We are pleased to invite applications for the 2025 NHS England-London post-doctoral bridging scheme, hosted by London South Bank University (LSBU) in consortium with King’s College, London.This scheme aims to support nurses, midwives, Allied Health Care Professionals (AHPs), pharmacists and registered healthcare scientists who meet the eligibility criteria to prepare a competitive application for a NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Advanced Fellowship (ACAF) or another relevant award, which enables them to continue to develop a clinical academic career along the NHSE/NIHR Integrated Clinical academic (ICA) pathway. Fifteen places are available. Successful applicants will be entitled to 225 study hours (30 days) taken flexibly in agreement with their seconding organisation. NHS England will make a direct training allowance contribution to seconding NHS Trusts towards employer costs of £10,500 per awardee.

The post-doctoral bridging scheme is open to those who meet the following criteria:

Essential criteria

• Registered with a relevant professional statutory regulatory body as per ICA programme requirements
• Employed by an NHS provider of health and/care services with at least 50% of its services free at the point of delivery and at least 50% of current role spent delivering health and/care services
• Working in an NHS primary, secondary or community care organisation within the London region
• Completed a PhD or Prof Doc* (or will be awarded by 31 December 2024)
• Clear motivation to apply for a NIHR ACAF or other relevant NIHR award 
• Clear motivation and potential to be a clinical and research leader of the future
• At least one accepted publication in a peer reviewed health journal

• Have completed a PhD or Prof Doc* within the last five years

Desirable criteria

• Have completed a PhD or Prof Doc* within the last five years
• Current/previous ICA, Clinical Academic Training (CAT) or Healthcare Science (HCS) award holder
• Working at a Band 7 practitioner level or above
• Evidence of previous collaborative clinical or research work

* Professional Doctorate graduates eligible providing they can evidence the quality and proportionality of research education, training and experience gained within a Higher Education Institution.

By the end of the scheme, awardees will:

• Understand the requirements of a successful NIHR post-doctoral application
• Have the necessary experience to apply for further formal research training and to compete successfully for a NIHR post-doctoral fellowship award
• Demonstrate insight into clinical academic careers
• Have worked with established and early career researchers/academic lecturers and PhD students within academic research communities
• Have identified and accessed the networks necessary for a clinical academic career
• Have further developed and refined applied research/academic teaching skills.

The scheme will be hosted in the Institute of Health and Social Care (IHSC) at LSBU. Between January and November 2025, up to 225 hours training will be taken flexibly in agreement with the participant’s NHS organisation and academic mentor. Participants will be expected to attend key sessions including the masterclasses, debates and action learning sets detailed below. The rest of the participants’ time will be divided between attending monthly mentor meetings, undertaking other self-organised study and activities, preparing an academic report, which includes an outline plan for an ACAF or other suitable application and compiling an e- portfolio of evidence.

Scheme outline

All elements of the scheme will be tailored to individual needs.

• Taught content
  • Access to selected and approved content on the Doctoral and other programmes within IHSC as appropriate.
  • Half day online masterclasses to develop knowledge and skills in key areas including grant applications, writing for publication.
  • Online debates around contemporary issues related to clinical academia.
• Shadowing and teaching/research opportunities
  • Affiliation to a relevant research group at LSBU or Kings
  • Teaching experience within the undergraduate or post graduate curriculum
  • PhD supervision shadowing
  • Support to identify research and teaching opportunities within their NHS organisations
• Executive coaching, reflection and mentorship
  • Mentor from LSBU or Kings
  • Monthly meetings with academic and clinical mentors
  • Support to develop an action plan aligned to the scheme requirements
• Peer group support and action learning sets
  • Monthly action learning sets will provide peer support, an opportunity to learn together from each other, and to build future collaborations and networks

Up to 225 hours training will be taken flexibly in agreement with the participant’s NHS organisation and academic mentor.

• An academic report, in the form of an oral presentation, outlining progression during the scheme and a draft post-doctoral application
• An e-portfolio of evidence to support agreed learning objectives and scheme outcomes
• An outline of an individually tailored development programme to support a post-doctoral fellowship application

No academic credit will be awarded. However, participants may choose to use the accreditation schemes available via LSBU or Kings to apply for academic credits if they wish to do so.

The application window for this scheme has now passed.

For information on our policies (payment, cancellation, terms, and conditions, etc.) visit our general information page.

If you have a question that we have not answered here, please contact lsbushortcourses@lsbu.ac.uk and we will respond to your query within 24 hours.

This course has a custom application form. Apply here