We are pleased to announce a call for a regional-focused NIHR Southampton BRC and NIHR Wessex Experimental Medicine Network (WEMN) Education, Training and Career Development (ET&D) Fund.

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This scheme has a limited budget and is awarded competitively. The maximum award per application is £750.

 

Purpose of the fund:

 

• To support further education and training for eligible applicants

• To encourage and support BRC-aligned investigators in disseminating their research

• To raise the profile of the achievements of BRC-aligned investigators

 

Who can apply? 

 

• Researchers in the early phases of their career

• Research support staff

• Staff substantially employed at UHS, UoS, or partner organisations of Wessex Health Partners through the remit of the NIHR Southampton BRC-funded WEMN

 

Researchers from all professional backgrounds are welcome to apply.

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You do not need to have had prior links with the NIHR Southampton BRC to apply, although applications with alignment to NIHR Southampton BRC objectives will be prioritised. We welcome new ideas from a broad range of research areas across our local research community.

 

Applications from people with a BRC-funded fellowship who already have provisions for training and development or recipients of funding from previous ET&D calls will not be prioritised.

 

What research is eligible?

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Research should be in areas related to the BRC themes:

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• Data Health and Society: Wendy Hall (wh@ecs.soton.ac.uk) - please contact Age Chapman (adriane.chapman@soton.ac.uk) or Chris Kipps (christopher.kipps@soton.ac.uk) for queries

• Microbiology, Immunology and Infection: Robert C Read (r.c.read@soton.ac.uk) and Saul Faust (s.faust@soton.ac.uk)

• Nutrition Lifestyle and Metabolism: Keith Godfrey (kmg@mrc.soton.ac.uk) and Jonathan Swann (J.Swann@soton.ac.uk)

• Perioperative and Critical Care: Michael Grocott (mike.grocott@soton.ac.uk) and Denny Levett (d.levett@soton.ac.uk)

• Respiratory and Allergy: Graham Roberts (g.c.roberts@soton.ac.uk) and Thomas Wilkinson (t.wilkinson@soton.ac.uk)​

 

Whilst the research should be aligned with the BRC themes, it does not need to be funded by them. Cross-theme projects are also encouraged. The research should also align with the BRC SMART objectives.

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The proposed applications must relate to activities that support the NIHR and BRC remit, with a particular emphasis on experimental medicine which does not include animal research.

 

Who is not eligible?  

 

• Individuals who have access to alternative training funds (e.g. NIHR Academy members who have training funds available to them as part of their studentship or fellowship, or those eligible to apply for funding via an NIHR trainee fund)

• Individuals whose research falls outside the remit of the Southampton BRC, including those whose research does not involve experimental medicine

 

Examples of support: 

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• Event fees

• Travel to other centres

• Short course expenses

• Conference fees (only awarded to presenting authors (evidence of abstract acceptance required), or to staff for whom conference attendance meets specific learning needs (please provide detail in the application))

 

The fund cannot be used to support:

 

• Salaries

• Stipends

• Living expenses

• Mandatory training

• University fees for higher degree registration

• Project consumables or equipment

• Open Access fees

• Expenses for which other funding is available (e.g. NIHR-funded SPARC or IVSA schemes)

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How to apply:

 

To apply, please send the following documents to BRC-applications@uhs.nhs.uk:

 

• Completed application form

• A short CV (max 2 pages)

• A brief letter of support from your supervisor (students) or from your line manager (postdocs or other staff members)

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Deadline for applications: Friday 6th February 2026 at 12:00pm

 

Applicants will be selected before the end of February.

 

Please note:

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• Terms and conditions apply (detailed in the award letter for successful applicants).

• Funds must be used within 12 months of award (personnel from external Wessex Health Partner regional institutions, or by the end of the financial year (UoS / UHS staff).

• If successful, you will be required to provide feedback on how this funding opportunity has impacted your learning and development (a feedback form will be sent after your claim has been processed).

 

For queries, please contact Malcolm West (BRC Lead Academic Career Development Lead) m.west@soton.ac.uk or Ruth Challis (BRC Regional Manager) Ruth.Challis@uhs.nhs.uk.

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