BHF Research Professorships

In response to the BHF strategy refresh, we will be championing more ambitious research projects across our funding schemes. The BHF Personal Chair scheme will be replaced with the new BHF Research Professorships.

The main drivers of these changes are:

1) allowing headroom for future research leaders to become established
2) research leaders to become established, increasing and diversifying the capacity of cardiovascular senior leadership across the UK
3) fostering clinical and discovery research leadership in institutions, fields and regions.

Our peer-review process will continue to focus on scientific excellence, potential for impact, and value for money.  

We award professorships to individuals with outstanding cardiovascular research achievements and leadership qualities. Our aim is to support and enhance their current and future research activities. The scheme aims to increase and diversify the capacity of cardiovascular research senior leadership across the UK.

BHF Research Professors are research leaders who will act as an ambassador for excellence in cardiovascular research in their institutions and regions, and drive research growth and quality.

BHF Research Professors will be expected to support BHF messaging within their institutions and regions. They will also be a publicly visible face of the BHF for research, publicity and fundraising purposes.

About BHF Research Professors

Our professors are appointed in partnership with universities that can demonstrate a strong commitment to cardiovascular research. They will be linked to the institution at which they are awarded, and they will be expected to spend the majority of their time working at that institution.

Our professors will lead and conduct internationally competitive research, and will be committed to training future cardiovascular scientists.

Outstanding scientific excellence is the fundamental criteria for a BHF Research Professorship. Additional important considerations for making the award are how the candidate supports and enhances the profile of cardiovascular research nationally and internationally, and its alignment with the BHF Research Strategy.

We expect that all BHF Research Professors will devote the majority of their time to research, with circumscribed administrative, clinical or teaching duties.

Funding for a BHF Research Professorship will provide discretionary support to the individual for their research endeavours.

Key requirements

• Senior investigator in clinical or basic cardiovascular science, with an established reputation as an international leader in the pertinent research field.
• Substantial output of high impact research on a sustained trajectory.
• Track record of attracting significant peer-reviewed research grant income as principal investigator, including current, substantial and long-term funding (i.e. programmatic level grant funding from the BHF or other funders).

Research funding requirements for a BHF Research Professorship

Candidates for a BHF Research Professorship must hold current, substantial and long-term funding (i.e. programmatic level grant funding from the BHF or other funders). The remaining tenure of funding should be at least 3 years of programme grant-level funding in place at initial application. Renewal at the 5-year point will also depend on such funding being in place at the time of renewal.

If appropriate research funding is not already in place, preliminary applications for a Research Professorship and programmatic level funding may be submitted simultaneously. However, a full application for a Research Professorship will not be considered by the Committee until appropriate programmatic research funding has been secured. 

Award duration

Awards are for a 5-year period, with a renewal for a second 5-year period subject to a site visit. Awards will be for a maximum of 10 years.

At the 5-year renewal point, the ongoing level of support will be assessed. BHF reserves the right to review and alter the nature of support provided.

Research Professorship after 5 years: process

Approximately 4 years into the award, the Research Professor will be invited to submit a brief Overview Report. This report will enable the Chairs and Programme Grants Committee to flag any specific areas to be addressed in a subsequent full application for renewal, and a review process with site visit. If renewal of funding is not recommended, the Research Professorship will end at the 5-year point.

After 10 years

The Research Professorship funding will end after a period of 10 years, but the title may be retained if the appointee maintains substantial research funding. This will be gauged via a brief annual report.

Level of support

The Discretionary funding awarded is not designed to support the Professor’s salary, as it is the expectation that this position will be tenured within the host institutions. In exceptional circumstances, BHF may consider the use of discretionary support funding for the Research Professor Salary for up to 5 years. This is if full justification is provided by the host institution.

Discretionary support of up to £400,000 per year can be requested, with the award amount determined by the ambition of the proposed use and scope of the research. An indicative budget will be requested as part of the application. These are flexible awards, and the indicative proposed use of funding may be modified post-award at the Research Professor’s discretion, within the remit of the application.

Research Professorship funding may be used for:

• research workforce - clinical time (for staff fully employed on the NHS only - may not be used for existing university posts), project staff, bridging salaries or stipends, fellowships, scholarships, technical and support staff
• directly incurred research costs
• translation and commercialisation activities
• collaboration and partnerships
• training costs
• equipment costs – purchase and/or maintenance
• PPI, engagement, and outreach
• travel – including meetings and conferences.

If you have expenditure in mind and aren’t clear if BHF would cover it, please ask. Funds cannot be used to support administrative posts. 

