NIHR INSIGHT programme for the East of England

The research Masters places and opportunities are open to students and recent graduates from a diverse group of professions and allied health professionals including:

• nurses and midwives
• art, music and drama therapists
• dieticians
• occupational therapists
• operating department practitioners
• orthoptists
• osteopaths
• paramedics
• physiotherapists
• podiatrists
• prosthetists and orthotists
• diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers
• speech and language therapists
• pharmacists
• healthcare scientists
• registered social work professionals
• registered public health professionals

We regret that doctors and dentists are not eligible.

If you are eligible and successful in your application, you will receive:

• Course fees: these will be paid directly to the university for the Research Masters programme
• Stipend: to contribute towards living expenses, or to contribute to employer salary costs for clinical release

Full-time students will receive approximately £19,500 per year.

Part-time students can request the part-time stipend of approximately £9750 per year if you are studying part-time, or if you are remaining on a full-time salary the stipend can be paid to employers to towards back fill costs for release for study leave. If you are reducing your paid working hours to study, you might consider possible impact on tax and pension contributions.

If you are intending to study part-time alongside paid work, you will need to discuss this with your employer to ensure they are able to release you on study leave, or reduce your paid working hours while you are studying.

The courses available for INSIGHT funding for the East of England are:

• MRes Health and Care Research (Essex)
• MRes Health and Social Care (Hertfordshire)

How to apply

You will need to complete the usual application process for your first choice of Research Masters programme directly through the relevant university (links above). In your application, please indicate that you have applied for funding from “NIHR INSIGHT East of England” and include this in your personal statement.

You will also need to apply separately for the NIHR INSIGHT funding by filling out the personal statement form.

There are up to 30 awards in the East of England at the Universities of Essex and Hertfordshire. These cover tuition fees and there is also a stipend given to individual successful applicants.

A stipend of £19,500 will be given for 1-year full time registrants. A stipend of £9,750 will be given each year for two years if you undertake the course part time. This will be paid to you in four instalments.

The stipend is non-taxable and does not need to be paid back. The payments will stop if you need to leave the course for any reason.

You can undertake the Master’s courses full time or part-time, balancing work and study in often challenging and complex work environments. We offer support to achieve successful academic outcomes, however, good time management and prioritisation skills are essential.

For a full-time student, between 10-15 hours per week is required for attending classes. In addition, a common guideline is to dedicate around 15-20 hours per week to studying outside of class. These hours may need to be increased during periods of intense coursework or leading up to assignment submissions.

The funding may affect your NHS benefits, and you may wish to speak with someone about this. The members’ notional whole-time pay is usually used when calculating benefits. More information and FAQ can be found on the NHS Business Services Authority website.