The Local Authority Short Placement Award for Research Collaboration (LA SPARC) offers awards of up to £15,000 per individual and provides opportunities for both individuals working in Local Authority settings and NIHR Academy members to undertake placements and move between NIHR and LAs in either direction. The aim of the award is to provide opportunities for individuals to enhance their careers, as well as their skills, knowledge and expertise to work at the interface between practice and academia, co-creating research and helping to support meaningful research collaborations and partnerships between NIHR and LAs.
This would be an opportunity for professionals working within local authority settings (with a minimum level of qualification at degree level) who are interested and engaged in research and analysis/policy/evidence synthesis to undertake short placements within a part of the NIHR and strengthen research capacity directly within local authorities.
Round 2 of the Local Authority SPARC Awards will launch in September 2022. Find out more here.