The SSA is offering six months of salary support to enable high-quality master’s students and graduates to prepare strong applications for a PhD. Apply for the pre-doctoral support scheme by 17:00 GMT on 18 May 2026. If you have any questions, please contact the SSA team via the enquiry form.

Why is the SSA offering pre-doctoral support?

The aim of the pre-doctoral support scheme is to help master’s students and graduates to develop successful applications for PhDs. This will strengthen the field of addiction by retaining talented researchers, including those from underrepresented backgrounds who may ordinarily experience barriers to careers in research.

The pre-doctoral support scheme is run by the SSA. Some of the awards will be part of the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme, and will specifically support the UK Government’s goal to develop the next generation of leaders in addiction science and foster innovative responses to illicit drugs and alcohol.

What funding is available?

The support will typically include full-time salary costs for up to six months (or longer, if the SSA agrees a part-time equivalent) and a training budget:

  • You can expect salaries to be in the range of £25,000 to £35,000 per annum (depending on the host university’s pay structure). Salaries for clinical research may be higher; salary costs will usually be determined by current the pay grade of the applicant. The SSA will pay full salary costs in cases where the applicant continues clinical work for 20% of their time.
  • The SSA will also provide additional training costs of up to £500.

Am I eligible to apply?

All applicants must meet the following conditions to be considered for pre-doctoral support:

  • You must be resident in the UK
  • You must be employed and/or supervised within a UK university for the duration of the funding
  • You will already have a first or upper-second (2:1) class degree and an MSc or equivalent clinical research experience in an area of study directly relevant to addiction
  • If you are currently doing your master’s degree, you can submit an application up to three months before you are due to complete; however, you will need to provide evidence of high grades in completed modules
  • If you want to continue clinical work (up to 20%) with an NHS, third sector, or other public health clinical healthcare provider, this must be agreed with the relevant employer before applying

You will be ineligible to apply for funding if, in the past three years, you have been employed by, or received funding from, non-pharmaceutical ‘addictive product industries’. Addictive product industries are defined as businesses, people or other legal entities that make money from selling, promoting or lobbying to promote use of non-pharmaceutical, addictive products. This includes, but is not limited to, the alcohol, non-pharmaceutical cannabis, gambling, tobacco and non-pharmaceutical nicotine (e.g. vaping) industries.

You will also be ineligible to apply for funding if you are an employee of an ‘Industry Social Aspect Organisation’. Industry Social Aspect Organisations are those that are funded by addictive product industries – sometimes through secondary organisations – that often have a stated purpose to reduce the harms of those addictive products.

Before awarding funding, the SSA must be satisfied that there is no risk of bias, ethical concerns, or risk to the reputation of the SSA.

Potential conflicts of interest are assessed by the SSA in a two-stage process. Stage one identifies potential conflicts of interest that would render an application ineligible for SSA funding. Stage two requires applicants to declare any potential conflicts of interest, which would then be reviewed by the SSA’s conflicts of interest subcommittee.

To be eligible, you must declare all potential conflicts of interest on the application form. These should include financial, professional, personal, and other interests that are either specific to your project or general to addictions:

  • Specific conflicts of interest are those that might relate to your research. For example, if your research focuses on a technology in which you hold a financial stake.
  • General conflicts of interest relate to any kind of interest you hold in relation to addictive products and industries.

What do I need to prepare before applying?

It may help you to prepare the following items before starting:

  • Draft PhD proposal that you will develop over the six months of funding
  • Timeline / Gantt chart
  • Budget covering all costs (salary, training, misc.)
  • Letter of support from your proposed supervisor or line manager

You will also be asked for one reference. This should be from someone who knows your work and your ability to work at the required level. They should work in a position of sufficient authority so that they are able to recommend you for the award. This will usually be a previous supervisor or mentor. They should not be a colleague, supervisee, or employee. Their reference should address:

  • Your application, including the draft PhD project
  • Your work to date
  • Your potential longer-term contribution to the field
  • Your potential contribution to the work of the SSA (and Addiction Healthcare Goals if applicable)

What will give me the best chance of success?

Strong applications for funding will demonstrate how the research aligns with:

Strong applications will also satisfy the reviewers that:

  • The candidate has demonstrated excellence throughout their studies and has the potential to become a future leader
  • The candidate has plans to develop their skills and experience
  • The candidate’s research will have an impact on addiction treatment, policy, and/or research
  • The candidate has plans to involve or build collaborations with people outside of research (e.g. with treatment providers and people with lived experience)

1. Eligibility review

The SSA’s Operations Officer will check that applications have been completed and meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. If there are minor issues, applicants may be given the opportunity to add clarifications so that their applications is complete and eligible.

2. Peer review

Eligible applications will be sent for peer review by people who have relevant expertise and who do not have a conflict of interest in relation to the applicant or application. Applications will include a rating and a narrative summary of the application clearly stating the reviewers recommendations to the panel. Peer reviewers will also be asked to provide a short review that is suitable for sending to applicants. This section may be incorporated into any decision letter at the discretion of the scheme lead.

3. Scientific review panel

Once the peer review has been received, a non-conflicted panel from the SSA’s review college will review all applications along with the peer reviews. The panel chair will then convene the panel to agree which applicants will be offered the award(s), or to invite for an interview to provide clarifications. Panellists will independently rate each of the applications using the expert review to inform that rating.

4. Portfolio approach

Applications will first and foremost be assessed for scientific quality, with funding decisions primarily based on the recommendations of the scientific review panel. However, the SSA and Addiction Healthcare Goals team may consider the following when allocating awards to ensure the funding is spread across a diverse range of applications: UK region, substance and intervention, study type and population, and the professional or scientific background of applicants. The SSA and Addiction Healthcare Goals team may also consider how well applications align with the overall aims of Addiction Healthcare Goals. It is possible that the SSA and Addiction Healthcare Goals team may not award all available funding in one round, and may keep some funds to use in future rounds.

5. Feedback

Unsuccessful applicants will be given feedback about the reason they were not chosen. This will be compiled from reviewer comments that were designated as open to the applicant. The SSA will not usually enter into a discussion about the feedback or about the decision of the panel. If applicants wish to challenge the panel’s decision, they can register a complaint following the SSA’s standard complaints’ procedure.

What will the SSA expect of me if I am awarded the funding?

Successful candidates will be required to:

  • Attend the SSA’s Annual Conference
  • Submit reports, detailing progress to date, publications, changes to the research or timeline, and issues with the host university or supervisory team
  • Submit a final report on completion of the pre-doctoral support period, outlining all outputs
  • Contribute to the SSA community, for example through writing content for the website, participating in subcommittees, and helping to organise and run events
  • Acknowledge SSA funding in appropriate settings (e.g. in email signatures, presentations, and publications) and in accordance with the SSA’s brand guidelines

What can I expect from the SSA if I am successful?

The SSA is an addiction-specific funder, with staff and trustees that are dedicated to offering the best learning experience, and who take an active interest in the wellbeing and future of the people we fund.

The SSA makes payments directly to host institutions, which then arrange for the salary to be paid in accordance with your employment contract.

How do I apply?

All applications must be made using the online application form below. You can save progress as you go; however, this will rely on your browser’s cookies, so progress may be lost if your cookies are deleted.

The deadline for applying is 17:00 GMT on 18 May 2026. If you have any questions, please contact the SSA team via the enquiry form.

The SSA is committed to ensuring that the application process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments or assistance to complete the form, please contact Graham Hunt.