LGC manages research funding schemes and related initiatives for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, managing public investment in excess of £500m per annum.
The Graduate Scheme in Research Management provides a unique opportunity to experience all aspects of research funding management, helping to shape the future of healthcare, social care and public health.
The posts are based at LGC’s Grant Management Group (GMG) in Twickenham. Joining the graduate scheme provides the opportunity for internal collaboration with staff as well as exciting external liaison, with interfaces to UK Government, academia, industry and the clinical community. Occasional travel to other NIHR centres and locations may be required.
Our staff are experts in managing research funding on behalf of major organisations for the benefit of wider society. GMG delivers research management, communications and engagement, and provides expertise into the funding and management of commercial and technological innovation. You’ll receive mentoring, professional development and training from experienced colleagues in our specialist teams.
As well as this chance to become knowledgeable and proficient in aspects of General Research Management facing the public sector, this year we are extending our offer to graduates who are particularly interested in developing a career in either Corporate Services or Research Impact and will be appointing three graduates in 2023.
Our Corporate Services teams include finance, corporate governance, risk management and assurance, information governance, business planning, continuous improvement, policy (development and compliance) and human resources. Research Impact includes monitoring, evaluation and learning activities related to our portfolio of funded research, and implementing the NIHR Outcomes Framework.
What you will do on our scheme:
Each step of the 22-month programme will challenge you and develop your managerial skills. You will have the chance to build your strengths and explore your career aspirations. We enable you to:
1) Understand how health research studies are awarded funding and monitored
2) Review an aspect of our work as part of a study in your first six months to deepen your appreciation of our service
3) Pitch to lead a multi-faceted management project to develop our grant management service
4) Deliver this 8-month project with tailored mentoring and coaching
5) Pitch to lead a second management project, potentially in a different area of interest
6) Deliver this second 8-month project with greater autonomy
For the Corporate Services and Research Impact streams, steps 2-6 will be focused on projects and skill development related to the respective streams.
We see the chance to deliver projects as the best way to learn what it takes to be an effective manager. You will be supported throughout, to help you reflect on what you are learning, to develop your talents and plan your career. On completion of the scheme, you’ll be ready to take your career to the next stage, having acquired a comprehensive understanding of research funding management.