# Senior Investigator

**Funder:** NIHR
**Budget:** £15,000/year for 4 years (£60,000 total)
**Deadline:** 14 September 2026 (1:00 pm)
**Duration:** 4 years
**Consortium:** No - individual applicant; letter of confirmation from contracting organisation required
**Application:** Single stage, no interview
**Frequency:** Annual
**Eligible countries:** GB
**Official call:** https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/senior-investigators-cohort-20/2026464
**Last updated:** 6 Sept 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Recognises the most prominent applied health and social care researchers in England and Northern Ireland. Applicants must be employed by an English or Northern Irish organisation and lead (or have led within 2 years) NIHR-funded applied health, public health, or social care research. Strategic priority areas include social care, public health, nursing, midwifery, dentistry, and post-92 HEIs.

## Summary

The NIHR Senior Investigator award recognises established leaders in applied health, public health, or social care research, providing £15,000 per year for four years (£60,000 total). It is aimed at individual researchers employed by an English or Northern Irish organisation who currently lead, or led within the past two years, NIHR-funded research, with strategic priority given to social care, public health, nursing, midwifery, dentistry, and post-92 HEIs. The award is a single-stage process with no interview and runs annually.

## Who should apply

- Established researchers currently leading, or who led within the past 2 years, NIHR-funded applied health, public health, or social care research
- Individual applicants employed by an English or Northern Irish organisation
- Researchers working in social care, public health, nursing, midwifery, or dentistry
- Applicants based at post-92 higher education institutions

## Key dates

- Deadline: 14 September 2026, 1:00pm
- Single-stage application, no interview
- Four-year award duration

## Tips for applicants

- Emphasise leadership of NIHR-funded studies explicitly, the eligibility hinges on current or recent (within 2 years) grant leadership, not just involvement.
- If working in social care, public health, nursing, midwifery, dentistry, or at a post-92 HEI, foreground this alignment with NIHR's stated strategic priority areas.
- Secure the contracting organisation's confirmation letter early given the short 8-day runway to the 1:00pm deadline.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much funding does the NIHR Senior Investigator award provide?

It provides £15,000 per year for four years, totalling £60,000.

### Who can apply for the NIHR Senior Investigator award?

Researchers employed by an English or Northern Irish organisation who lead, or led within the past 2 years, NIHR-funded applied health, public health, or social care research.

### Is the NIHR Senior Investigator award open to teams or consortia?

No, it is an individual award, though a letter of confirmation from the applicant's contracting organisation is required.

### How many application stages does the NIHR Senior Investigator award have?

It is a single-stage application process with no interview.

### Does NIHR run the Senior Investigator award every year?

Yes, the call is run annually.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/nihr-senior-investigator-2026-09) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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