Five fully-funded scholarships are available for health and social care professionals wishing to gain a master’s degree in Clinical Research at Lancaster University.

The studentships are funded by the NIHR INSIGHT Programme North West, an initiative aimed at strengthening research capacity in health and social care across the region – developing future leaders to drive innovation and improve patient outcomes amid growing workforce challenges.

The INSIGHT Programme, led by UCLan with Lancaster, Liverpool, and Manchester universities, funds 30 annual Research Master's Studentships to train early-career health professionals in research. The programme equips students with skills to address health inequalities and improve care services. Utilising the NIHR infrastructure across the North West, the INSIGHT scheme will also include engagement activities, work placements and specialist modules tailored to the needs of the health and social care workforce.

The full or part-time studentships provide funding to cover the cost of tuition fees and a maintenance stipend to support living or salary costs.

Dr Lisa Ashmore, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at Lancaster University, said: “The North West INSIGHT programme will provide excellent opportunities for health and social care professionals to develop research skills early in their careers. The expertise and networks gained through working across professional and institutional boundaries will increase the capacity and diversity of the research-skilled healthcare workforce in the region. Together, these professionals will have the potential to make significant contributions to improving health in the North West.”

Round 2 Recruitment is now open and closes at 1pm on 30th April 2025.

For details of the studentships, including eligible professions and to apply, visit the NIHR website.