Academic Lead and Strategic Champion HDR Black Internship Programme

Please note, this role is a secondment opportunity only.

Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) is seeking an influential, values-driven academic to serve as senior academic figurehead and strategic champion for its Black Internship Programme (BIP), a national initiative widening participation and creating meaningful career pathways for Black talent in health data research.

Working with HDR UK’s Talent and Training team, interns, alumni, hosts and partners, the Academic Lead will provide intellectual leadership and external advocacy; influence sector practice; and build the partnerships, funding and progression routes needed to grow the programme’s reach, sustainability and impact.

• Strategic leadership, advocacy and thought leadership
• Act as the senior academic figurehead and strategic champion for the Black Internship Programme, strengthening its profile, credibility and influence across the UK health data research and life sciences sectors.
• Articulate a compelling vision for the programme’s future, positioning it as a catalyst for systemic change in access to research careers and the development of a more inclusive and representative research workforce.
• Champion the importance of diversity, inclusion and representation in health data research, making the case for why these are essential to research excellence, innovation, public trust and equitable health outcomes.
• Develop and communicate thought leadership on barriers to entry, progression and retention for Black talent in research, and on effective approaches to creating inclusive career pathways.
• Represent HDR UK and the BIP at senior-level meetings, conferences, sector events, university forums and external stakeholder engagements.
• Build relationships with influential academic leaders, funders, policymakers, research organisations and industry partners to strengthen collective action and encourage institutional commitment to change.
• Identify opportunities to influence institutional policies, recruitment practices, research culture and workforce development approaches beyond the programme itself.
• Growth, funding and financial sustainability
• Lead, alongside HDR UK’s Talent and Training leadership, the development and implementation of an ambitious growth and sustainability strategy for the BIP.
• Identify, cultivate and secure new sources of funding, including research and philanthropic grants, charitable funding, corporate sponsorship, industry investment and strategic funding partnerships.
• Develop compelling funding propositions that demonstrate the programme’s value, outcomes and potential for national impact.
• Build relationships with prospective funders, sponsors and philanthropic partners, positioning the BIP as an investable, evidence-led programme with a clear social and research impact proposition.
• Work with HDR UK colleagues to identify relevant funding opportunities, shape grant applications and contribute to the development of successful bids.
• Secure and develop anchor partnerships with universities, research institutes, NHS organisations, life sciences companies and other employers willing to make sustained commitments to the programme.
• Champion multi-year funding and partnership models that provide greater financial stability, enable programme expansion and reduce reliance on short-term funding cycles.
• Explore opportunities to extend the programme’s reach through complementary initiatives, including alumni development, mentoring, career progression support and new pathways into postgraduate research and employment.
• Strategic partnerships and sector engagement
• Develop a network of high-value strategic partnerships that can support the programme’s growth, influence and long-term sustainability.
• Engage…