Applications Open – 07 October 2005
Application Deadline – 09 December 2025
Interviews – Jan/Feb 2026 – date TBD – one national competition
Fellowships Start – 01 April 2026
This scheme is to support General Practitioners build a clinical academic career. We expect that successful candidates for this award will already have significant research experience and be able to lead their own research activity. This research experience would be most easily evidenced by a PhD or other higher degree with a significant research component.
This award provides funding for two sessions a week of protected time to conduct and lead clinical research. The aim is to strengthen the research culture in the priority area of Primary Care.
Award holder activities
The scheme will allow the successful applicants protected time from April 2026 to March 2029 to engage in the following activities:
- 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
Details
NHS Research Scotland (NRS) is inviting applications from General Practitioners for funding for 0.2 whole time equivalent (WTE). The award will be for a period of up to three years, subject to satisfactory review.
Please note that the requested sessions may replace or add to existing clinical commitments within the individual’s work plan. The latter situation would apply to individuals currently working less than 100% WTE – the funding is not intended to support work activity above 100% WTE.
Funding is available to cover direct salary costs of the Fellow. The successful candidates will receive the title of NRS Primary Care Research Fellow.
Eligibility
- Must be in receipt of their CCT
- Must be working at least part/time in a GP surgery.
- The salary request must be in line with that of a consultant salary within the first 5 years – no additional bonuses
- Evidenced research experience
Please note that this scheme is not designed to be a vehicle to obtain a PhD.
Applicants should identify a mentor appropriate to their clinical field and proposed research. This would normally be a senior full-time academic clinician. In addition, it may be appropriate to have a mentor from a partner University.
Application Process
The application should be made via the application form on the application portal on the CSO Flexi-grant System.
My applications – Chief Scientist Office (flexigrant.com)
You will need to
- get your mentors to till in forms to upload to the system
- get financial information from the relevant R&D office
- give a person with the appropriate authority from your host institution access to your application so they can confirm the host agreement to the arrangements.
So please ensure you leave enough time to complete this before the deadline of 9 December 2025 – 12 pm as applications that are not complete will not be considered and you will not be able to submit the application with the clinical director sign off.
Potential applicants might find it helpful to discuss their applications with the NRS Primary Care Lead in the first instance. Dr Bhautesh Jani