Click here to download the programme outline which includes eligibility criteria, programme content and expected outcomes

To apply you’ll need to complete an application form, to download, please click here

Click here to download guidance on releasing staff for research-related activities.

If you have any questions regarding the programme please email Leanne Gregory by clicking here

“I found the sessions on influencing skills, leadership skills and conflict resolution particularly helpful within my current role and it has massively improved my confidence to handle situations in a professional and efficient manner. I know i will look back on this course as a highlight in my career and have made some precious friends along the way.
Thanking you for giving me the chance!”

“The ECR programme has opened my eyes to aspects of myself and development needs for my research career I’d not envisaged at the outset. I feel the process of guided coaching, mentoring and peer discussion has enabled me to grow and mature as an individual.”

“The ECR programme has given me more both professionally and personally than I could have envisaged. I especially enjoyed having time to learn and reflect on my personality and how this influences my working relationships, the limitations I impose on myself, and ultimately the impact on future opportunities, and personal and professional development. The programme has opened the door to a research world of warmth, encouragement, knowledge, and skills. I now feel confident in moving forward with my 5-year research career plan as part of my clinical role, with a growing network of support around me.”

“It has been a wonderful course, I feel incredibly grateful to have been on this journey.  Not only have I learnt a great deal but I have grown in confidence; I know what I want and how to ask for it!!  You’re a brilliant team and I’m sad it is nearly over!  […] It really helps professionals, especially those feeling isolated!”

“Thank you all for creating such an incredible, inspirational course – it’s given me confidence and purpose, and I feel excited about what the future holds.”

“I was enrolled on the Early Career Researcher Pathway from 2021-22. As a novice researcher I was very impressed by the quality of the programme. The content was well designed and helped me gain a much clearer understanding of health research. The focus on leadership was helpful and it was also very good fun, with an emphasis on learning through more novel methods. The opportunity to work with the health professionals from a wide range of disciplines was also a very useful part of the course.”

“The programme was particularly helpful in developing my confidence with regard to research. I was very keen to continue as a clinician with research running alongside my practice. Following the programme, I have continued to work predominantly as a clinician, and the experience I gained helped me to work on my research interests. In August 2024, I was first author of a quantitative research project and subsequent article on Early Intervention in Psychosis that was published in the British Journal of Mental Health Nursing. The results of my research have been fed back into the service and into to quality improvementprogrammes. I have delivered a poster presentation on my research at several Trust Research events. I think that the Early Career Researcher Development Pathway has given me an excellent base from which to develop my research interests.”

“Prepare for a course like no other, that will challenge you, make you think outside the box and give you and your career a boost!”

“This course has allowed me to gain a different perspective about research and about myself, which has left me armed with the skills on how to be an effective researcher.”

“I would strongly recommend the NIHR ECR programme to any AHP looking to turbocharge their development as an emerging researcher. The course is hosted by a group of passionate individuals whose teaching and insights have proved invaluable to my development. It’s also been great to meet so many individuals from varied backgrounds with the shared interest in developing research careers and these connections have been great to promote development.”

“It is not an overstatement to say that the Early Career Research Development Pathway (ECRDP) changed the trajectory of my life. I applied at a time when the NHS had beaten every bit of aspiration and inspiration out of me. I had admitted defeat and applied for voluntary redundancy. I applied for the ECRDP to do something that I enjoyed while I waited to go.”

“But then the ECRDP picked me up, dusted me off and set me off on a new path. After completion, I successfully applied for a Northwest Coast Applied Research Collaboration Internship to write a Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF) application. Whilst the PCAF application was unsuccessful, I was successful in achieving a PhD studentship with the EDEPI Project (Equitable Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation) and am currently in the second year of a part-time PhD-with no plans for an early retirement! All thanks to the amazing ECRDP team and program.”

“At the outset of my Early career researcher (ECR) journey, forecasting a five-year career plan was a daunting challenge. I felt there were too many unknown factors to accurately project how my career would progress. I was unclear on routes for progression and was unsure which pathway would be best for me. Thanks to the learning acquired through the ECR programme, I now feel better placed to continue my journey.”

“If you are just starting out in your research career and wondering where on earth do I start, then the ECR programme is for you! 
The programme has not only helped me identify and fulfil the personal development and learning needs I need to achieve my research career aspirations, but it has also led to crucial engagement & collaboration with research leaders across the region.
Having completed the ECR programme, I now know where I’m headed and how to get there!”