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Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
  1. Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
  2. Study with us
  3. Postgraduate research
  4. Clinical Academic Training School
  5. HEAL Doctoral Training Programme
  6. Eligibility

Eligibility

Applicants to the HEAL programme must be health professionals. A health professional is a healthcare worker who is registered with a national professional regulatory body. Such bodies include the General Medical Council and the Health and Care Professions Council. Applicants should be registered in the country in which they are based and hold a licence to practice. They should be in active clinical practice and hold an appropriate contract with a healthcare provider such as the NHS. For the duration of the HEAL Fellowship, they should be registered in the UK or Republic of Ireland.

This includes, but is not limited to, the following professions:

  • allied health professionals (art therapists, chiropodists/podiatrists, dietitians, drama therapists, music therapists, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, osteopaths, paramedics, physiotherapists, prosthetists and orthotists, radiographers and speech and language therapists)
  • chiropractors
  • clinical psychologists
  • dentists
  • dental hygienists
  • dental nurses
  • dental therapists
  • healthcare scientists (in life sciences, physiological sciences, physical sciences and biomechanical engineering and bioinformatics)
  • health visitors
  • medics
  • midwives
  • non-medical public health specialty trainees, specialists or consultants
  • nurses
  • optometrists and dispensing opticians
  • osteopaths
  • pharmacists
  • pharmacy technicians
  • practitioner psychologists
  • vets

 

Guidance notes:

  • Applicants should be registered in the UK or the Republic of Ireland on the day of the application deadline (such as the General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Health and Care Professions Council, General Optical Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, General Dental Council and others).
  • All fellows must have completed their undergraduate degree and be registered with the relevant professional body. Healthcare professionals other than medical graduates need to have at least 1-year full-time equivalent (FTE) of clinical practice.
  • Medical graduates must be registered on a UK/Republic of Ireland specialist training programme or must be a registered GP. At the time of taking up the fellowship, medical graduates must have completed foundation training.
  • Routine clinical work (that is not related to research) is limited to no more than 8 hours a week (2 clinical sessions) FTE (16 hours for craft specialities FTE, 4 clinical sessions) during the fellowship and the host institution must provide a signed statement agreeing to this restriction.
  • A candidate can reapply once; however, should seek feedback from the HEAL Programme Directors before the second submission.
  • HEAL does not allow concurrent study or transferring fellowships, therefore you are not eligible to apply if you are in receipt of a current fellowship, i.e. an existing PhD fellow.
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