Apply: NHS applicants

Routes to competitive entry

Funding is occasionally subject to change, and will be updated in the table accordingly. All competitive applicants must obtain Approval in Principle from their Approver (either their training programme director or line manager), who will confirm that their training stage or banding is eligible, and sign off their working pattern from the fellowship start date, 11 August 2027. It must be submitted by the deadline: 16 Nov 2026, 23:45 GMT. Applicants will not be interviewed without this.

Competitive applicant eligibility table

Find your NHS region, then your profession. The labels in that cell are the competitive posts you can apply to.

^† Must hold a National Training Number in a UK specialty training post leading directly to Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), with a projected CCT date after 10 August 2028 once training is extended to account for undertaking the fellowship at 0.4 FTE for 12 months (see FAQ).

^‡ Must hold valid registration and a substantive post with an NHS Employer at band 7, band 8a, or band 8b.

^* Must be at least ST3 or GPVTS ST2 at start date of fellowship (East of England only).

^§ Must be at least ST4 at start date of fellowship, except GP trainees (Northern Ireland only).

Interview dates and number of posts

Interview dates for each applicant pool are to be confirmed, within 13-29 Jan 2027. Pools with no post in this cycle hold no interview.

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

The T-Pro and BSH FAQ sections below cover project matching for those posts in full.

Entry requirements

• Open to health and social care staff providing NHS services.
• The applicant must identify a Sponsor for their post, or fund their own post.
• The course fee is £8000. There is no salary cover unless agreed with the Sponsor by the applicant.
• The fellow must release 2 days a week of their time for the 12 months duration of the fellowship.
• The applicant must meet the Essential criteria of the Person Specification at interview
• The applicant must obtain Approval in Principle from their Approver (either their training programme director or line manager), who will sign off their working pattern from the fellowship start date, 11 August 2027. It must be submitted by the deadline: 16 Nov 2026, 23:45 GMT. Applicants will not be interviewed without this.

Funding the post

Interview

• The applicant must meet the Essential criteria of the Person Specification at interview
• Indicative interview dates fall within 13-29 Jan 2027 (TBC according to applicant volume)

Project matching

Nominated applicants are matched to AI projects in one of two ways.

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

No. Prior experience of coding, programming, or AI is not part of the essential criteria of the Person Specification. Previous fellows have been recruited without such experience.

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

No, but you can apply with one as a nominated applicant. AI projects and hosting teams in the NHS are proposed to the faculty by AI supervisors. Successful competitive applicants are matched to these projects on interview score following the interview stage, as are nominated applicants without a pre-allocated project. If you already have an idea for a project, the nominated applicant route lets you arrange a pre-allocated project with a named supervisor, ringfenced for you. This pathway is not available to competitive applicants.

What counts as an NHS Employer?

For the eligibility criteria, an NHS Employer means one of the organisations listed in Annex 1 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. The list differs for each UK nation.

In England, NHS Employers are NHS trusts (including Foundation Trusts), special health authorities, Integrated Care Boards, NHS England (incorporating NHS Improvement, NHS Digital and Health Education England), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Health Research Authority, NHS Blood and Transplant, the NHS Business Service Authority, the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, NHS Resolution, and the Health Services Safety Investigations Body.

In Northern Ireland, NHS Employers are the HSC Board, HSC Trusts, the Public Health Agency, the Business Services Organisation, the Patient and Client Council, and HSC Special Agencies.

In Scotland, NHS Employers are health boards and special health boards.

In Wales, NHS Employers are NHS trusts, local health boards, and Special Health Authorities.

As a competitive applicant, why is my combination of profession, career stage, and region not eligible for a regional post?

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 on certain career stages?

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.

Is a doctor/dentist eligible if they are: a foundation trainee, a core trainee (e.g. including Internal Medicine Training), will CCT on or before 10 Aug 2028 (after accounting for the extension from the fellowship), post-CCT, not in training, or not allocated a confirmed NTN at the time of application?

These applicants are eligible only as nominated applicants. For competitive applicants, medical/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.

When calculating a CCT date for eligibility criteria, should a specialty trainee take into account the extension to training from doing the fellowship itself?

Yes. Recalculate your projected CCT date assuming you undertake the fellowship at 0.4 FTE from 11 August 2027 to 10 August 2028. For a full-time trainee, this adds about 4.8 months. The recalculated CCT date must be after 10 August 2028.

For example, a full-time trainee whose current projected CCT date is on or after 18 March 2028 would typically be eligible. If you are already training less than full time or out of programme, the extension depends on your working pattern. In all cases, eligibility is based on your recalculated CCT date as confirmed by your Training Programme Director on the Approval In Principle Form.

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.

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.

Can I do this fellowship more than once?

No. Current fellows and alumni are not eligible.

