Doctoral Programmes for Healthcare Professionals

This scheme funds doctoral programmes to deliver outstanding training in discovery research to registered healthcare professionals in the UK, in supportive and inclusive research environments.

Scheme at a glance 

Lead applicant career stage:
Administering organisation location:
UK
Frequency:
One-off
Funding amount:

The exact amount awarded will depend on the size and scope of the programme proposed. We expect to fund approximately 12 programmes with an average award value of £13 million. 

Funding duration:

Five annual intakes of up to 5 fellows starting in autumn 2027.

Coapplicants:
Accepted

Next deadline

Calculating next key date…
Application process timeline

Who can apply 

The proposed programme must have one director, who is the lead applicant. It can also include co-directors. Directors and co-directors do not have to be based at the same institution as each other.

Your experience

What you can do to prepare 

  • Familiarise yourself with the Discovery research remit.
  • Consider whether to partner with other institutions to collaborate on an application.
  • Consider whether to propose a disciplinary, subject, or professional focus for your proposed doctoral programme, for example a doctoral programme for nurses, or focused on a specific topic within Discovery research.
  • Consider how to embed a positive research culture within your proposed programme.
  • Consider how you will build appropriate support into your programme to support the career progression of your fellows. For example:
    • pre-doctoral training in research skills
    • post-doctoral support for career management alongside healthcare practice
    • integration of cross-disciplinary and cross-sector opportunities

Application process timeline 

You must submit your application by 15:00 GMT on the deadline day. We don’t accept late applications.

Opening soon

  1. October 2025

    Applications open

  2. TBC October 2025

    Information webinar

    Registration coming soon

  3. 10 February 2026

    Application deadline

  4. March 2026

    Shortlisting

  5. May 2026

    Interviews

  6. July 2026

    Decision