Apply for Cohort 5 (Aug 2026 - Aug 2027)
NHS Applicants

AI project matching for nationally-funded posts differs from regionally-funded posts. See FAQ sections below.
The number of posts listed is illustrative and not final.
Interview dates are indicative and may change during the application cycle.

^† Must hold a National Training Number in a UK specialty training post leading directly to Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) for the duration of the fellowship

^‡ Must hold a substantive post with an NHS Employer at band 7, band 8a, or band 8b, and a valid professional registration with one of the following: HCPC, NMC, GPhC, GOC, GDC, or GMC

^* Must be at least ST3 or GPVTS ST2 at start date of fellowship

The number of posts listed is illustrative and not final.
Interview dates are indicative and may change during the application cycle.

Entry requirements

• This entry route is open to any clinician providing NHS services (typically from a statutorily regulated professional register: HCPC, NMC, GPhC, GOC, GDC, or GMC- please email the faculty regarding other workforce groups)
• The applicant must identify a Sponsor for their post, or fund their own post. The course fee is the same for either route at £7500. The fellow must release 0.4FTE of their time for the duration of their fellowship. There is no salary cover unless agreed with Sponsor by applicant.
• • Sponsor-funded: the Sponsor must email the faculty to confirm funding by 15 Dec 2025. Interview is contingent on receipt of sponsor funding confirmation.
• • • Example sources of sponsorship include: NHS Trusts/departments, Higher Specialist Scientist Training personal development budget, existing academic funding (e.g. NIHR awards)
• • Self-funded: this is declared in the application form (no email to faculty necessary). Upon successful interview, self-funded applicants receive a secure payment link to confirm their post. Project matching and entry to the fellowship are contingent on receipt of the funds for the course fee.

Interview

• The applicant must meet Essential criteria of the Person Specification (see section below) at interview
• Indicative interview dates are: 20, 21, 28 Jan 2026 (TBC according to applicant volume)

Project matching

• Successful applicants are matched to AI projects in one of the following ways:
  • A competitively matched AI project from an existing host site (see Clinical AI Project List section below) in the applicant’s NHS region. This project matching is competitive (even though programme entry itself is non-competitive) with other applicants from regional pools, and is based on interview score.
  • A non-competitively pre-allocated AI project with a named supervisor, specifically aligning to the interests of the fellow (e.g. work underway as part of their PhD). A submission of a project proposal is required. Contact the faculty when applying in this case.

• Communicates effectively with key stakeholders in clinical AI including: hospital management, patients, clinicians, regulatory bodies, and software developers
• Works energetically as a vital member of an agile multidisciplinary team including data scientists, medical physicists, IT, health economists, and clinicians
• Has advanced ICT proficiency (e.g. using advanced functions in Office applications), and the ability to rapidly learn new skills and solve technical problems

• Experience in quality improvement projects, clinical trials
• Experience in digital transformation, clinical informatics (DICOM, HL7, etc)
• Experience in programming, mathematics, statistical analysis

For regionally-funded posts, why is my NHS region, workforce group, or region/workforce group combination not eligible?

Regional eligibility is set at the discretion of regional funding bodies (not the faculty), and this is not a uniform process across the NHS. If you have a specific question or concern, please contact the faculty so that we can identify priority areas for recruitment in future cohorts.

Why are there restrictions for eligibility based certain career stage?

Where there are restrictions, the eligible career stages have been agreed by consensus with our funding bodies and the national CXIO leads for relevant professions. Career stages are selected in which this fellowship is expected to be a developmental inflection point or step change, maximising the benefit to NHS workforce transformation. For earlier career stages, there are limited opportunities to apply the experience in transformational AI projects in the NHS. For later career stages, the programme impact is less likely to be additive due to pre-existing experience and knowledge.

Is a doctor/dentist eligible if they are: a foundation trainee, a core trainee (e.g. including Internal Medicine Training), will CCT during the fellowship (Aug 2026 - Aug 2027), post-CCT, not in training, or not allocated a confirmed NTN at the time of application?

These applicants are eligible only for directly allocated posts. For nationally and regionally-funded posts, medical and dental trainees must hold a confirmed National Training Number on a specialty training programme leading to Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in its own right for the duration of the post.

Is eligibility affected by a doctor/dentist being out of programme during the fellowship dates while still holding a valid National Training Number for a specialty training programme leading to CCT in its own right for the duration of the post?

