applications from prospective regional hosts this week. The funding opportunity will be announced on the NIHR’s funding opportunities webpage.
Applications to host programmes in England will be expected to offer research master’s degrees alongside engagement activities. Research master’s places will be for current students and recent graduates, within registered health and care disciplines (excluding doctors and dentists).
This includes nursing, midwifery, allied health professionals, pharmacy, healthcare science, registered public health and social care professionals. These are managed by 12 regional programmes in England.
Doctors and dentists can access masters-level training through the Academic Clinical Fellowship available as part of the Integrated Academic Training Programme.
For more information about the INSIGHT programme, please email icbs@nihr.ac.uk or call 0113 532 8444.
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