Cross-sector experience awards

Who can apply

You can apply from any discipline or sector if you can demonstrate that your work is linked to improving human health. You must be able to show why this is the right point in your career to work across sectors, and how it will strengthen your work. You do not need to be at a specific career stage but cannot be an undergraduate. You do not need a PhD to apply.

You must be on a permanent or fixed-term contract that runs beyond the end of the proposed grant. If your contract does not cover the full award period, you must provide confirmation from your employer that it will be extended if your application is successful. You may apply to work part-time at the partner organisation and work the rest of your time for your employer. However, you must dedicate at least 50% of your working time to the award.

PhD students must have permission from their funder to put their PhD into abeyance for the duration of the potential award. Alternatively, if the funder approves, this award could serve as their internship if this is a requirement of their PhD.

Self-employed and freelance applicants and those that receive payments/contributions from an organisation using their public and patient involvement processes must speak to the Academy before applying to discuss their salary arrangements.

Those with positions that are not appropriate for backfill must contact the office to confirm the award can be used to cover their personal salary before applying. 

Who can’t apply

• undergraduate students
• people who already have the means to work in another organisation/sector
• people who hold 6% or more shares in the partner organisation(s) where they would like to work
• people who have previously had an employment contract or significant experience working with the partner organisation(s). If you believe your circumstances could qualify for an exception, you must discuss this with the Academy team before you apply
• trustees of the Academy of Medical Sciences. 

Your employer

Your employer (your current workplace) must:

• be based in the UK
• be the host of the award. The employer will receive grant funds which they can use to backfill the grant holder for the duration of the award, and/or distribute to the grant holder and partner organisation to spend on activity costs and travel/subsistence
• continue to pay the grant holder’s salary, as well as National Insurance, pension contributions and any other employee benefits offered (applicants whose position is not appropriate for backfill should contact [email protected] before applying to discuss salary arrangements)
• ensure your contract extends beyond the proposed end date of the grant
• work flexibly and collaboratively with you and the partner organisation.  

Your partner organisation(s)

Your partner organisation must:

• be based in a different sector to your employer. If you are employed by more than one organisation, your partner organisation must be in a different sector to all your current employers.
• support you with your application and work collaboratively with your employer to ensure the experience is mutually beneficial.
• support you during the grant, if your application is successful. Partner organisations should provide the resources you need to perform your role within the organisation. You will be able to claim related costs during the award. Your partner organisation should treat you as an employee in all aspects, apart from those associated only with being a salaried employee.

Your partner organisation can:

• be based outside the UK (although your employer must be in the UK). Grant funding can only cover travel, subsistence, and visa costs for you alone. By applying, you acknowledge you can travel and live in the partner organisation’s country to take up the grant.

Your partner organisation must not:

• be an organisation with which you have prior experience of. This includes having held a contract of employment, undertaken a previous internship, or postgraduate education. In exceptional circumstances, such as for a vastly different role in a large organisation, exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. These cases should be discussed with the team before applying. 

You can apply with two partner organisations in one application.  

• Both organisations must be in the same sector.
• The organisations must have a clear link. You must be able to demonstrate that working at both partner organisations will have a greater impact on you and your work compared to working with just one partner organisation.
• You must partner with each organisation for a minimum of three months, making the minimum grant period six months. 

You, your employer and your partner organisation must create an intellectual property (IP) agreement covering any outputs during the potential grant. This should include data, assets and other products. Once awarded, we may request a signed copy of the formal IP agreement along with the other documentation you need to provide on accepting the grant. 

Funding amount

• Up to £100,000

Duration

• Applicants applying with one organisation can apply for an award period of three to twelve months.
• Applicants applying with two organisations, from the same sector, must apply for a minimum of six months. Permitting a minimum of three months is spent at each organisation, the applicant can choose an award period of up to 12 months. 

When to apply

• 29 October 2026 – 12 February 2027, 16.00 

Key dates

How to apply

Read:

• Before you apply
• Cross-sector experience award frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Sample application form and application guidance 

Apply

You will need to apply using our online grant management system Flexigrant. If you have further questions, please contact [email protected].

Your application will be reviewed by an assessment panel consisting of Academy Fellows and other experts. You will not need to attend an interview. 

Supporters

• Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
• National Institute for Health and Care Research
• Wellcome

Further information

Please note that you cannot accept a salary from the partner organisation(s) during the grant period. You will continue to receive your salary through your employer. (You are not permitted to receive a double salary.)

Costs

You can use the grant to cover proportional salary costs. We would expect the salary budget to cover backfill of the applicant’s responsibilities during the award (proportionate to the percentage time they spend on the award). If the applicant is a current PhD student it can cover their stipend, or if backfill of their position is not appropriate, then the applicant’s salary; the Academy must approve this latter salary cost before submission.  

The funding only covers base salary, National insurance and employer’s contributions; it does not cover indirect costs or estate/facilities costs.

Funding may also be used to broadly cover the activities proposed during the experience at the partner organisation, as well as any travel-related costs (of the awardee only) associated with the award. 

This grant scheme is part of our cross-sector programme.

Resubmissions

Unsuccessful applicants

Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply permitting they have listened to the Panel’s feedback and changed their proposal accordingly; the applicant will need to demonstrate this within their application form.

If the Panel deemed the partner organisation unsuitable, applicants should find a new partner organisation to apply with.

Applicants can only apply for this scheme with the same partner organisation twice. If both applications are unsuccessful, the applicant would need to select a new partner organisation in order to apply again.  

Successful applicants

Successful applicants are also welcome to reapply, however they must select a new partner organisation to apply with and it must be in a different sector to that of their previously awarded partner organisation as well as their employing organisation.

If the applicant has since changed employing organisation, then their partner organisation must be different to both their current and previous employing organisation.

Cross-sector experience award holders should ensure their first award has fully come to a close before submitting their second application, and must thoroughly justify how and why a second award will be beneficial to their on-going work at the employing organisation. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

If you have further questions, please see if these are answered in our CSEAs FAQs. If not, please contact us on [email protected].  

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