Lothian Clinical Academic Research Gateway Awards – Health and Care Professions Research

APPLICATIONS FOR COHORT 4 OF THE GATEWAY AWARDS NOW OPEN!

NHS Lothian has secured funding from the NHS Lothian Charity to provide a Clinical Academic Research Gateway Awards programme. This funding will be available 2022 – 2027 to the value of up to £50,000 per year.

The Gateway Awards are open to nurses, midwives, AHPs, pharmacy professions, psychologists and healthcare scientists (NMAHPPS) employed by NHS Lothian.

This is the first programme of its kind in Scotland and represents an opportunity within a wider commitment to clinical academic research careers articulated in the Lothian NMAHPPS Research Strategy 2022-2025 supported by our partner universities.

Applications for the fourth (2025) cohort of all but the Advanced Methodological awards are invited from 4th November 2024 and should be submitted by 13th January 2025 to Loth.GatewayAwards@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.

Interviews will take place on either 19th February or 25th February 2025 and successful candidates will be able to start their awards by April 2025.

Information Sessions

Four online information sessions will be held for those that would like more information about the awards

Two information sessions were provided for the 2024 round to give a brief overview of the scheme and the various awards, and to answer questions from prospective applicants and other stakeholders. View a 30 min recording of one of the information sessions from the previous round here.

Profiles of our first cohort of Gateway award recipients explaining their background and their award experiences can be found here: Meet the First Cohort of Gateway Award Recipients

There are 5 different types of Clinical Academic Research Gateway Awards that provide different levels of funding and study leave:

First Steps into Research Gateway Awards – aimed at NMAHPPS interested in research but without the necessary knowledge and experience to apply for funded clinical academic pathways at Master’s degree level and above. The key elements of ‘First Steps’ are mentored support and the opportunity to integrate into an established research team for the duration of the award.

Research Master’s Degree Gateway Award – aimed at NMAHPPS who have demonstrated a commitment to develop their research interests with a clear focus on a research topic that they would take forward for a part-time research Master’s degree.

Pre-doctoral Bridging Gateway Awards – aimed at NMAHPPS who have a clear and demonstrable intention to pursue a clinical academic career pathway and offers mentorship and study leave to prepare an application for a competitive, peer reviewed doctoral level research training fellowship.

Post-doctoral Bridging Gateway Awards – aimed at NMAHPPS in the first 3 years after completion of a doctorate (PhD, Clinical/Professional Doctorate). This offers mentorship and study leave to complete peer-reviewed publications, develop clinical academic networks and prepare an application for a competitive, peer reviewed post-doctoral research fellowship or research grant application.

Advanced Methodological Gateway Awards– aimed at NMAHPPS who are currently undertaking doctoral studies (either funded by NHS Lothian, externally funded or self-funded). This provides funding to attend an external intensive methodological training programme (e.g. ‘Summer School’) to develop knowledge and skills to inform study design and data analysis.

For further information and discussion regarding the Gateways award scheme please contact the relevant professional lead (details below).

Profession(s)	Name & Role	Email
Allied Health Professions	Andy Peters, AHP Research Facilitator	Andy.peters@nhs.scot
Clinical Psychology	Dr David Gillespie, Consultant Neuropsychologist	David.Gillespie@nhs.scot
Pharmacy	Elaine Rankine, Head of Pharmacy Education, Research & Development	Elaine.rankine@nhs.scot
Nursing and Midwifery	Prof Juliet MacArthur, Chief Nurse Research and Development	Juliet.macarthur@nhs.scot
Healthcare Science	Andrew Davie, Medical Physicist	Andrew.davie@nhs.scot

First Steps into Research

A structured research experience of up to 12 days for (typically) early career professionals to become embedded with an established research team in NHS Lothian or with one of our higher education partners to participate in a broad range of research activities. The individual will have an identified research mentor who will provide support to explore career development opportunities beyond the funded period.

Aims

To identify early career NMAHPPS professionals who demonstrate interest and potential for a clinical academic research career
To create a rich and realistic introduction to a research career by providing experience of participating in an existing research study or supporting the development of a funding application.
To provide mentorship and support regarding the next steps on clinical academic research career pathway.

Target Group

NMAHPPS employed by NHS Lothian who are keen to develop research relevant skills and knowledge
Applicants are likely to be early career, however, more experienced NMAHPPs may be considered
Ideally undergraduate NMAHPPS students should be made aware of the prospect of the award during the final year of their learning programme and should be encouraged to make links with the respective NHS Lothian research leads at an early stage of their employment.

