Bournemouth University is delighted to be working with UWE Bristol as one of the NIHR INSIGHT hosts providing postgraduate MRes research training for health and social care professionals.

The NIHR INSIGHT South West Central Collaboration led by UWE Bristol and co-hosted with Bournemouth University alongside stakeholders from health and social care, Integrated Care Boards, voluntary and charity sectors.

UWE Bristol and BU are committed to providing excellent training, development, and teaching for the postgraduate community across disciplinary and interdisciplinary research fields.

The NIHR INSIGHT South West Central programme is co-hosted by University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and Bournemouth University (BU). Together we have 6,000 pre-registration and 4,000 post registration students across more than 15 health and care professions. We work with regional NHS Integrated care boards, service providers, health research and third sector organisations. The aim of the collaboration is to inspire new graduates into research careers or to embed research into their practice leading to better outcomes for the public and services and to build research networks.

From 2024-2027, the NIHR INSIGHT South West Central programme has funding to support:

  • 30 Research Masters studentships each year
  • Across two Universities – UWE Bristol or BU
  • Full- and Part-time study routes
  • Dissertations with research active mentors
  • A program of networking and engagement activities.

More information

About the MRes studentship programme at BU

Embarking on an MRes at Bournemouth University is one exciting step towards a clinical academic career – so we want to ensure you are provided with as much support as possible during what promises to be a life -changing experience.

Our programme provides an opportunity for you as a health or care professional to join a flexible student-orientated programme designed with equality, diversity, and inclusivity in mind. A programme that will build skills to enhance research capacity and leadership and importantly to improve outcomes across health and care practice.

The ethos of these MRes studentships is to inspire and equip researchers to work creatively and flexibly to understand and apply research so that they can make significant contributions to addressing research priorities in health and care. MRes students will be equipped with the professional attributes to undertake high quality impactful research and provide opportunities to work with existing research teams, gain experience, build skills and knowledge that enhance working with others to ensure a broader impact.

We offer the opportunity of working with our external stakeholders recognising that working with external organisations and networking with the NHS, councils, health research, companies and charities will broaden your knowledge and experience beyond academia.

Be assured you will be joining a research community with a strong track record of successful and impactful collaborative research that recognises public/patient involvement and engagement accelerates research benefit. You will enjoy the support of a team of dedicated, enthusiastic academic and professional support staff who will ensure your work is efficient, enjoyable and most of all successful. All of this within a fabulous location with seven miles of award-winning sandy beaches, amongst the delights of Bournemouth which attracts a vibrant and creative community.
For questions about the NIHR SWCC programme contact: NIHR INSIGHT or visit the website for specifics about the BU MRes studentships please contact [email protected]
Students are encouraged to identify potential supervisors from our Research Centres and Institutes who would be happy to discuss potential projects with you.

Fees and funding

The NIHR INSIGHT South West Central programme offers either full time or part time research training opportunities through a Research Masters programme.

Students wishing to apply for NIHR MRes funding can apply for either:

Applicants may apply to only one pathway.

Find out more about wider MRes opportunities in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.

Students are encouraged to look at ways of working with relevant external partners (health, social care, charities, private and volunteer sectors) in their research proposal. Collaboration does not always have to be a financial arrangement and could take the form of a placement, voluntary work, data sharing, or other payment-in-kind opportunities.

What the studentship provides

Students who are successful in gaining a studentship will be provided with tuition fees and a tax-free stipend at the UKRI rate. For 2024-2025, the stipend is £19,237 for full-time study and £9,619 for part-time study.

Both full-time and part-time studentships are available. Those studying full-time study are expected to complete their research masters degree within 12 months and those studying part-time are expected to complete it within 24 months. Award holders may simultaneously develop their profession-specific skills, with some restrictions to ensure successful completion of the degree. Full-time students may work up to one day a week (0.2FTE) of paid employment and part-time students may work up to three days a week (0.6FTE) of paid employment while in receipt of the studentship.

If you are successful in gaining an NIHR INSIGHT South West Central MRes studentship, the tuition fees and a stipend at UKRI rates will be provided either full time (1.0 FTE) over one year or part-time (0.5 FTE) same amount split over two years.

Eligibility

The studentships are available to those who meet the following eligibility criteria.

  • Working towards or registered with one of the following Regulatory Bodies: Academy for Healthcare Science, General Chiropractic Council, General Dental Council, General Medical Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Social Work England, UK Public Health Register. (Please note: this does not include doctors and dentists).
  • Newly graduated or up to five years experience of practice as a registered health or care professional.
  • Have UK home student status. (see the UK Council for International Student Affairs for further information)
  • Planning to apply and study for the Masters in Research Health and Care Research at UWE Bristol or Masters in Research (MRes) at Bournemouth University.  

For entry to our research masters programmes, we normally require a Bachelors honours degree of 2:1 or above (or equivalent if it is a non-UK degree) in a relevant subject. If you do not meet the above grade requirements but have at least 12 months relevant professional experience and/ or equivalent qualifications, we will consider you on an individual basis.  Where English is not your first language, an IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 minimum (with a minimum 6.5 in each component, or equivalent) is required and this must be evidenced at point of application.

Consideration will be given to personal circumstances and contextual factors such as a career break or caring responsibilities. If you have any questions about your eligibility, please contact the programme team.

It is highly recommended, although not essential, that you contact potential supervisors before submitting your application to ensure we have the supervisory capacity for your research. This can be done by searching our staff profile pages for your subject area.

How to apply

Students wishing to apply for NIHR MRes funding can apply for either:

Applicants may apply to only one pathway.

To apply for a postgraduate research degree with BU, simply follow the link above to the Full or Part-time programme and click the ‘Apply now’. You will then be taken to our online application portal, myHub.

You will need to create an account and complete the application form in full. You can save the form as you go, enabling you to return to it as many times as you want before submitting. The form is split into tabbed sections. As you complete each of the tabbed sections they will turn green - only click submit once all of your tabs are highlighted green.

You will need to upload a research proposal is around 750 words long (excluding references). Please read our Research Proposal Guidance Document (pdf 447kb) for more information.

As part of your application, you will need to specify how you plan to fund your studies and provide a personal statement. Please be aware that CVs and academic profiles will not be considered unless they are accompanied by a completed application.

Timeline

To apply

Step 1: Complete The online application form for a Research Masters studentship NIHR INSIGHT Programme for South West Central. The online form will ask you for a 300-word statement about why you would like to obtain a Research Masters studentship funded by the NIHR INSIGHT programme. You will also be able to outline contextual factors that are relevant to your application and access support for the application process.

Step 2: Follow the relevant link to apply for MRes You will need to provide a research proposal of around 750 words (excluding references).

Deadline: Wednesday 14 August

Step 3: Shortlisted candidates will be offered a 30-minute interview in early July 2024.

Step 4: Your application will then be considered by the NIHR INSIGHT South West Central Collaboration programme for funding.

Step 5: You will be informed of the outcome by the end of July 2024.

Completion of both the Research Masters studentship application form and an admissions application for either BU or UWE is required for award of a studentship. You are requested to complete and submit the application forms as soon as possible.