No. The status of being in or out of programme does not affect eligibility, only the allocation of a valid National Training Number.

Do I have to know coding, programming, or AI to be eligible?

No. Prior experience of coding, programming, or AI is not an Essential criterion of the Person Specification. Previous fellows have been recruited without such experience.

Can I apply if I almost meet the eligibility criteria?

Applicants who believe they are borderline eligible should contact the faculty to clarify before applying to avoid disappointment.

Can I do this fellowship more than once?

No. Current fellows and alumni are not eligible.

How competitive is recruitment?

In Cohort 4, there were 235 eligible applicants for 32 competitively allocated posts. The global competition ratio for posts was therefore roughly 7.3:1. Regional competition ratios differed from this figure. At the interview stage, the competition ratio is 2:1, i.e. 2 eligible applicants are interviewed for each competitively allocated post.

How many stages of recruitment are there?

There are 2 stages of recruitment: shortlist and interview. In the shortlisting stage, eligible applicants are scored according to responses on their online application. The highest scoring applicants from the shortlisting stage are then invited to a remote interview. The scores from interview are used to competitively match successful applicants to their choice of project.

If I am unsuccessful in recruitment for a nationally or regionally-funded post, can I change my mind and go for a directly allocated post?

No. An applicant must apply for a directly allocated post from the start, because AI project placements and matching depend on confirmed numbers of incoming fellows.

What is the format of the interview?

Interviews are conducted remotely. The interview consists of questions and problem-solving tasks designed to assess an applicant’s suitability for the fellowship based on the Person Specification. The interview panel consists of fellowship faculty, AI supervisors, and regional education leads.

How should I prepare for the interview?

Interviewees are assessed according to the Essential and Desirable criteria of Person Specification. Consider how to show evidence of meeting these criteria with real-world examples, particularly through participation in digital transformation projects in healthcare.

Can the faculty review my CV or provide any specific further advice on my application?

No. Due to the high volume of applicants, the faculty cannot help with such requests.

Does the Approval In Principle Form submission from my Approver have the same deadline as my application?

Yes. The deadline is the same as listed in the Key Dates above.

What happens if I cannot get the appropriate person to submit my Approval In Principle Form?

You will not be shortlisted for interview. This is because we can only make offers to applicants who have evidence of being able to take up the post. The submission portal closes automatically and late submissions are not accepted. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure this has happened.

Do I need to have an idea for a clinical AI project when I apply to this fellowship?

No. AI projects and hosting teams in the NHS are proposed to the faculty by AI supervisors. Successful applicants are matched to these projects competitively following the interview stage.

How does project matching happen?

Applicants will rank the projects they are eligible to be matched to. The highest scoring applicant from the interview stage in each pool will be matched to their highest ranked project. The next highest scoring applicant is matched to their highest ranked project remaining, etc. until all posts are filled.

For regionally-funded posts, can I be matched to a project in a different region?

No. Each region’s fellows are eligible to be matched to projects within their own region only.

Do I need to already work at a particular NHS Trust to be matched to a project based in that NHS Trust?

No. You do not need to have an existing affiliation to a host site for an AI project. Where necessary, fellows will hold an honorary contract or Letter of Access with the host NHS Trust for the duration of their fellowship in order to work on the project.

What should I do if I only want to do a specific project in the fellowship?

For a directly allocated post, an applicant may arrange a pre-allocated AI project with a named supervisor. A submission of a project proposal is required and the supervisor and applicant should contact the faculty when applying in this case.

To be matched to a specific project in a nationally or regionally-funded post, an applicant should go through the normal application process. There will be an opportunity to rank projects by preference. The applicant should rank only projects they would want to do on the fellowship year. If the applicant scores highly enough in the interview stage, they will be matched to such a project. Otherwise, if there are no projects remaining that the applicant has ranked when it comes to the matching step, they will not have a post on the fellowship.

What if there are no projects that directly align with my clinical specialty or background?

Many fellows work on projects outside their usual specialty area on this fellowship. Clinical AI is still a growing field and clinical specialties are not equally represented in the available projects due to different levels of digital maturity. The experience from any project will involve significant amounts of transferable knowledge and skills which will equip you to adopt clinical AI in your own career.

Is the fellowship free?

