VPAG Workforce Fellowships Call
This is a Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAG) call.
Health and Care Research Wales is opening a VPAG fellowships call for costs incurred from the 1 July 2025 until 31 March 2026.
This call will ensure that the VPAG investment creates development opportunities for staff across professional groups with limited exposure to and experience of research. The aim is:
- To support research workforce development by increasing commercial research exposure for all professional groups (including medical, dental, nursing, midwifery, allied health professions, health care science, pharmacy) regardless of research experience
- Build future workforce capacity and skills in commercial research delivery though development of staff across professional groups
- To grow agility and responsiveness in commercial research delivery through the development of principal investigators (PIs)
Fellowship applications must demonstrate a focus on one of the following:
Research interest fellowship - time to increase exposure to commercial research delivery and undertake training and development
Examples of what this might include:
- Shadow commercial trial delivery in practice, attend a related workshop or conference, undertake Good Clinical Practice or informed consent training
Who might be interested:
- Those with an interest in research delivery, including commercial research, but who previously have not had time to explore this
Research skills fellowship - time to build capacity and skills in commercial research delivery
Examples of what this might include:
- Provide or access mentorship in research delivery, run workshops or research engagement events, support a service improvement directly related to increasing commercial research delivery
Who might be interested:
- For those with existing commercial research delivery experience
PI development fellowship - time specifically dedicated for PI training, development and experience in commercial research delivery
What this might include:
- Receiving mentorship with a PI on a commercial study, attending PI specific training, shadowing in commercial research delivery settings beyond own workplace e.g. clinical research facility, primary care
Who might be interested:
- Associate PIs, experienced research delivery staff, all professions specialist and advanced practitioners, consultant staff with research delivery experience and skills
Eligibility Criteria
- The call is open to staff from all clinical specialties, all professional groups, all specialist services and the clinical research infrastructure within the NHS and Higher Education Institutions
- Reference to broad exposure to commercial research activity should be a feature of all applications
Out of Scope
Below are examples of out-of-scope requests (the list is not exhaustive):
- Requests related exclusively to the delivery of non-commercial research
- Requests for research idea development
- Requests which are already funded through an affiliated or parallel scheme
How to apply and submission deadline
This is a rolling funding call and a decision will be made within four weeks of a submitted application. Applications must be submitted to research-fundingsupport@wales.nhs.uk using the proforma.
Questions or Queries
If you have any questions or queries regarding this funding call, please contact:
- Jayne Goodwin, National Head of Research Delivery Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals
- Lydia Vitolo, Senior Industry Manager