Restricted call: NIHR20 Research Leaders Prizes (Internal deadline: 18th February 2026)

The NIHR has announced new prizes to mark their 20^th anniversary

The NIHR20 Research Leaders Prizes aim to celebrate outstanding individuals whose work is helping to shape the future of healthcare, public health and social care research.

There are two prizes included in the scheme – the Rising Research Leaders Prize, and the Research Delivery Leaders Prize. More information is provided for each prize below:

Rising Research Leaders Prize:

• Celebrates outstanding rising research leaders at early to mid-career level who go above and beyond to advance the mission of the NIHR, and can demonstrate a steep career trajectory, innovative ways of delivering research impact, excellence in research inclusion and the ability to form effective new partnerships and collaborations
• Open to predoctoral, doctoral and postdoctoral levels funded by the NIHR:
  • predoctoral and doctoral, including NIHR-funded Global Health Researchers
  • postdoctoral, including eligible NIHR-funded Global Health Researchers at postdoctoral level
  • individuals based in devolved administrations funded by the NIHR (including those with NIHR Academy Awards funded by their devolved administrations)
• The following are not eligible to apply:
  • Research Professors
  • Global Health Research Professors
  • Senior Investigators
• Winners receive:
  • ?10,000 professional development prize, paid to their NIHR contracting organisation
  • bespoke leadership and development support to strengthen skills and experience in key areas such as impact, knowledge mobilisation, research inclusion and commercial partnerships
  • formal recognition with an invitation to a prize presentation at the 2026 NIHR Academy Conference
  • amplification of their profile across multiple channels to boost their profile

Research Delivery Leaders Prize:

• Celebrates research delivery leaders who have delivered excellence in the NIHR portfolio through principal investigator work or through roles that directly support research delivery. It also recognises leadership that improves research participation, inclusion and performance across clinical and wider care settings.
• Nominees will need to demonstrate how they have:
  • improved research delivery
  • strengthened inclusion
  • motivated teams and organisations to engage with research
• Open to individuals who have been a Principal Investigator (PI), or led a research delivery team supporting NIHR portfolio trials within the last 12 months. This includes those based in research delivery infrastructure, in health or care settings in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• There are 2 categories:
  • research leadership, including individuals undertaking Principal Investigator or Chief Investigator (CI) roles
  • People leading research delivery teams

Further Information

University Internal selection:

Institutions can only submit 3 nominations per prize. Therefore, this call will be managed according to the University’s restricted calls procedure.  Your Department’s Research Grants Team and/or Departmental Administrator (or equivalent) must be made aware of your internal application, and a support letter signed by the Head of Department is required. 

To take part in the internal selection, please complete the online form (NB: if asked to log-in, please use your crsid/Raven details; note that a Form cannot be saved and returned to) by the 18^th February 2026.

You will need the following documents and information to complete the Form:

• Nominee name, department, and email
• Summary document (max 750 words)
  • If Rising Research Leaders, please: Name your current NIHR funding source, and summarise your research career to date, including examples of capacity building, awareness-raising, the impact of your research, how you’ve worked innovatively in approaches to research inclusion and tackling inequalities, as well as with patients and communities, and how you’ve worked in collaboration and partnership to advance the aims of the NIHR.
  • If Research Delivery Leaders, please: Summarise your involvement in research delivery to date, including examples of capacity building, awareness-raising, impact of your contribution, how you’ve worked innovatively in approaches to research inclusion and tackling inequalities, as well as with patients and communities, and how you’ve worked in collaboration and partnership to advance the aims of the NIHR.
• Support letter from the Head of the Department where the nominee is based, confirming their support for the nomination

Internal Assessment Criteria:

Please note that the assessment of internal applications will focus on the following core funder criteria:

• Capacity-building and awareness-raising of research
• Impact
• Innovation in work with patients and communities

Funder deadline: 18^th March 2026, 1pm

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Posted on 12/02/2026