Applications open for the second cohort of the NIHR North East and North Cumbria Health and Care Professionals Internship Programme
Tuesday September 1, 2026
Following the success of the first cohort, NHRP are delighted to open applications for the second cohort of its Health and Care Professionals Internship Programme.
Funded by NIHR and co-hosted with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), the programme is designed to support registered health and care professionals in developing vital research skills to improve care across the region.
NHRP have been delighted to welcome our first cohort of interns from across a wide range of professions including physiotherapists, nurses, dieticians and more, facilitating their development alongside building the next generation of researchers. With additional funding awarded for pharmacists and radiographers this year, the programme will continue to support a range of health and care professionals.
About the Programme
Making tangible steps forward in the research capabilities of the North East and North Cumbria, the Health and Care Professionals Internship Programme is playing a vital role in improving care across the region.
Designed to facilitate Health and Care Professionals (HCPs) in developing their abilities in research, this internship offers a personalised learning and development plan which supports a wide range of research related activities planned by the intern themself. This 9-month programme provides a £10k award, funding which gives the intern space to explore research training, offer contributions to research delivery, develop a research culture within their team or take the steps towards becoming a clinical academic.
Alongside the support of a dedicated mentor, this internship takes four distinct pathways, offering capacity to adapt to each individual’s research goals based on their current understanding and experience. From having no research experience to being an aspiring clinical academic, this unique opportunity will support professionals across the pre-doctoral research pathway, empowering HCPs to reach their full potential.
Dr Simon S Hackett, NIHR NENC Internship Lead, said:
“Internships are about investing in people now so that they can make a real world difference in our region. We have already seen how the Health and Care Professionals internship programme has given the time, resources, and support needed to enable people to make a real difference in their practice through engaging with research. We are really looking forward to seeing internship applications from the widest range of HCPs across our region.”
Eligibility
For full details on the programme, including eligibility and the application process, please visit the HCP Internship Programme webpage.