Associated organisationsUniversity of Birmingham · University of Leicester · University of Nottingham · University of WarwickEurope PMC affiliations are not treated as award recipients or mapped locations.
Funding£7.2M
PeriodAug 2022 — Oct 2029
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
A new doctoral training centre will train 25 healthcare professionals as PhD researchers across four Midlands universities and regional NHS Trusts, focusing specifically on mental health and neuroscience. The UK faces a shortage of clinical academics—healthcare professionals who also conduct research—particularly in mental health. This programme directly addresses that gap by creating a structured pathway for nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other clinicians to develop advanced research skills while staying connected to their professional practice. Without such programmes, promising clinicians often leave research after their PhD, or never enter it at all. If successful, the centre will produce a cohort of clinical academics equipped to tackle major mental health challenges across the lifespan—from perinatal mental health to dementia and physical-mental health comorbidity. These researchers will be better positioned to translate scientific discoveries into NHS practice, improve patient care, and strengthen the UK’s mental health research infrastructure. The programme also aims to build a lasting, internationally connected research community in the Midlands, fostering collaboration that outlasts any single project.
View original technical description
This unique partnership between four Midlands-based universities (and regional NHS Trusts) builds an innovative multidisciplinary doctoral training centre for healthcare professionals focussing on Mental Health & Neurosciences (MH&N), which will foster a progressive and dynamic inclusive research culture to support and develop 25 outstanding PhD scholars. Our holistic approach ensures that scholars’ needs are central to a supervisory system, supporting their research skills and career development, while ensuring wellbeing and quality of life. Every multidisciplinary cohort will have multiple opportunities to meet professionally and socially for peer support and companionship during their PhD. Scholars can choose to research a ‘theme’ representing the lifespan (children, young people and perinatal MH; common MH; severe MH; dementia; and physical health comorbidity with MH), using specific bio-psycho-social ‘approaches’. Profession-specific mentors will ensure scholars remain connected to their primary professional groups. Scholars will leave our programme as well-rounded clinical-academics with high-levels of MH&N research acumen, and enhanced communication and leadership skills. Ultimately, we aim to: (1) develop the next generation of multidisciplinary clinical academics in MH&N (2) conduct and disseminate world-leading research (3) create and sustain an ambitious Midlands-based, internationally connected, compassionate clinical-academic ecosystem, collaborating to address the key contemporary mental health challenges.
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