NHS Research Scotland Clinician Researcher Fellowship – Medical Consultant

Funding to cover protected time to enable Medical Consultants with research experience to continue developing a research component during the early years of a substantive Consultant post.

NHS Research Scotland is a partnership involving Scottish NHS Boards and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Government. Each year, the CSO allocates £12.7 million to Boards through its NRS Research support budget to meet the time of staff conducting research.

The NHS Research Scotland Clinician Researcher Fellowships – Medical Consultant provide funding to cover protected time for Medical Consultants with research experience to incorporate research, or continue to develop a research component, during the early years of a substantive Consultant post.

This scheme aims to retain, support and strengthen research capacity in the NHS by assisting clinicians as they move into intensive Consultant posts without any allocated research sessions.

This award provides funding for two sessions per week of protected time, over a maximum period of three years (concluding March 2029), to conduct and lead clinical research.

It is expected that, on completion of their Fellowship, successful candidates will be able to apply for Researcher Support funding through their local R&D/RD&I office.

The scheme will allow Fellows to engage in activities such as:

• Clinical research planning and protocol development.
• Grant writing.
• Carrying out clinical research.
• Leading or hosting multi-centre trials as Chief Investigator or local Principal Investigator.
• Participation in commercial research.
• Dissemination of research findings, such as writing papers and presentations at major national and international scientific meetings.