Associate Principal Investigator (PI) Scheme

The scheme aims to develop health and care professionals to become the PIs of the future.

What is the Associate PI scheme?

It is a six month in-work training opportunity, providing practical experience for healthcare professionals starting their research career.

People who would not normally have the opportunity to take part in clinical research in their day-to-day role have the chance to experience what it means to work on and deliver an NIHR portfolio trial under the mentorship of an enthusiastic Local Principal Investigator (PI).

Associate Principal Investigators receive formal recognition of engagement in NIHR Portfolio research studies through the certification of Associate PI status, endorsed by the NIHR and Royal Colleges.

Hear from those who have completed the scheme

Matilda Fox

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

I have worked as an API at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on the BADBIR study. It has been an excellent experience and I have learnt so much about how trials run “on the ground”. It has also really helped improve my critical appraisal skills when reading other studies, which is a skill I will take forward for the rest of my career. I couldn’t be more grateful to Marie-Louise Svensson and the BADBIR team for having me!

Ji Soo Choi

Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Completing the Associate Principal Investigator role on the BADBIR study over the past six months has been a rewarding experience. I learned about the team dynamics within both the research team and the dermatology team, gaining insight into how they collaborate effectively. This role provided a thorough understanding of conducting clinical trials, including all the steps involved and the key individuals responsible at each stage. As a doctor and a researcher, seeing firsthand how each step is executed and who is involved has been immensely helpful. This experience has been a huge learning opportunity, equipping me with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a career as a Principal Investigator in the future. I highly recommend it to anyone keen on clinical research.

Mohanad Aldiwani

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Positive points

1. The scheme is a great opportunity to give more insight about research and the available trials across the UK.
2. It will help the dermatology trainees to build up their skills and knowledge about different aspect of research such as the aim of the trials, methodology, recruitment process, eligibility etc.
3. Being an API has made me aware about the challenges we may face in research such as time pressure, resources, staffing etc, this is true in busy dermatology centres across the UK.
4. A great opportunity for the trainees to enhance communications with research team in the region and act as a link between the local Research team and the regional /national team.
5. The Scheme will prepare research minded trainees to step up and take PI role in their trust.

Challenges

1. Time pressure during clinical work , it a bit tough to recruit patients directly from the clinic where we have 15-minute slots.
2. Patient willingness to engage in research.

Hamisha Salih

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

The Associate Principal Investigator role on the BADBIR study has been an invaluable opportunity to gain research experience. Under the mentorship of my local PI, the role has allowed me to gain practical experience in delivering research and develop an understanding of what is involved in conducting clinical trials.

BADBIR has been a great study for this role as I have been able to engage in every step of the patient pathway and significantly contribute to the running of the study at our site. This hands-on experience, along with the NIHR API courses, has been a hugely beneficial experience to equip me with the skills to pursue a PI role in the future and I would highly recommend it to anyone keen to get involved in research.

Amany Dawoud

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust

I was fortunate to be placed on the BADBIR study. Working on a nationally recognised study of this scale, within my own specialty, felt deeply relevant and meaningful.

One of the most eye-opening aspects of the scheme was seeing how research actually works – not in textbooks, but in the reality of a busy NHS dermatology department. I learned about delegation logs, eligibility screening, patient information materials, steps of consenting patients and the BADBIR database.

What struck me most was how much research depends on relationships. The collaboration between the clinical team and the research team is what makes studies like BADBIR possible, and I gained a genuine appreciation of that partnership.

To be honest, the scheme is not without its challenges. Fitting research activity around clinical commitments is genuinely difficult. Clinic slots are short, patients are complex, and there is always another task competing for your attention. Now I have a newfound respect and appreciation for colleagues who sustain research activity over years alongside demanding clinical roles.

I came into this scheme as a clinician who was curious about research. I leave it as a clinician who is committed to it. I am grateful to the onsite BADBIR team, to my local PI and the national study team for their support and encouragement throughout.

The scheme gave me the foundations, and I’m looking forward to future opportunities to take on greater responsibility.