15 May 2026
Steph Smith, a clinical academic dietitian, has been selected as part of the first cohort of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) North East and North Cumbria Health and Care Professionals Internship Programme.
Launched in April, the programme marks the start of a nine‑month programme of applied health research for health and care professionals across the region – supporting them to develop essential research skills and experience that contribute to improved care.
Participants receive a £10,000 award alongside tailored learning, mentorship and protected time to build research capability, support research delivery and strengthen research culture within their organisations.
Steph completed a competitive application process to become one of 25 people selected to take part and will be following the Clinician Academic Leadership in Research pathway of the programme. This pathway is for aspiring clinical academics who want to develop their research knowledge and skills to lay foundations for future funding awards.
She will focus on three key strands: developing specialist skills to ethically and meaningfully involve children and young people in research; gaining mentored experience in large‑scale grant writing; and leading a trustwide project to support colleagues to identify and plan evidence‑based practice objectives within annual appraisals.
Steph said: “I’m really excited and grateful to be part of the NIHR Health and Care Professionals Internship Programme. I am particularly looking forward to being part of a multi‑professional cohort, all developing our research capability together.
“It offers a fantastic opportunity for clinicians to access protected time to develop their applied health research skills alongside like-minded peers, while remaining in clinical practice.
“My clinical specialism is within children and young people’s eating disorders. With rising prevalence and a need for stronger evidence to guide prevention and treatment, clinician involvement in research is very important to drive improvements in care for young people and their families.
“Alongside the support I receive from our trust, linking my internship with Teesside University’s Mental Health Leader Award, an initiative that helps strengthen mental health research in our region, provides valuable academic support as I continue to develop.”
The programme is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and co‑hosted with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.
