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  1. About Us
    1. About Us
    2. The Team
    3. Member Organisations
    4. Governance
  2. Research & Knowledge Mobilisation
    1. Research & Knowledge Mobilisation
    2. Impact
    3. Social Care and Social Work
      1. Social Care and Social Work
      2. Social Care - Kent, Surrey & Sussex Region
    4. Starting Well: Children's Mental Health
      1. Starting Well: Children's Mental Health
      2. Meet the team
    5. Primary and Community Health Services
      1. Primary and Community Health Services
      2. Meet the team
    6. Living Well with Dementia
      1. Living Well with Dementia
      2. Meet the team
    7. Co-production
      1. Co-production
      2. Meet the team
    8. Public Health
      1. Public Health
      2. Meet the team
    9. Digital Innovation
      1. Digital Innovation
      2. Meet the team
    10. Economics of Health and Social Care
      1. Economics of Health and Social Care
      2. Meet the team
    11. Implementation
      1. Implementation
      2. Meet the team
    12. Rapid Evidence Synthesis
      1. Rapid Evidence Synthesis
      2. Meet the team
    13. Knowledge Mobilisation
      1. Knowledge Mobilisation
      2. Meet the team
  3. Public and Community Involvement
    1. Public and Community Involvement
    2. What is PCIE?
    3. Getting Involved
    4. Support for researchers
    5. Resources
    6. PCIE Guide
      1. PCIE Guide
      2. Contents
      3. Introduction
        1. Introduction
        2. An overview of ARC KSS
        3. Who can help you with PCIE?
        4. Terminology and PCIE
      4. Why and When to do PCIE
        1. Why and When to do PCIE
        2. Why involve members of the public in research?
        3. Why do members of the public want to get involved in research?
        4. When to get members of the public involved?
      5. How to do PCIE
        1. How to do PCIE
        2. Communication and Accessibility
        3. Budgeting
        4. Planning for involvement and engagement
        5. How to recruit members of the public
        6. Inclusive Research
        7. Approaches – different options for undertaking PCIE
        8. Facilitating meetings and Group dynamics
        9. Ethics
        10. Feedback
        11. Impact and Evaluation
      6. Examples/Case Studies
      7. Appendix/Useful tools
  4. Learning and Development
    1. Learning and Development
    2. ARC KSS AcademyARC KSS Academy
    3. Learning and DevelopmentLearning and Development
      1. Learning and Development
      2. Learning and Development Finder
      3. Researchers Journeys
    4. MentorshipMentorship
    5. Research communities of practiceResearch communities of practice
    6. Research Week Research Week
      1. Research Week
      2. Previous Research Weeks
    7. NIHR Health and Care Professional Internship Programme South EastNIHR Health and Care Professional Internship Programme South East
    8. Building social care research capacity
  5. Resource Library
  6. Events
  7. News
  8. Contact Us

We’re updating our website

We are currently updating the ARC KSS website to reflect our new funding and the changes it brings to our programme of work.  These changes will take place over the course of the next few months.

Please bear with us while we work behind the scenes to make these improvements. We thank you for your patience.

In the meantime, if you need help finding anything, please contact spft.arcksscommunications@nhs.net

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Kent Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) is pleased to launch a second round of NIHR Health and Care Professional (HCP) Internships for the South East.

If you work in health or care in Kent, Surrey or Sussex and want to learn more about research, the NIHR HCP Internship Programme for the South East could be for you. It is open to registered professionals who do not yet have a PhD, including people working in roles such as nursing, social work, physiotherapy, radiography and pharmacy. Whether you are just starting to explore research or want to build on existing experience, the programme offers support to help you take the next step.

The programme is led by Dr Julie MacInnes, Research Capacity Building Lead at ARC KSS; hosted by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; and funded by the NIHR. This round will support 33 interns, with up to £10,000 available for each person to help cover time and learning activities that support their development.

There are 4 internship options, depending on your experience and what you want to do next. You might be completely new to research, looking to build confidence in a more advanced role, developing leadership in research delivery, or preparing for a future clinical academic career. The support can include placements, mentoring, taught learning and small research or improvement projects.

The programme also wants to reach people and professions that are often less visible in research. It encourages applications from a wide range of backgrounds, and for this round 10 of the 33 places are set aside for people working in radiography and pharmacy.

By helping more people working in health and care to get involved in research, the programme aims to improve services, support better care and create more opportunities for staff across the region.

Deadline for applications 5pm on 30 September 2026.


How to apply: email your application form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the title HCP Internship round 2 [your name] by 5pm on 30 September 2026.

Download our application form

Download guidance

Download FAQs

Download Powerpoint presentation

Watch the webinar.

Find out about our programme so far: Link

For more information, contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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