Today, we have launched our fellowship competition, which offers a flexible opportunity to start either a pre-doctoral or post-doctoral fellowship on a full-time or part-time basis. Applications are invited from individuals who may also have worked or be working within public health practice but wish to pursue an academic or practice academic career in public health research. Our goal is to recruit outstanding and diverse candidates across the full range of fellowships. We are committed to a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community and welcome applications from under-represented groups.
The NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) aims to build the evidence base for effective public health practice by bringing together England’s leading public health research expertise in one virtual organisation. The School conducts applied public health research to increase the volume and quality evidence on cost-effective interventions and supports local public health practitioners and policy makers to engage with research and seek out research evidence to inform their decisions.
Established in April 2012 and renewed 2022-27, the NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) is a partnership between nine leading centres of academic public health research excellence across England. Members of the School are Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter and Sheffield; Imperial College London; The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM); the LiLaC collaboration between the Universities of Liverpool and Lancaster; Fuse, The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, a collaboration between Newcastle, Durham, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside Universities; and PHRESH, a collaboration between the Universities of Birmingham, Warwick and Keele.
The fellowships are expected to begin between January and March 2023 and will be available across the nine members of SPHR.
Fellowships will be aligned to the SPHR research programmes:
- Health inequalities
- Public mental health
- Healthy places, healthy planet
- Children, young people & families
Equality, diversity and inclusion are a priority in NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR). We feel strongly that a diverse community of researchers in public health is needed to meet the needs of policy makers, practitioners and the public to improve public health and reduce health inequalities. No one should face barriers when applying for a fellowship at NIHR SPHR, and we are keen to make sure the application process is fair and accessible to everyone. If you would like us to make adjustments during the application process, please contact us on sphr.training@ncl.ac.uk.
The NIHR SPHR pre-doctoral fellowships in Public Health Research are open to individuals with a Master’s degree, for up to 24 months, offering those appointed the opportunity to consolidate and build their CV and prepare an application to undertake a PhD in public health. We are also keen to encourage applicants who may also have worked or be working within public health practice but wish to pursue an academic or practice academic career. To access the full advert and application form please see this PDF or HTML format. Find out more about our current cohort of pre-doctoral fellows here.
The NIHR SPHR post-doctoral launching fellowships in Public Health Research are open to individuals with a PhD, for up to 24 months, offering those appointed the opportunity to consolidate and build their CV and prepare funding applications to secure future funding (e.g. NIHR Advanced Fellowship). To access the full advert and application form please see this PDF or HTML format. Find out more about our current cohort of post-doctoral fellows here.
These fellowships are not appropriate for FPH registered Public Health Trainees. The NIHR Academy have a number of fellowships that you could consider e.g. the ICA or PCAF schemes. You can view these on the NIHR Academy website here.
The closing date for applications to both schemes is 12 noon Monday 27th June 2022.
You can find out more about the career journey’s of our current pre-doctoral fellows here and post-doctoral fellows here.
Dr Ruth Plackett, SPHR post-doctoral launching fellow, talks about her role in the SPHR Public mental health programme here.
The highlight of my research career so far has been undertaking this SPHR fellowship. I am so grateful for this fellowship because it really allowed me to develop my research CV and skills. As a result of this fellowship, I was able to publish papers, undertake a placement, complete lots of training and explore my own research ideas. This put me in fantastic position to apply for further funding for my own research project.
Frequently asked questions:
Q1. Where can I find the application form?
A1. There are links to the application forms within the adverts for each type of fellowship. Please read the advert, eligibility criteria and guidance carefully before you complete an application form.
Q2. Is there a word version of the online form so that applicants can see the whole form before completing it?
A2. Please find a pdf of the pre-doctoral fellowship application form here and the post-doctoral launching fellowship application form here. Please note – you must submit your application using the online form. Applications submitted by other means will not be considered.
Q3. The fellowships are open to UK citizens and those with confirmed right to work in the UK. How can I check if I have the right to work in the UK?
A3. You can check if you have the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website here https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration
Q4. I am registered for a PhD by publication, am I eligible for the pre-doctoral fellowship scheme? / Can I apply for a pre-doctoral fellowship in order to register to complete my PhD by publication?
A4. If you are registered for a PhD, you are not eligible to apply for a pre-doctoral fellowship. / The pre-doctoral fellowships are not PhD studentships and they are not a route to obtaining a PhD by publication. Accepting applications from those already registered (or planning to register) to undertake a PhD would not be in the spirit of the pre-doctoral fellowship scheme.
Q5. I am an FPH registered public health specialty registrar/trainee. Am I eligible for the SPHR fellowship schemes?
A5. Unfortunately, you are not eligible. The SPHR fellowships are not appropriate for people on the public health specialty training programme. NIHR Academy have a number of fellowships that you could consider e.g. the ICA or PCAF schemes. You can view these on the NIHR Academy website here.
Q6. Is there a maximum of years between PhD completion and applying for the fellowship?
A6. There is no limit on the maximum number of years post PhD set in the eligibility criteria, we acknowledge that everyone’s circumstances will be different. The most important thing is that this fellowship comes at a time that is right for you allowing dedicated time to publish work from your PhD, and enhance your CV to be in a position to apply for advanced fellowship applications and further funding.
Q7. If I currently work on NIHR SPHR projects, am I expected to change institution for my fellowship application?
A7. We ask that you choose the member institution that best aligns with your research interests and where you can be surrounded with the expertise to develop in your research career. It is ok if you are already at this institution, the most important thing here is that you have chosen the institution that is right for you and your research.
Q8. What is involved in a practice placement and do I need to outline a plan for this in my application?
A8. We ask that practice placements are no less than 4 weeks and no more than 12 weeks in total, either via a block placement or spread over several months. We do not expect you to have a plan for this at application stage and you can find our further information and hear from past experiences here.
We will publish more FAQs and answers here as we receive them.
If you have a question that is not answered in the advert, the application form or in the FAQs, please email it to sphr.training@ncl.ac.uk.