A man looking into a microscope.

The HEE/NIHR ICA Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) supports post-doctoral researchers to develop their academic career while developing their health or care career.

This Fellowship is currently closed to applications. Please check back later for more information.

The scheme is part of the Health Education England (HEE) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) Programme which provides research training awards for healthcare professionals. These grants support individuals who wish to develop careers that combine clinical research and research leadership with continued clinical practice and professional development.

The NIHR-MEC Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) scheme covers the awardee’s salary costs for the Fellowship, the costs of the approved research project, the cost of an approved personal training and development programme, which includes professional development, and the cost of approved shared and support staff.

Between 20% and 40% of the award time must be dedicated to professional practice development, which will be funded through the Fellowship.

Application deadlines and decision timelines

There are two application rounds each year, launching in March and September.

Current funding round: Round 5

  • Opened: 26 March 2024
  • Closed: 13.00 on 30 May 2024
  • Interviews: 11-11 December 2024

Is this grant right for you?

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Our remit

  • Applications for a joint partnership fellowship must fall within both the charity’s and NIHR’s funding remits.
  • Moorfields Eye Charity is interested in funding research in eye health, vision research, ophthalmic related service improvement, education or clinical practice.

About you

  • Applicants will normally be hosted by either the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or its main academic partner University College London.
  • If you are hosted by another eligible institution you must demonstrate a direct collaboration with and benefit to Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which will normally include spending a portion of your time at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
  • Applicants must hold registration with one of ICA programme approved regulatory bodies (see a list in the useful resources below).

Eligibility

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Your research

  • For post-doctoral awards, early translational (experimental medicine) research will be within remit, but a clear and plausible path to patient /​service user, carer or public benefit must be demonstrated.
  • NIHR does not support basic research or work involving animals or their tissue.
  • If your work involves biomarkers, it must test whether application of new knowledge can improve treatment or patient outcomes (with obvious direct potential benefit to patients). This might include application of known biomarkers, or other prognostic factors, to refine and test novel therapeutic strategies. Research that aims only to elucidate mechanisms underpinning disease, or identify risk factors for disease or prognosis (including search for biomarkers) is out of remit.
  • The NIHR also supports high quality research into medical education (defined broadly as education for healthcare providers) and methodological research. It is expected that the research will have the potential to have practical application and the potential impact on patients/​service users, carers and the public must be made clear.

About you

  • Applicants will normally be hosted by either the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or its main academic partner University College London.
  • If you are hosted by another eligible institution (please refer to NIHR Academy guidance) a direct collaboration with and benefit to Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust must be demonstrated to be eligible for this funding programme. This will normally include the candidate spending a portion of their time at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.

You must also:

  • hold registration with one of the ICA programme approved regulatory bodies (see a list in the useful resources below) or have plans to hold the registration by the proposed start date;
  • not hold a General Medical Council registration as a doctor or a General Dental Council registration as a dentist;
  • propose to spend between 20-40% of the award time undertaking professional practice development;
  • have a relevant PhD (research doctorate) or have submitted your thesis by the application deadline. Applicants whose doctorate has not yet been awarded must have been awarded their doctorate and have provided official evidence of this to NIHR by 11 September 2024;
  • not already hold a Chair at the point of application.

How much can I apply for?

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NIHR-MEC ACAFs are individual training awards which will offer funding to cover salary costs for the fellowship, the costs of the approved research project, the cost of an approved personal training and development programme, which includes professional development, and the cost of approved shared and support staff.

The scope of funding on these fellowships follows NIHR rules and therefore applicants are advised to contact the NIHR Academy if they have any questions regarding what they can apply for.

All queries about the application process should be directed to the NIHR Academy.

Email: academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk
Phone: 0113 532 8410

Got a research idea and not sure how to turn it into a funding application? Talk to the Research Design Service (RDS).