Secondment Call - Round 1
Who can apply?
What we’re looking for
We are inviting researchers to apply for funding to collaborate, facilitate knowledge transfer and develop new skills, through a short-term secondment.
These secondments will support the CHAI Hub in our mission to co-create and apply causal AI methods to tackle key healthcare challenges, benefiting patients, caregivers, clinicians, and other stakeholders.
The overall purpose of the secondment funding opportunity is to support skills development and knowledge exchange between academia and industry, public and third sector in area of casual AI in healthcare.
A researcher at an academic institution seconding into an external partner
An employee at an external partner seconding into an academic institution
An academic institution includes higher education institutions and independent research organisations and an external partner could include businesses, public sector or third sector organisations. The application, however, must be submitted by a UK academic institution eligible to received UKRI funding.
Funding details
Total fund for Round 1: ~£50,000
Funding: 80% fEC (in line with EPSRC guidance)
Duration: up to 3 months (full-time or part-time equivalent to 3 months full-time), ending by 31st December 2026)
Location: in the UK. Secondments can be completed either fully onsite or via hybrid working.
How to apply
STEP 1: Read our Secondment Call guidance
We kindly ask from all applicants to read this Secondment Call guidance document in full prior to submitting an Expression of Interest form. We are also providing all the questions of the EoI form as an Appendix to this Secondment Call guidance document so that the applicants can prepare their answers offline before submitting their online EoI.
STEP 2: Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form.
This is your opportunity to briefly introduce your secondment proposal and demonstrate its alignment with the CHAI Hub’s goals. It will also allow the CHAI team to quickly check that the applicant is eligible for applying.
We will use it to quickly assess whether the proposed secondment aligns with our funding priorities and call criteria before we ask the applicants to go through the more detailed and time-consuming process of a full application.
A strong EoI can lead to an invitation to submit a full application form.
Applicants can discuss their proposal and get advice before the submission of an EoI from the CHAI Hub team by emailing chai@ed.ac.uk. We are also providing all the questions of the EoI form as an Appendix to this Secondment Call guidance document so that the applicants can prepare their answers offline before submitting their online EoI.
STEP 3: After being notified that their EoI was successful, the applicants can proceed with the full application by submitting the following:
The “CHAI Hub – Secondment Funding – Application Form”, available via email once your EOI is accepted.
Secondee CV (two A4 pages maximum).
A Gantt chart with a suggested timeline of the main secondment activities and milestones.
Letter of support from the host organisation (two A4 pages maximum).
Letter of support from the home organisation (two A4 pages maximum).
(Note: The letters of support should confirm the organisations’ commitment to the secondment, including financial/in-kind contribution.)
Applications should be submitted to chai@ed.ac.uk with "CHAI Secondment Application" in the subject line. Applications can be submitted anytime, but please do email chai@ed.ac.uk with the specific timings that you have in mind (i.e., preferred start date, duration of secondment and if it will be done full or part time) to confirm that there is enough time to complete it within the timeline of this call. The secondments funded within this call must finish by 31st December 2026.
Decisions will be made by the CHAI Hub Reviewers within an aim of two months from the submission of the full application. Secondees may only be successful for one funded secondment in this round.