Regionally-funded and nationally-funded posts are fully funded for eligible NHS staff: 0.4FTE salary is reimbursed to the fellow’s Employer. Self-funding for directly allocated posts have costs described here.

Does the fellowship pay my salary directly?

No. The fellowship is not your Employer.
In regionally-funded and nationally-funded posts, your existing Employer is reimbursed for your salary (0.4FTE for 12 months) to release your time for the fellowship post. The salary that the Employer is reimbursed is determined by the Employer’s quote at the start of the fellowship.

In directly allocated posts, your salary arrangements are at the discretion of your Sponsor.

Is there travel/subsistence expenses to support attendance at in-person workshops?

Yes. This is paid up front and then reclaimed from your Employer or Sponsor.

What happens if I move to a new employer (e.g. rotating through training) during the fellowship?

Where salary is reimbursed, this is transferred to your new employer where relevant.

What’s the specific time commitment?

0.4 Full Time Equivalent unbanded, i.e. 2 days (15hrs) per week. This fellowship is intended to integrate alongside clinical work or training. Partial remote working and flexible hours may be possible depending on project following conversations with supervisors.

Can I do the fellowship at a lower time commitment than 0.4FTE?

No. Having a lower time commitment is not suitable for the learning objectives of the programme. The educational activities and project placements are structured to deliver the learning objectives of the fellowship curriculum based on a 0.4 FTE unbanded working pattern. For this reason, your Approver must confirm that this time can be released as part of your Approval In Principle.

Can I compress the fellowship into a shorter and more intensive placement?

No. For the same reasons as above.

Can I do the fellowship without reducing my training/working pattern, i.e. do it on top of normal working hours?

No. Due to the time commitments of this programme, a fellow must not have a total working pattern >1.0FTE in total.

If I’m in specialty medical or dental training, will my time spent on the fellowship count towards my training?

No. Fellows typically agree with their Training Programme Director to enter Less Than Full Time training for the duration of this fellowship. The time spent on the fellowship is then added on to extend the expected duration of training. The educational content of the fellowship is not expected to align sufficiently with current medical/dental curricula to count towards competencies.

What if I go on sick leave, parental leave, or any other extended leave during the fellowship year?

This fellowship is a time-bound opportunity that runs for 12 months between the dates specified. The educational activities and project placements hosted by AI supervisors are structured to deliver the learning objectives of the fellowship curriculum within this period. Project supervisors propose projects related to cohort dates and are not required to provide supervision beyond these dates. In general, interrupted time on the fellowship year cannot be added on beyond the end of the fellowship year. Individual situations will be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the faculty.

Can I begin the fellowship later in the year than the listed start date?

No. This fellowship is a time-bound opportunity that runs for 12 months between the dates specified. The educational activities and project placements hosted by AI supervisors are structured to deliver the learning objectives of the fellowship curriculum within this period. If you have exceptional circumstances relating to this issue, please contact the faculty.

Can I defer entry to the fellowship to a future cohort if I apply in this cohort?

No. The offer for a fellowship post must be accepted for that cohort’s recruitment cycle. An applicant would newly apply for the following year.

What certification do fellows receive at the end of the fellowship year?

Fellows receive a certificate of completion of the fellowship issued by the faculty. During the course of the year, fellows will also receive certification as Clinical Safety Officers for DCB0129 and [DCB0160](https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/information-standards/governance/latest-activity/standards-and-collections/dcb0160-clinical-risk-management-its-application-in-the-deployment-and-use-of-health-it-systems/.

What is a T-Pro Fellow in Clinical AI?

T-Pro is an industry supplier with partners in the NHS, and has products that focus on AI-powered voice solutions for clinical workflows. T-Pro is sponsoring 2 posts for Cohort 5, and the appointees will be designated T-Pro Fellows in Clinical AI. These posts are offered with priority for NHS employees lacking eligibility for regionally-funded posts (other career-stage and workforce criteria still apply).

What AI projects are available for these posts?

Fellows will only be matched to “T-Pro-badged projects”. These can be matched to applicants from any region of the NHS as the workload is primarily remote. These projects are available only to T-Pro Fellows in Clinical AI.

How does project matching for T-Pro Fellows in Clinical AI happen?

