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About the programme
The Research Leaders Programme (RLP) aims to identify staff of all clinical disciplines with research leadership potential, and provide them with time, training and personal development to enable them to achieve their research career ambitions.
The RLP is open to all healthcare professionals employed (who hold a substantive as opposed to an honorary employment contract) by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS). This includes nurses, midwives, pharmacists, allied health professionals, clinical scientists and doctors.
The RLP was established in 2021, following significant investment from UHS Trust Board. It supports UHS healthcare professionals to build a portfolio of research activity to attract or generate funding. This enables research to become a significant and sustainable component of their job plan during their time on the three year programme.
Protected time for research
The award enables researchers to pursue their passion for improving patient care through clinical research. It covers salary costs for at least one day a week (20% whole time equivalent) for up to three years, providing the time they need to take their research to the next level.
Awardees are supported by the RLP team to develop a portfolio of clinical research studies, where possible as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Chief Investigator (CI), and to develop their own clinical research by applying for a research grant or external research fellowship. The awards are offered competitively.
The RLP has three award types:
1. Research Delivery Focused/ Growing PIs: Support to establish/significantly expand a portfolio of externally funded research studies, commercial and non-commercial. Intended to build capacity to enable delivery of clinical research by providing protected time to undertake PI related activities on externally funded NIHR CRN portfolio research studies, supported by a research team funded by external study income.
2. Clinical Academic Focused/ Growing CIs: Support to secure external funding and lead a programme of externally funded research, in the context of a clinical academic position. Intended to support healthcare professionals with significant potential to become independent researchers and fulfil the role of CI by generating income through personal fellowships and/or leadership of grant applications.
3. Mixed: A combination of the two awards above, explicitly agreed, with outcomes reflecting the blend. This can be arranged via SoAR.
Applying to the programme
We send out regular calls for RLP cohorts. Please sign up to our mailing list or contact us if you are interested in applying but we are not currently accepting applications, and we will inform you when the next call goes out.
Applications are submitted online via Microsoft forms. Two annexes also need to be emailed to the SoAR team. Submitted applications are then reviewed by a panel.
The panel focus on the suitability of the person, their surrounding research environment (both local and institutional) and their proposed RLP area of focus. Review criteria mainly focus on the proposed area of focus for the award, aa well as the likelihood participation in the RLP will facilitate the individual to generate research income to support their research time beyond the end of the award.
Individuals must have the explicit support of their Research Advisor, Manager and Divisional Clinical Director for their application, who will agree to ensure arrangements are in place for backfill of RLP funded time. Potential applicants are therefore advised to speak to their manager early to ensure this assurance can be provided in the application process.
if you are considering applying, you may find it helpful to look at the profiles of our RLP award holders to get a better idea of the experience and ambitions of those who have been successful in their applications. You can also see examples of what they are achieving in our news stories.