This new partnership will strengthen research capacity within the military medical workforce and create access to NIHR-funded opportunities at postdoctoral and clinical lectureship levels. By working together, NIHR and DMS are contributing to the broader health and care agenda, enabling military health and care professionals to bring valuable experience and insights to the UK health research landscape.
DMS provides primary care and specialist medical services to over 130,000 people in the UK Armed Forces. It employs more than 11,000 staff across the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and the Civil Service. Through this partnership, defence medical professionals can apply for NIHR career development awards while continuing to serve in their current roles.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Executive of the NIHR and Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “Military health and care professionals in the Forces have a wealth of expertise and experience which they can bring to research.
“The NIHR is committed to working collaboratively across government to broaden access to research opportunities and help drive innovation in health and care. This partnership will enable research that brings different perspectives and resources to have a direct impact on patients and the population.”
Reaching new audiences across government sectors
This partnership highlights NIHR’s commitment to broadening access to research careers. It also signals a cross-government effort to increase research engagement and capability beyond traditional NHS and academic pathways.
By co-funding research fellowships with DMS, NIHR is helping to ensure that professionals from a wide range of backgrounds can contribute to and benefit from health and care research. Their skills will help drive innovation, improve care delivery, and ensure that learning from military healthcare settings benefits both civilian and even global humanitarian health systems.
Air Marshal, Clare Walton, Director General Defence Medical Services, said: “The partnership between the NIHR and the DMS is a wonderful opportunity. It gives our people access to funding and helps them share expertise across the wider research sector.
“It sets a benchmark for high-quality research and career pathways. It also strengthens how we develop new ways to prevent, detect, and treat illness, across both military and civilian settings.”
Applicants will be encouraged to focus on research priority areas such as mental health, surgical care, pain management, and infectious disease diagnosis and treatment.
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