Applicants will rank the T-Pro-badged projects. The highest scoring applicant from the interview stage will be matched to their highest ranked T-Pro-badged project. The next highest scoring applicant is matched to their highest ranked T-Pro-badged project remaining, etc. until all T-Pro-sponsored posts are filled.

What is a BSH Fellow in Clinical AI?

The British Society for Haematology (BSH) is sponsoring posts for BSH members (full or associate members) in Cohort 5 of the Fellowship in Clinical AI. There are 2 sponsored posts in Cohort 5, and the appointees will be designated BSH Fellows in Clinical AI. These posts are reserved exclusively for applicants who are BSH members, and will link to projects relating to Haematology.

Are there Haematology themed AI projects available?

Yes. The BSH and fellowship faculty have identified projects relevant to the specialty theme of AI in Haematology and details will be released during the recruitment cycle.
These are “BSH-badged projects”, and first priority for them is reserved exclusively for BSH Fellows in Clinical AI.

Can any member of the BSH apply?

No. BSH applicants also need to meet the professional eligibility criteria for workforce groups as specified in the Eligibility table.

Can BSH applicants from any region apply for BSH-badged projects in any other region?

Yes. BSH applicants can apply from any NHS region. However, in practice, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they are able to commute to their project location through the fellowship year, and this is not resourced by the BSH or by the fellowship itself. The offer for a fellowship post may be withdrawn if the potential BSH Fellow in Clinical AI is unable to demonstrate a feasible plan for commuting to their project location. Please contact the faculty (gstt.aifellowship@nhs.net) for more specific information on geographical availability of such projects.

How will BSH membership be checked?

BSH applicants enter their BSH membership number in the application form, which will be checked against the membership registry of the BSH.

How does project matching for BSH Fellows in Clinical AI happen?

Applicants will rank the projects they are eligible to be matched to. The highest scoring BSH applicant from the interview stage will be matched to their highest ranked BSH-badged project. The next highest scoring BSH applicant is matched to their highest ranked BSH-badged project remaining, etc. until all BSH-sponsored posts are filled.

Can BSH applicants only get matched to BSH-badged projects?

BSH applicants who are appointed as BSH Fellows in Clinical AI will exclusively be matched to BSH-badged projects. BSH applicants who also meet regional criteria can be matched to projects in that region (whether BSH-badged or not) if they miss out on a sponsored post (they are automatically re-entered into the applicant pool of that region). BSH applicants who do not meet regional criteria for any of the participating regions are only eligible to be matched to BSH-badged projects as BSH Fellows in Clinical AI.

Can a non-BSH applicant be matched to BSH-badged projects?

Yes. If there are BSH-badged projects that are still available after the BSH Fellows in Clinical AI have been appointed, these can be matched to either BSH applicants or non-BSH applicants as part of the regional matching process.

What happens if a BSH applicant does not obtain a sponsored post as a BSH Fellow in Clinical AI?

BSH applicants who do not obtain one of the sponsored posts in this cohort are automatically considered in the applicant pool associated with their region. The applicant could be matched to a project in that region depending on their interview score. Entering the fellowship through this route will not carry the designation of BSH Fellow in Clinical AI, but will still be an NHS Fellow in Clinical AI. It is possible to be matched to a BSH-badged project through this route, depending on regional availability.

Am I eligible if I have a sponsor who will directly fund a post for me as an NHS applicant?

Yes, this is the route for directly allocated posts. Your Sponsor should read the information for NHS Sponsors then contact the faculty to discuss arrangements as early as possible.

Can I sponsor myself?

Yes. Read the information for NHS Sponsors then declare yourself as self-sponsoring on the application form. Upon successful interview, self-funded applicants receive a secure payment link to confirm their post. Project matching and entry to the fellowship are contingent on receipt of the funds for the course fee. You must release 0.4FTE for the duration of the fellowship. There is no salary cover for self-funded fellows.

Can the faculty help me to identify a suitable sponsor?

No. Due to the high volume of applicants, the faculty cannot help with such requests.

Can you accommodate a bespoke arrangement through sponsorship?

Potentially yes. Please contact the faculty if you require a bespoke arrangement through sponsorship. Note that last minute requests for bespoke arrangements are difficult to accommodate due to logistics.

I represent the sponsor for a prospective NHS applicant, how do I proceed?

Please read the information for NHS Sponsors then contact the faculty to discuss potential arrangements as early as possible.