Senior Research Leaders Scheme

The Senior Research Leaders Scheme is open to health and/or care researchers in Wales who:

• demonstrate research leadership, excellence and impact both in Wales and in the UK/internationally;
• can commit 10-15 days per year to the role;
• have a track record in developing researchers and building research capacity and capability in Wales, for example, through attracting, developing and retaining a highly skilled health and care research workforce, by supporting collaborations and developing new programmes of research;
• integrate patient/service user and public involvement in research; and
• are committed to contributing to Health and Care Research Wales, including the Faculty, as a senior leader.

Remit

Health and Care Research Wales Senior Research Leaders are among the most prominent and prestigious health and care researchers in the country, and they play a vital role in leading and developing the health and care research community in Wales. We look to them to provide leadership, to act as ambassadors and advocates for health and care research, and to play a central role in supporting the next generation of health and care research leaders in Wales through mentorship, advice and support to the research community. All Senior Research Leaders will be expected to engage with and support the development of Health and Care Research Wales Faculty’s activities.

In recognition of their important role and the contribution they make to building and supporting the health and social care research community in Wales, Senior Research Leaders receive a discretionary annual award of up to £15,000 to support their research activity (£45k across the 3-year award).

The time commitment from Senior Research Leaders would include them contributing to Health and Care Research Wales in a number of ways including through funding panels, boards or committees, through UK level engagement with other funders and bodies, and through contributing to research capacity and capability development in Wales through a range of Faculty activities.  

Eligibility

Applicants to the scheme must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must be currently working in Wales as a researcher in health and/or social care
• Applicants must have a track record as a chief investigator/lead applicant on significant research grants or awards funded (at least in part) by Health and Care Research Wales, the Research Councils, NIHR, or other high-quality funding bodies (including portfolio-eligible funding bodies).
• Applicants must hold a contract of employment with a Welsh institution (for example a Welsh University, a Welsh NHS body, or Welsh social care organisation).

Application assessment

The next call will open on 14 November 2024. 

Applications will first be assessed for their eligibility by Health and Care Research Wales. Applications deemed eligible will then be assessed by an external expert panel of academics. The panel will make funding recommendations to Health and Care Research Wales.

We are pleased to announce that from the 17 October 2024, the Health and Care Research Wales Faculty will be transitioning to using a new Awards Management System with the forthcoming Doctoral and Advanced Fellowship applicants to be the first group to use this new system.

From October 2024 onwards the Faculty will administer all new calls using the Awards Management System and will start to move the management of all existing Health and Care Research Wales personal awards into this system from January 2025.

We anticipate the new Awards Management System will facilitate more efficient Faculty processes which will benefit our applicants and members and help us in improving support for health and social care researchers in Wales. 

If you have any questions about the new system, contact the Faculty team who will be very happy to help.