The East Midlands NIHR Internship Programme

The new Health and Care Professional (HCP) Internship Programme is based on the previous ICA Internship Programme. It has increased eligibility and scope as part of the NIHR Academy’s expanded portfolio of career support for health and social care professionals. This programme will:

●    provide 3 years of funding at a regional level

●    provide tailored learning and development to registered health and care professions (not including doctors and dentists)

●    support individuals across the full range of research related career aspirations

●    develop collaborative partnerships and networks between organisations at a regional level

●    embed a positive and inclusive research culture within health and care services

 

NIHR graphic

The internship award is for registered health and care professionals in the following circumstances:

  1. Stepping into Research: In clinical or practitioner roles with little or no research experience who want to take the first step into research to learn about ways to engage with research to improve professional practice and embed research in care
  2. Delivery leadership in Research: In research delivery roles who want to extend their research delivery skills, improve research delivery practice and leadership, and/or gain experience in wider aspects of the research process
  3. Growing in Research: In Enhanced or Advanced Practitioners roles who want to develop the research pillar of their role and/or to develop team research culture and confidence
  4. Clinician or Practitioner academic leadership in Research: Aspiring clinical academics who want to develop their research knowledge and skills to lay foundations for future funding awards

In the East Midlands region, we are offering a semi-structured package. This involves some core workshops, alongside the opportunity to further build an internship programme to suit your own circumstances, interests and work needs as long as it fits within the NIHR remit.

 

NIHR graphic

How to apply

To apply you will need to complete the online application form below.

Online application form

Applications are now open and will close at midnight on the 1st September 2025.

The internships will be awarded in an open competition and selection for the award will be on your submitted application and interview. 

The programme will commence with the first workshop on the 4th November 2025.

Key dates:

  • Application closing date — 1st September 2025
  • Outcome of written application — 14th September 2025
  • Interviews (online) — W/C 22nd September 2025
  • Outcome of interviews — W/C 29th September 2025
  • Internship start date — 4th November 2025

Funding and eligibility

Funding

Each intern will receive £10,000 to develop a programme that meets your own learning needs and areas of interest. The funding can be used to cover salary backfill, research training and development, research and other activities.

 

Eligibility

The East Midlands Internship is open to applications from Health and Care Professionals (excluding doctors and dentists from the listed regulatory bodies). You must hold your main employment in the East Midlands region and have the support of your line manager.

 

NIHE Regulatory Bodies diagram

Meet the team

Meet the East Midlands NIHR Health and Care Internship team:

Our East Midlands Health and Social Care Internship (EMHCI) partnership, is made up of three hubs. It is led by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), in collaboration with the University of Nottingham (UoN), Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (LICB), University of Lincoln (UoLi), University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) and University of Leicester (UoL). The partnership has been selected to deliver on our ambition to provide tailored learning and development to a diverse range of registered health and care professionals across a range of research-related opportunities.

Leads of these organisations are: 

  • Dr Louise Bramley and Dr Helen Janiszewski - Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
  • Dr Kerry Evans - University of Nottingham
  • Dr Linzy Houchen-Wolloff - Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
  • Dr Seth O’Neil - University of Leicester
  • Professor Ros Kane - University of Lincoln
  • Kirsten Guy - Lincolnshire Integrated Care System 

 

Our partners:

Name

Organisation

Example offer (s) for internships

Prof. G Stacy

Nottingham Trent University

Working with Nottingham Civic Exchange on community-engaged research projects

N Riley

Engagement Lead Skills-for-Care

Insight visits and support

Dr L Bernhardt

Leicestershire Partnership Trust LPT

Full R&I offer across all three pathways specialist in Community and Mental Health Services

C McDonald

Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland ICB

Case study in research delivery, Research Engagement Network and Underserved Communities

E Orton

Leicestershire County Council

Health Determinants Research Collaboration, engagement in research priority setting with our Citizens’ Assembly and community research champions

I Brockhurst

Primary Care Network/ Charnwood Federation

Raise the profile and opportunities across the Federation.

C Barrow/ Dr Z Islam

LOROS Hospice

Training programme to support community   researchers to undertake sensitive national research

Dr E Rowley

EM.ARC

Learn by doing opportunities linked to knowledge mobilisation

Dr K Hinsliff-Smith

De Montford University

Clinical academic support and research placements

D Kumar

RRDN

Learning and development opportunities via the NIHR Training Teams

E Redman

Midlands Health Alliance

Expedite opportunities for innovators and innovation across our infrastructure

Health Innovation East Midlands Network

Health Innovation East Midlands Network

Shadowing opportunities

N Brunskill

Leicestershire Academic Health Partners

Shadowing opportunities/strategy designing and implementation to include Innovation. Research experience programme (REP)

B. Kumaramel

College of clinical leadership

Leadership insight visits

Prof S Singh, Dr Linzy Houchen-Wolloff

 NIHRLeicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)

Training and capacity development. Clinical academic careers for NMAHPs. Research placements in BRC themes. Links to EDI/ Research Inclusion and  Cultural Competency Training

Prof D Wright/ Prof J Manning/ Prof D Battacharya

University of Leicester

Clinical academic support and research placements incl. paediatrics and pharmacy.

K Fairbrother/V Booth and A Cowley

Nottingham University Hospitals

Research Delivery Placements and wider support in research translation and clinical academic

A Steel

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust

Learning visits and placements within the 'Research Academy'

H Finch

United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals

Shadowing, research set up / delivery, Clinical Trials pharmacy time

A Ghezzi/

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Institute for Excellence in Healthcare (IEH): Clinical academic support and research placements and research delivery

D Stacy/L Leaston

Lincolnshire County Council Public Programme Leads

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: Evaluating health campaigns and disease prevention programmes

R Reza

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Derbyshire ICS

Research delivery teams are able to host interns either across different services in own organisation or across settings and sectors in the system or research infrastructure organisations in the region.

Dr H Slyne/E. Lambert

Northampton General Hospital

Research Delivery Placements and wider support in research translation and clinical academic

D Jeffrey

Lincolnshire Community Health Services

Experience of different types of research studies from most specialties delivered in community and primary care.

K Guy

Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board

Coordination of internships through the Lincolnshire ICS.

R Illingworth

Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board

Research at a strategic level and the importance of a collaborative and partnership approach

G Bird

 

Nottinghamshire Alliance Training Hub and Practice Nurse Lead

Access to GPN researchers and shadowing Nottinghamshire Mid Notts and Bassetlaw

 

Dr C Diver/Dr S Redsell

University of Nottingham

Access to INSIGHT cohort and UoN Clinical academic support incl. paediatrics/Health Visiting