Frequently asked questions

What is a NICE Fellowship and what is a NICE Scholarship?

Both NICE Fellowships and NICE Scholarships are opportunities for health professionals working in the NHS in England to work with NICE to improve the quality of NHS care and to contribute to their own professional development. More details about Fellowships are available here. More details about Scholarships are available here.

Who is eligible?

Information on the eligibility criteria for NICE Fellowships and Scholarships is available here.

How long do NICE Fellowships and Scholarships last?

NICE Fellowships last three years. NICE Scholarships last a year.

How much time do NICE Fellowships and Scholarships take up?

As a guide, Fellows are expected to spend on average a day a month on Fellowship activities and Scholars are expected to spend on average a day a week on Scholarship activities The exact amount of time that successful applicants will spend on Fellowships and Scholarship activities will vary, as will the way in which they divide that time up. Both aspects should be specified in the activity proposal they write as part of their application.

What do NICE Fellows and NICE Scholars do?

NICE Fellows are ambassadors for clinical and public health excellence in their local areas and more widely. This might involve championing the implementation of NICE guidance, attending conferences, getting involved in the education and training of NHS staff or liaising with professional bodies. NICE Scholars are also expected to be ambassadors for clinical and public health excellence but their work will mostly be project-based. For more information on the things that NICE Fellows and Scholars might do, see ‘NICE Fellowship and Scholarship activities: a guide for applicants,' available here, as well as the profiles of the current Fellows and Scholars. The work of NICE Fellows and Scholars needs to be relevant to NICE's work, be valuable to their local NHS employers, and contribute to professional development.

Where do NICE Fellows and Scholars work?

NICE Fellows and Scholars carry out most of their activities in their local area. However, it is necessary for Fellows and Scholars occasionally to travel to NICE's office in either London or Manchester in order to attend meetings.

Are Fellows and Scholars paid?

No. Neither NICE Fellowships nor NICE Scholarship are paid. NICE will, however, meet all reasonable expenses (e.g. travel, accommodation) incurred in the course of carrying out Fellowship or Scholarship activities.

How do I apply?

Full details of the application process and all the necessary documents are available here.

Why should my employer sponsor me to be a NICE Fellow or Scholar?

The application process for NICE Fellowships and Scholarships requires applicants to obtain a letter of reference and organisational support from their employer. In requesting this, applicants are encouraged to draw their employer's attention to the range of benefits which the NICE Fellows and Scholars programme offers local NHS organisations. Sponsoring a NICE Fellow or Scholar is a excellent way of contributing to a staff member's professional development and also provides the sponsoring organisation with a better understanding of how NICE works. Even more importantly, however, an organisation which sponsors a NICE Fellow or Scholar is helping to improve the quality of NHS care in its local area. Many of the possible activities that NICE Fellows and Scholars might perform are things which local NHS organisations already need to do, e.g. audit, implementation of NICE guidance. In such cases, sponsoring a NICE Fellow or Scholar might be regarded as bringing an existing activity or project under the heading of a NICE Fellowship or Scholarship. The benefit of doing so is that the Fellow or Scholar concerned will have the direct support of NICE, which will assist the individual in carrying out the activity. For the benefits to local NHS organisations of implementing NICE guidance, see http://www.nice.org.uk/usingguidance/benefitsofimplementation/benefits_of_implementation.jsp.

Will a NICE Scholarship project count towards my CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training)? (Specialist Registrars / senior Specialty Registrars only)

In setting up the NICE Fellows and Scholars Programme, NICE contacted the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB). PMETB and NICE both agree that whether a NICE Scholarship project will count towards an applicant's CCT depends on their individual circumstances. Particularly if the project proposed for a NICE Scholarship falls within the applicant's training curriculum, then it is certainly possible for it to count towards their CCT. The onus is on applicants to obtain the permission of their local dean or training supervisor. PMETB has confirmed that no further permission would be required from it provided that an agreement has been reached with the local dean / training supervisor.

Can my application for a NICE Fellowship or Scholarship be supported by my Royal College or other professional body?

Yes. NICE welcomes applications for NICE Fellowships and Scholarships which come with the support of Royal Colleges and other professional bodies. The professional body should indicate support for the application by the provision of one of the two professional references which all applicants for Fellowships and Scholarships have to arrange as part of the application process. It should however be noted that this support does not guarantee selection.

NICE does not require applicants who belong to a College to be supported by it and the programme is open to health professionals who do not belong to Royal Colleges.