2025/431 Pre-Application Support Fund (Cohort 7)

Wedi'i ddarparu gan ffynhonnell allanol yn Saesneg yn unig.

The Pre-Application Support Fund offers extra support to prepare a competitive application for an NIHR career development award. 

It provides funding to support those who might not otherwise be able to apply for one of their awards. In doing so, the scheme aims to create more opportunities for groups and professions currently under-represented within NIHR. 

They particularly encourage applications from:

• regulated healthcare professionals:
  • nurses
  • midwives
  • allied health professionals
  • pharmacists
  • healthcare scientists
• social work and public health professionals
• researchers in methodology
• applicants from ethnic minority backgrounds
• applicants who are disabled

Eligibility

To apply, you must:

• state the NIHR career development award you will use the Pre-Application Support Fund to apply to. Please see the Pre-Application Support Fund award page for a list of eligible NIHR career development awards.
• explain what additional support you need to prepare an application for NIHR career development funding.
• have a proposed English contracting organisation, and partner organisation if applicable, that is an HEI, NHS body, or other provider of health or care services.
• have a research area of interest, including the plan for your future application, that fits within the NIHR remit for personal awards.
• meet, or expect to meet at the time of application, the eligibility criteria for the NIHR career development award you would use the fund to apply for.
• if applying for a post-doctoral level award, you must hold a relevant PhD or MD, or have submitted your thesis for examination before your Pre-Application Support Fund start date.
• not have submitted a Pre-Application Support Fund application in the previous submission window.

You cannot hold the Pre-Application Support Fund at the same time as another NIHR career development award. If you have previously held an NIHR award, you will need to justify in your application why you require further support from the Pre-Application Support Fund.

What is available through this scheme?

You can hold a Pre-Application Support Fund award for up to 12 months. Awards are normally expected to last a minimum of 6 months. 

All costs requested should be directly related to developing your application for an NIHR career development award.

This funding opportunity provides funding for:

• the salary of the award holder
• conference costs up to £1,000, including travel and subsistence
• training and development costs up to £5,000, including travel and subsistence
• support and mentorship costs up to £3,000, which may include working with people and communities.
• other direct costs where additional support is required. Please see further guidance on this.

Research costs, including consumables and equipment, publication, and indirect costs, are not supported by the Pre-Application Support Fund. 

Costs for this award will be funded at 100% and Full Economic Costings (FEC) are not covered by this award. 

Guidance about how to cost your application is available via the NIHR finance guidance.

Awards must start on the first of the month. 

If you are looking to start your award later than 1st July 2026, you should apply to the next round of the competition. This will open in January 2026. The scheme has 3 application rounds per year.

Find out more and apply.