BCS-Heart Research UK Fellowship Awards
The BCS–Heart Research UK Fellowship Awards support successful applicants by funding clinical placements at global centres of excellence. These placements provide opportunities to develop new clinical skills and gain valuable experience that contribute to the advancement of cardiovascular care in the UK.
Applications now open
About the BCS-Heart Research UK Fellowship Awards
Heart Research UK is a leading charity supporting research into heart disease prevention, treatment, and cures, while also funding advanced training and educational initiatives.
The British Cardiovascular Society has partnered with Heart Research UK to provide exclusive fellowship funding opportunities for BCS members. The scheme aims to support NHS cardiovascular professionals by enabling clinical placements in global centres of excellence, which may be in the UK, Ireland, or elsewhere in the world.
Fellowship funding opportunities are open to resident doctors, consultant cardiologists, cardiology nurse specialists, cath-lab staff, physiologists and scientists, and other allied health professionals.
The BCS-HRUK Fellowship Awards are exclusively available for Ordinary, Associate BJCA or Affiliate members of BCS.
There are three fellowship awards available
Award One: Funding for an individual clinical placement for up to two months for a senior trainee or consultant cardiologist
Maximum award value: £15,000
Award Two: Funding for a team placement for up to six members of a team for one week
Maximum award value per team: £16,000
Award Three: Funding for an individual clinical placement for up to one month for a healthcare professional
Maximum award value: £5,000
To apply, please submit the following:
- Completed application form
- Curriculum vitae
- Draft itinerary/timetable for the fellowship period
- Letter of invitation/acceptance from the visiting centre Head of Department
- Letter of acceptance from Clinical Director/Dean of applicants’ UK employer
- Letter of support from Training Programme Director (if a registered cardiology trainee)
Please save your completed application along with accompanying documentation as one PDF document and send to [email protected]. As gathering the required materials for an application can take some time, we encourage applicants to begin the process early.
The deadline for applying is Friday 30 October 2026 at 23:59.
Awards are competitive and are selected by a panel with equal representation from BCS and Heart Research UK. Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Clarity of proposal
- Realism and feasibility
- Alignment with service and NHS priorities
- Deliverability and potential for implementation
Fellowship awards available
Award One: Funding for one individual clinical placement for up to two months for a senior trainee or consultant cardiologist
Under this scheme there is funding for one individual clinical placement for up to two months to a global centre of excellence for a senior trainee or consultant cardiologist. This scheme could particularly suit a clinician with unmet training needs in ACHD, cross-sectional imaging (CMR/CT), or ICC, though other sub speciality areas will be considered. Applicants are responsible for arranging their own fellowship placement, and for securing confirmation from the proposed host centre.
The fellowship funding would be used to contribute to travel, accommodation, salary and any local medical regulatory/certification costs.
All fellowships must be completed by end of May 2027.
Successful candidates will be expected to provide a full report of their experience within one month of completion and a short video clip detailing their experience, which will be used to promote the scheme. The candidate will provide a short talk on their experience at BCS Conference in June 2027.
To support evaluation of the longer-term impact of the scheme, succesful candidates will also be expected to complete a follow-up survey approximately 24 months after completion of the fellowship.
Maximum award value of fellowship: £15,000.
Award Two: Funding for one team placement for up to six members of a team for one week
One team placement for up to six members of a team (composition can be any NHS employees in the cardiovascular workforce) to visit a global centre of excellence for one week to observe a specific pathway of care or specific procedure for which there are plans for adoption back in the UK host centre. Applicants are responsible for arranging their own fellowship placement, and for securing confirmation from the proposed host centre.
This could suit a cath-lab team in complex intervention, structural intervention, EP/devices, paediatric or adult congenital HD, or an imaging department planning to start a new clinical service (e.g., cardiac CT or CMR). The fellowship funding would be used to contribute towards travel, accommodation, salary and any local medical regulatory/certification costs.
All fellowships must be completed by end of May 2027.
Successful candidates will be expected to provide a full report of their experience within one month of completion and a short video clip detailing their experience, which will be used to promote the scheme. The team will provide a short talk on their experience at BCS Conference in June 2027.
To support evaluation of the longer-term impact of the scheme, successful candidates will also be expected to complete a follow-up survey approximately 24 months after completion of the fellowship.
Maximum award value of fellowship per team: £16,000.