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

Yes, this is the nominated applicant route. 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 0.4 FTE for the duration of the fellowship. There is no salary cover for self-funded fellows.

Self-funding does not replace Approval In Principle. You must still obtain it from a third-party Approver at your employer, and cannot be your own Approver. If you do not have a known employer for the fellowship start date of 11 August 2027, we cannot accept your application.

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.

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. Workshops and other educational activities, e.g. e-learning modules, are expected to be done within this 0.4 FTE alongside AI project work. Fellowship time is not allocated to non-fellowship activity, which includes but is not limited to exam preparation, dissertation-writing, and other projects outside the scope of the fellowship.

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

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.

Are the workshops compulsory, and when do they take place?

Yes. Attendance at masterclass workshops is a compulsory part of the fellowship, and a register of attendance is kept. Recurring workshops are scheduled on Mondays through the fellowship year: indicatively, the third Monday of each month, excluding national holidays. Multiple workshop days are delivered together in a residential ‘bootcamp’ at the start of the fellowship, to front-load foundational knowledge in clinical AI. Workshops are delivered in a mix of in-person, hybrid and remote settings.

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.

Is the fellowship free?

Posts for competitive applicants are fully funded for eligible applicants: 0.4 FTE salary is reimbursed to the fellow’s Employer, and course fee covered. Nominated applicants cover these elements through either a Sponsor or self-funding.

Does the fellowship pay my salary directly?

No. The fellowship is not your Employer.
For successful competitive applicants, your existing Employer is reimbursed for your salary (0.4 FTE 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.

For successful nominated applicants, your salary arrangements are at the discretion of your Sponsor.

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

Yes for competitive applicants. This is paid up front and then reclaimed through mechanisms specified by the funder. There is no automatic cover for such expenses for nominated applicants.

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.

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

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

Must I submit the application form before I seek an Approval In Principle Form submission from my Approver?

No. The order of submissions has no effect on the application.

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

You will not be interviewed, and therefore cannot join the programme. 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.

Can a different person to the named Approver I listed in my application form submit my Approval In Principle Form?

No. Approval in principle must come from the named Approver listed in the applicant’s application form.

Can I be my own Approver?

No. Self-approval is not possible. Your Approval In Principle must come from a third party: a responsible person at your employer (or your training programme, where relevant) with decision-making power over your working pattern as of the fellowship start date, 11 August 2027. There are no exceptions to this, including for self-funded applicants.

This is because the fellowship involves NHS-facing activity at NHS deployments of AI. Fellows join real-world clinical AI projects at NHS host sites, usually under an honorary contract or Letter of Access. Host sites rely on your Approver to confirm independently that you are an employee in good standing, and that your time can be released for the fellowship. Self-approval removes that independent assurance, which is an unacceptable governance risk.

If you do not have a suitable Approver for the fellowship start date of 11 August 2027, unfortunately your application will not be eligible.

How competitive is recruitment?

In Cohort 5, there were 310 eligible applicants for 34 competitively allocated posts. The global competition ratio for posts was therefore >9:1. 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 as a competitive applicant, can I change my mind and apply as a nominated applicant?

No. An applicant must apply as a nominated applicant 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 the 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.

Can I apply for the fellowship after the deadline?

No. Recruitment is coordinated nationally in an annual cycle according to the timelines above.

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.

As a competitive applicant in a Regional post, 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?

As a nominated applicant, 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 competitive 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.

What is T-Pro?

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 funds posts on the NHS Fellowship in Clinical AI, in projects relating to the deployment of T-Pro technology in the NHS.

What AI projects are available for T-Pro posts?

Successful applicants will only be matched to “T-Pro-badged projects”. These can be matched to applicants from any region of the NHS in which they are eligible for a T-Pro post, as the workload is primarily remote. These projects are available only to fellows through T-Pro posts.

How does project matching for T-Pro posts 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-funded posts are filled.

What is BSH?

The British Society for Haematology (BSH) funds posts for BSH members (full or associate members) in the NHS Fellowship 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 posts.

Can any member of the BSH apply?

No. BSH applicants also need to meet the profession and career stage eligibility criteria specified in the Eligibility section.

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 applicant 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 work for BSH posts?

Applicants will rank the BSH-badged projects according to their preference. 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 posts are filled. If there are BSH-badged projects that are still available after the BSH posts have been appointed, these become available projects in the regional matching process.

What happens if a BSH applicant does not obtain a BSH post?

BSH applicants who do not obtain one of the BSH posts after interview 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. It is possible to be matched to a BSH-badged project through this route, depending on regional availability.

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 clinical safety training at the level of the Digital Clinical Safety Practitioner course, for those looking to become a Clinical Safety Officer. This covers the clinical risk management activities and documentation required by DCB0129 and DCB0160.