A new internship programme offering health and care professionals the chance to gain research experience has launched in South London.
The South London Health and Care Professional internship programme is hosted and managed by A Centre of Research for Nurses and Midwives (ACORN) at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT), one of King's College London's NHS partners. King's Clinical Academic Training Office (KCATO) collaborated on the funding bid and will also play a role delivering this programme. KCATO supports research-active health professionals working across King's and its NHS partner Trusts, and all interns will have access to the resources and support that ACORN and KCATO offer.
Applications are now invited for the first cohort, who will start in January 2026. The programme runs for ten months and offers a four-week placement in a research team, alongside workshops and monthly meetings with an allocated research mentor. Crucially, the internship funding provides protected time for participants to undertake self-directed work - this might involve drafting a project proposal, putting together a poster or talk, or working on research competencies. It can be challenging for health professionals to find time for research activities alongside their clinical practice, so programmes offering funding for dedicated research time are valuable.
Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the internship programme brings together ten NHS partners, three universities (including King's), two NIHR-funded research centres, and eight network supports. Dr Sam Irving, Associate Director for KCATO, will also be the programme lead.
"These internships offer a fantastic opportunity for health and care professionals to gain skills, confidence and competencies in research, providing a real boost for their careers."
Dr Sam Irving, KCATO Associate Director (Professions Allied to Healthcare)
"I'm delighted to lead the programme alongside my GSTT and KCATO colleagues," Dr Irving continued. "I am confident this will align with KCATO's goal of building capacity and opportunities across the clinical academic career pipeline, and empowering all types of health professionals to undertake academic research."
