Associate Principal Investigator (API) Scheme

An infographic stating that 98% of associate PI alumni have stayed engaged in research. Captured by the Associal PI alumni surveyThe NIHR Associate Principal Investigator (API) Scheme is a six month in-work training opportunity, providing practical experience for healthcare professionals starting their research career.

The scheme links NHS health professionals who aren't research active with a study Principal Investigator (PI) who will act as a mentor to the Associate PI at the same site for a period of six months. 

A checklist of activities relating to study management at site is completed which allows the Associate PI to learn research leadership skills and the Associate PI is awarded a certificate on completion of the scheme for their training portfolio.

How it works

Open to any healthcare professional willing to make a significant contribution to the conduct and delivery of a study at a local level over a period of at least 6 months.

The healthcare professional works alongside the Local PI for six months on the study at the same site as the Associate PI.

The Local PI acts as a mentor to the Associate PI, helping to understand what it means to be a local PI working on an NIHR Portfolio study.

For the scheme the Associate PI must complete a checklist of study activities and a learning pathway on the NIHR Learn. The checklist needs to be signed off by the Local PI and the National Study Co-ordinator at the end of the Associate PI’s time on the scheme.

The scheme will then issue a certificate confirming Associate PI Status which can be added to their training portfolio.

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Local impact

The research team will support any API’s with the learning alongside the PI.

  • Opportunity for research careers to start early – the NIHR strategy ambition is that all staff will be research active by 2030.
  • Improved patient care due to swifter delivery of new treatments, changing pathways.
  • Normalises the patient’s expectation of being offered a randomised control trial.
  • Developing the next generation of researchers.
  • Supporting the PI, freeing up their time and possibly encouraging more Consultants to become research active.
  • Open to Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs.

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