Please read our Postgraduate Guidance document and Conditions of Award for full details.

If you have any questions, please email research@stroke.org.uk and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

You can also view the Postgraduate Fellowship scheme webinar, held on 23 July 2026, below:

Deadline

This round is open for applications.

The funding call for Postgraduate Fellowship applications is due to open at 11:00am on 20 July 2026. The closing date for applications is 1:00pm on 12 October 2026. Interviews will be held on 11 and 12 March 2027.

Purpose and remit of the awards

The Stroke Association is committed to building capacity in stroke research to accelerate progress in prevention, treatment, recovery and long‑term outcomes for people affected by stroke. Our Postgraduate Fellowship scheme opens the door for new researchers to begin a career in stroke research. They build the next generation of talent by providing essential research training and experience, supported by expert supervision.

We expect all research proposals to align with the priorities for stroke research, as set by the 2021 James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for Stroke.  

Applications in childhood stroke should fall under the priorities of the Childhood Neurological Disabilities PSP Top 10. Any applications addressing one or more of these priorities must have a clear link to stroke prevention, treatment or care. 

The Stroke Association does not fund basic research that has no clear trajectory towards improving the health and wellbeing of people affected by stroke. All proposals must outline a credible pathway to impact.

Postgraduate Fellowship (PGF):

• Is for candidates who have an interest in stroke research and do not have a clinical background or do not wish to undertake clinical activity during the Fellowship.
• Aims to provide the necessary skills and training for the development of an independent career in stroke research.

Clinical-Academic Postgraduate Fellowship (CPGF):

• Offers the opportunity for clinicians to combine research with clinical practice. 
• Aims to embed research within stroke care, bridging the gap between evidence and practice. 
• Supports future clinical-academic leaders who will drive improvements in patient outcomes and service delivery. 

We are committed to creating clinical career pathways in stroke research and welcome applications from any clinical professional working in stroke care.

Eligibility requirements

The eligibility requirements for each award can be found in the Postgraduate Guidance document.

Please contact the Research Team if you are unsure of, or have any queries regarding, your eligibility for this award.

Scope of funding

For both Postgraduate (PGF) and Clinical-Academic Postgraduate Fellowships (CPGF):

• The maximum funding amount that you can apply for is £250,000 over a period of three years (full-time) or up to five years (part-time).
• Fellowships may be taken up on a part-time, pro-rata basis but the minimum working hours would be equivalent to 0.6 FTE.  
• You cannot apply for the full amount if you want to work part time over a shorter period (e.g. three years). In these cases, we will reduce the award value accordingly. 
• PhD Stipend funding will be paid in line with UKRI rates as described below: 

	26/27	27/28	28/29
25/26 PGFs	£21,805	£22,437	£23,088

Please note: Rates for future years are based on estimated increases for inflation and are not confirmed.

For Clinical-Academic Postgraduate Fellowships (CPGF) only: 

• The CPGF will fund your research activity, including your time spent on research activity, and research costs.  
• The research component of the CPGF must be undertaken at a minimum of 0.6 FTE.  
• The length of the CPGF should reflect the split between research and clinical activity, and with the research component equating to three years full-time (e.g. 0.6 FTE over five years). 
• Clinical activity is expected to be funded through your NHS or Statutory Social Care Organisation contract of employment. 
• Payment for clinical salaries will be capped at the top of Band 7 AFC pay scale. If your clinical salary exceeds this amount you will need to secure the additional funding from your clinical employer and provide details of this in your application.

To begin an application, please create an account by clicking 'register' in the top right-hand corner. If you have previously interacted with us, then your email address may already be in the system. If you find that this is the case, please click on 'Login' and 'Forgot password?' The system will then email you instructions to set yourself a password.

After you have logged in, please click on 'Application Portal' at the top of the page, then select which award you would like to start an application for, from the 'Click here to start an application' search bar in the blue panel on this page.

This system should work on all major browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge, but we would not recommend using Internet Explorer below version 9.

If you have any issues with the system or have any feedback, please email us at research@stroke.org.uk.

Interviews will be held on 11 and 12 March 2027. You'll be informed two weeks before whether you have been shortlisted for an interview.

Success rates for Postgraduate Fellowship awards

You can find details of the number of applications received and the number funded for this stream in recent years here:

• Postgraduate Fellowship Success Rates

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