NIHR Inspiring Students into Research (INSIGHT)

Support for institutionally led regional partnerships in England to deliver innovative engagement programmes and funded research Master’s studentships in registered healthcare, social work and public health professions.

Established in 2006 and primarily funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds health and care research in the UK.

NIHR’s Inspiring Students into Research (INSIGHT) scheme supports higher education institutions in England to attract students in registered healthcare, social work and public health professions (not including doctors and dentists) into the full range of research careers. Institutions will showcase the range of opportunities research and research-related careers can offer to students and new graduates from a very early stage as they are starting out in their professions.

The key aims that underpin the INSIGHT scheme are to:

• Showcase and attract students in registered healthcare, social work and public health professions (not including doctors and dentists) into the full range of research careers available from research delivery through to academic.
• Support research Master’s training that equips students with the skills to lead, manage and deliver research in a health and care setting and demonstrates the breadth of research careers available.
• Develop collaborative partnerships and student networks between organisations at a regional level.
• Embed a positive and inclusive research culture within health and care research.

Three years of support is available for institutionally led regional programmes (termed INSIGHT Regional Programmes) to deliver innovative engagement programmes and funded research Master’s studentships that cover as wide a range of eligible professions as possible. Applications must be within NIHR’s remit.

INSIGHT Regional Programmes will play an important part in attracting people into research at the point that they are embarking on their professional career. NIHR particularly wishes to see institutions target those professions that do not have much exposure to research during their professional training.

Applications are encouraged to be innovative with their engagement programmes, including activities that have the potential to excite and capture the imagination of students at an early stage in their career. NIHR encourages INSIGHT Regional Programmes to involve their student community within the planning and delivery of engagement activities as much as possible.

Studentships will support research Master’s qualifications that enable individuals to gain academic training and develop the necessary skills and experience to access the full range of research careers from research delivery to academic. Supported research Master’s courses (MSc, MRes or equivalent) must be offered on full-time and part-time schedules. Students should be able to access relevant optional modules in other fields (including, but not limited to, sociology, economics, engineering etc) to develop their multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary training.

Higher education institutions in receipt of funds through an INSIGHT Regional Programme will be responsible for advertising their own allocation of studentships, assessing applicants, making awards and arranging the payment of course fees and stipend costs.