Full details of First Steps Gateway Awards

Research Master’s Degree Gateway

This is a funded opportunity to undertake a Master by Research (MRes), Master of Science by Research (MScR) or Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree on a part-time basis. The funding will cover the academic fees and study leave up to a maximum of 0.1 WTE for the duration of the programme subject to a cap of the total funding for this award of £20,000. It is anticipated that one award will be available per year.

At interview, if short listed, and preferably by the time of application, candidates will need to have confirmation from the academic institution that they would be offered a place on the research Master’s degree programme.

Aims

To provide the opportunity for an early to mid-career NMAHPPS professional who has demonstrated potential for a clinical academic research career the opportunity to undertake a part-time research Master’s degree at an academic institution.
To provide mentorship and support regarding the next steps on a clinical academic research career pathway.

Target Group

Early career professionals who have demonstrated commitment to research development in their undergraduate programme and during employment in NHS Lothian. This may include being part of a wider research team or supporting data collection for research, audit or quality improvement purposes.

Full details of Research Master’s Degree Gateway Award

Pre-Doctoral Bridging Gateway Award

This is a funded opportunity for NMAHPPS professionals who have demonstrated that they are committed to pursuing a clinical academic career and are working towards the submission of an externally funded and highly competitive PhD studentship. These studentships would normally be full-time salaried opportunities, typically matching the professional’s clinical salary and including academic fees, and are likely to be highly competitive and open to all healthcare professionals including doctors. The funding in this award is for 13 days over a 6 month period and will be paid to the service for backfill for the post holder.

Aims

To provide early to mid-career NMAHPPS professionals who have demonstrated a commitment to a clinical academic research career the opportunity prepare a competitive application for an externally funded PhD studentship.
To provide mentorship that will enable professional and academic networking to enhance the studentship application and develop opportunities for future collaboration.
To coach the applicant for a competitive application process including interview preparation.

Target Group

Early to mid-career NMAHPPS professionals who have demonstrated commitment to a clinical academic career and have a well-defined research topic that aligns with strategic priorities for NHS Lothian.

Applicants would be expected to have a clear intention to undertake a PhD as part of their career plan and are actively engaged in pursuing opportunities.

Applicants would be expected to hold a Master’s level qualification (or evidence of postgraduate study at SCQF Level 11).

Full details Pre-Doctoral Research Gateway Awards

Post-Doctoral Bridging Gateway Award

This is a funded opportunity for NMAHPPS professionals who completed their doctoral studies in the previous 3 years. The Post-doctoral Gateway Award will provide funded time and mentorship and will include opportunities for networking and support to continue academic development. The funding in this award is for 26 days over a 12 month period and will be paid to the service for backfill for the post holder. This time allocation is not intended to be used to carry out a new research study. There is no additional funding for conference attendance, training, travel or open access publication fees.

Aims

To provide mentorship to NMAHPPS professionals who have completed doctoral studies within the previous 3 years to progress their next steps of a post-doctoral clinical academic career, including application for post-doctoral fellowships.
To enable professional and academic networking to enhance collaborative activities directed at research grant applications and/or opportunities to become a co-investigator on funded programmes of research.
To provide support to implement a publication plan related to the recent doctoral studies.

Target Group

NMAHPPS professionals who have completed doctoral studies within the previous 3 years.

Applicants would be expected to have a clear intention to pursue a clinical academic career that includes employment in the NHS.

Full details Post-Doctoral Research Gateway Award

Advanced Methodological Gateway Award

This is a funded opportunity for NMAHPPS professionals who are undertaking doctoral studies (either funded by NHS Lothian, externally funded or self-funded) to undertake an external intensive methodological training programme to develop their knowledge and skills to inform their study design and future data analysis. The methodological training may be provided by an academic institution or a research consultant with clear evidence of methodological expertise and reputation for course delivery. The funding award will be for a maximum of £1,000 and will be to cover the course fees only.

Aim

To enhance methodological expertise that will inform research design and analytical techniques within an established doctoral training programme.

Target Group

NMAHPPS professionals who are undertaking doctoral studies and are developing their knowledge and understanding of an agreed methodology. Applicants would be expected to have a clear research design involving the specific methodology that is supported by their supervisors.

Full details Advanced Methodological Research Gateway Award