The Chief Scientific Officer for the Department of Health, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is launching the second round of the CSO Healthcare Scientists Research Fellowship Competition. The scheme supports the development of healthcare scientist research capacity and capability building by providing funding to undertake research for patient benefit.

The Fellowships will support NHS Healthcare Scientists who already have some research experience and wish to bridge clinical or service careers and research. The two award levels are:

• Doctoral Fellowship: Funding for individuals doing doctoral level research
• Postdoctoral Fellowship: Funding for individual postdoctoral research projects

The Fellowships must be undertaken with the support of the relevant NHS line-manager and an appropriate academic partner. The research proposed must be of direct relevance to the NHS with the potential to improve service or clinical outcome. Applications are invited from individuals working in England from one of the three main Healthcare Scientist disciplines:

• Life Sciences
• Physiological Sciences
• Physical Sciences / Engineering

Application packs and further information are available on the website of the NIHR Coordinating Centre for Research Capacity Development at http://www.nccrcd.nhs.uk/hcs

Closing date for completed applications: Monday 7th December 2009.