Award Three: Funding for one individual clinical placement for up to one month for an allied healthcare professional
One individual clinical placement for an allied healthcare professional (e.g. nurse specialist, technologist, clinical scientist, pharmacist, physiologist) for up to one month to a global centre of excellence to learn new practical skills or pathways of care, for which there are plans for adoption back in the UK host centre. Applicants are responsible for arranging their own fellowship placement, and for securing confirmation from the proposed host centre.
The fellowship funding would be used to contribute towards travel, accommodation, salary and any local medical regulatory/certification costs.
All fellowships must be completed by end of May 2027.
Successful candidates will be expected to provide a full report of their experience within one month of completion. The candidate will provide a short talk on their experience at BCS Conference in June 2027.
To support evaluation of the longer-term impact of the scheme, successful candidates will also be expected to complete a follow-up survey approximately 24 months after completion of the fellowship.
Maximum award value of fellowship: £5,000.
Previous recipients
Recipients of the 2025/26 BCS-HRUK Fellowship Awards were:
- Individual Clinical Placement for up to two months: Dr Kalaivani Mahadevan
- Team Placement: Dr Natali Chung and the St Thomas’ Pregnancy Heart Team
- Individual Placement for Healthcare Professionals: Ryan McNally
Recipients of the 2024/25 BCS-HRUK Fellowship Awards were were:
- Individual Clinical Placement for up to two months: Dr Sarah Birkhoelzer and Dr Reshma Amin
- Team Placement: Dr Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci and six members of the Harefield Cardiovascular MRI Unit
- Individual Placement for Healthcare Professionals: Alex Savis
Click below to view insights from the 2024/25 recipients of BCS-HRUK Fellowship Funding.
They talk about their BCS-HRUK Fellowship, why they applied, what they learnt, and what learnings they’ll bring back to their roles in the UK.
Ms Alex Savis
Alex was awarded the 2024 individual clinical placement for a healthcare professional for up to a month.
She spent two weeks with Dr Gabriela Leal, director and coordinator of the Paediatric and Neonatal Echocardiography Laboratory at the Instituto da Crianza e do Adolescente in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Alex wanted to learn the best practice in strain imaging (LV and LA) in children with acquired heart disease, with a specific focus on learning to use and interpret LA strain in patients with cardio-renal disease.
Sarah talks about why she learnt on her BCS-HRUK Fellowship.
Alex discusses the plan she had going into her BCS-HRUK Fellowship and the benefits of having time to learn.
Alex talks about how she will implement research from her BCS-HRUK Fellowship back in the UK.
"I would thoroughly recommend a clinical placement to anyone who has a passion to learn and the motivation to keep up to date with new technology to improve outcomes for their patients."
Dr Reshma Amin
Reshma was awarded an individual clinical placement for up to two months in 2024.
During the placement, Reshma visited the AZ Sint Jan Hospital in Bruges, Belgium – an institution known for its global excellence in cardiac electrophysiology and devices.
Reshma wanted to experience an alternate healthcare model, engage with an international training environment, participate in clinical research, and deepen exposure to advanced electrophysiological techniques.
"The experience has been formative, shaping both my clinical perspective and professional aspirations. I will return to the UK equipped with new techniques, fresh insights, and a broader appreciation for the diversity and innovation that characterise global cardiovascular care."
Dr Sarah Birkhoelzer
Sarah was awarded an individual clinical placement for up to two months in 2024.
She visited the Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School for six weeks, under the mentorship of Dr Muthiah Vaduganathan, co-director of the Centre for Cardiometabolic Implementation Science at the hospital.
Sarah wanted to work with a world-class research group involved in designing and delivering landmark heart failure trials, with a specific focus on heart failure and cardiac amyloidosis.
Sarah talks about why she wanted to apply for a BCS-HRUK Fellowship.
Sarah talks about what she learnt from her BCS-HRUK Fellowship and what she’s bringing back to her professional practice.
Sarah talks about how much she got out of her BCS-HRUK Fellowship and why you should apply!
"The insights, skills, and collaborations I've gained will directly influence how I train, lead, and care for patients here in the UK - today and for years to come."
Harefield CRM Unit
Led by Dr Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci, six members of the Harefield Cardiovascular MRI Unit were awarded a team placement travelling to Brigham & Women Boston and Cleveland Clinic in the USA for one week.
The team visited the CMR Unit of Brigham & Women Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts for 3 days and the CMR Unit of Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio for an additional 3 days.
The team were keen to learn more about an AI-assisted, automated and accelerated cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) acquisition software which was used at both Units with differing experiences.