FiR Funding Opportunities

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First into Research Fellowships 2024
RCBC Wales have an open call for First into Research (FiR) Fellowships & Up to 2 FiR Fellowships for Pharmacy, for commencement on 1st April 2024

RCBC Wales have First into Research (FiR) Fellowships to offer for commencement on 1 April 2024.

The Fellowships are open call and available to all RCBCWales eligible professions. Applicants must hold registration within the UK as a Nurse, Midwife, Pharmacist or Allied Health Professional (i.e. they must be registered with the NMC, HCPC or GPhC upon commencement of study). The definition of Allied Health Professions is taken from the Health Professions Council Register. Biomedical and clinical scientists may be registered with the HCPC or registered through recognised voluntary regulatory arrangements via the Academy for Healthcare Science. Please note that RCBCWales does not have the funding capacity to consider professionals from outside of these healthcare professional groups.

In addition RCBC (Research Building Capacity Collaboration) Wales (http://www.rcbcwales.org.uk) is pleased to announce funding for up to 2 First into Research (FiR) Fellowships in Pharmacy funded via Pharmacy Research UK and Health Education and Improvement Wales (Pharmacy) for commencement on 1 April 2024.

Applicants must hold registration within the UK as a Pharmacist (and must be registered with the GPhC upon commencement of study).

All FiR Fellowships are for part time study for 12 months on the basis of one day per week. Each award will be for £12,468.54. Of this, £7577.03 will be payable to the employing institution as a contribution for the day release of fellows, £3974.69 towards supervision and training costs in the host HEI, up to £541.22 towards research costs, and up to £375.60 for travel to attend the Community of Scholars study days (see Further Information.pdf).

The funds available to employers are a contribution to the day release of Fellows (1 day per week for 12 months plus CoS study days) and you are advised to discuss any differential between your salary and the RCBCWales funds allocated to employers with your employer.

Applicants currently working part-time are advised that RCBCWales cannot pay FiR Fellows directly and they should explore payment options with their employers for any increase in hours that might result from taking up a Fellowship.

Application Process and Deadlines

Step 1 Contact the Operational Lead at your first choice university to discuss your potential application and to identify a supervisor. Immediate and before submitting the eligibility check form

Step 2 Eligibility check forms are to be completed and returned to marina.mcdonald@southwales.ac.uk 5 JANUARY 2024

Step 3 To assist in refining their ideas, eligible applicants are invited to participate in a webinar with experts in research design, qualitative and quantitative methods, patient involvement, ethics, and health policy and service improvement. They will also consider maximising impact and managing their project The webinar will be held on

Week commencing 8 JANUARY 2024

Step 4 Following the webinar eligible applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal application form 9 FEBRUARY 2024

Step 5 After shortlisting full proposal applications, selection will be conducted via interviews Interviews will be held

Week commencing 26 FEBRUARY 2024

Step 6 Fellowships will commence 1 APRIL 2024

Eligibility criteria

• Applicants must hold registration within the UK as a Nurse, Midwife, Pharmacist or Allied Health Professional (i.e. they must be registered with the NMC, HCPC or GPhC upon commencement of study). The definition of Allied Health Professions is taken from the Health Professions Council Register. Biomedical and clinical scientists may be registered with the HCPC or registered through recognised voluntary regulatory arrangements via the Academy for Healthcare Science. Please note that RCBCWales does not have the funding capacity to consider professionals from outside of these healthcare professional groups.

• Candidates normally require a first degree (or equivalent) from a University or Institution recognised by the 6 Higher Education Institutions involved in RCBC Wales.

• Successful applicants must be resident in Wales for the duration of the award.

• Please note that RCBCWales is not an employing body and all Fellows must be in employment in Wales in order to take up the Fellowship.

• Previous applicants are welcome to re-apply.

Applications

Please leave sufficient time to obtain the declaration from your proposed (first choice) supervisor and confirmation of support from both the higher education institution (HEI) and your employer. Please consider including in your application your other preferred institutions. See advert and further information for RCBCWales contact details at each of the participating universities: Bangor, Cardiff, Cardiff Metropolitan, Wrexham Glyndwr and Swansea Universities and the University of South Wales.

General enquiries may be addressed to Marina McDonald, RCBCWales, University of South Wales. Email: marina.mcdonald@southwales.ac.uk

Please note that RCBCWales Fellowships are offered on the basis that they are potentially subject to change in the event of changes to the fee and student support regime applicable in Wales.