Residency requirements do not apply for BHF Research Professor, and international candidates are eligible to apply for accelerated endorsement of the UK Global Talent Visa. However, candidates must have obtained residency permission before the start of the award. Read more information on residency requirements.

How to apply and what to submit

Initial queries should be sent by the University Senior Leadership to the BHF Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, by email to [email protected]. Please use the following subject in your email “University NAME query for BHF Research Professorship”

This query should describe:  

• the candidate and their achievements
• how this appointment would add value to both the candidate’s career and the institutional cardiovascular research environment
• how a BHF Research Professor will be supported by the host institution. If the institution already has a BHF Research Professors, the query should directly address the value provided by an additional position and how they will complement each other
• the query should be a maximum of 2 pages. 

Preliminary applications

Subsequently, a formal preliminary application should be submitted on behalf of the university leadership with oversight of the broader institutional research strategy.

In addition to completing the online form, you will be asked upload a PDF preliminary Case for Support containing the following information:

1. title of proposed research
2. the university’s strategy for cardiovascular research, and how this appointment will strengthen the strategy
3. details of university support that would be provided for the candidate, in terms of facilities, staff posts and research funding
4. a summary of current and anticipated research activity that will be undertaken during the first 5 years and how the Personal Chair award will add value
5. summary of how the candidate and their research will add value to the BHF Research Professor cohort as a whole, with reference to the research portfolio of the group. If the institution already has a BHF Research Professors, please address the potential value added by appointing an additional position and how they will complement each other.
6. summary of how the candidate will drive cardiovascular research activity and represent the BHF in their nationally and internationally.
7.  total funding request and proposed use of funding showing how this total has been reached.

Sections 1-6 must not exceed 4 A4 sides. Please ensure Arial font size 12 is used. If this font size is not used, the application will be returned without formal consideration.

Additional document upload checklist:

• the full CV of the proposed Research Professor, including details of current research funding and previous funding from the past 10 years
• letters of support from University Senior Leadership and any other relevant letters of support.

Preliminary applications will be considered by our Chairs and Programme Grants Committee to determine whether to invite a full application.

Full applications

Once a preliminary application is approved and appropriate research funding from the BHF and/or other funder(s) is in place, the candidate will be able to complete a full online application form.

The BHF will provide access to the full application following approval of a preliminary application. This should include a full Case for Support which should be uploaded as a PDF document containing the following information:

1. title of proposed research
2. short summary of your research plans in 200 words or less
3. background to the research field
4. proposed research activity for the next five years, including sources of funding (current and planned) and how a BHF Research Professor would enhance these activities
5. outline a plan of research after five years, including planned sources of funding and how a BHF Chair would support and enhance this work
6. expected value of results
7. a summary of how the candidate and their research will add value to the BHF Research Professor cohort as a whole, with reference to the research portfolio of the group. If the institution already has a BHF Research Professor, please address the potential value added by appointing an additional position and how they will complement each other.
8. a summary of how the candidate will drive cardiovascular research activity and represent the BHF nationally and internationally.
9. list of key relevant grants and publications
10. appendices (maximum 3 sides A4) containing only tables or figures essential to the understanding of the application. Research papers whether published, in press or in preparation may not be attached (although hyperlinks can be provided).

Sections 1-6 must not exceed 12 A4 sides. Please ensure Arial font size 12 is used. If this font size is not used, the application will be returned without formal consideration.

Additional document upload checklist:

• intellectual property agreements where relevant
• the full CV of the proposed Research Professor, including details of current research funding and previous funding from the past 10 years
• institutional Cardiovascular Research Strategy
• a letter of support from the university's senior leadership (maximum 3 A4 sides), reaffirming how the appointment will strengthen the university’s strategy for cardiovascular research and bring added value to the BHF. It should also reaffirm the support to be provided in terms of research posts, research infrastructure and maintenance. Any other relevant letters of support should be uploaded.
• organisation chart showing divisional and departmental management reporting lines
• plans of campus location and laboratory and office space, showing the proposed Chair holder’s location in relation to other departments
• brief CV (two A4 sides including email address) of named staff for whom salary is requested
• quotes obtained for any requested equipment with a value of £5,000 or more and any laboratory renovations
• for re-submissions, the Case for Support should include an additional appendix containing an unedited copy of the original feedback followed by a detailed response, limited to 3 sides of A4. It should explain how the revised application has changed from the previous submission.

Interview

Decision process

There are no closing dates. Please submit when you are ready.

Flowchart outlining our decision process: