One of HDR UK’s central aims has been to help address the national skills shortage by attracting fresh talent into health data research.

Our master’s programme has had real success in providing people with the foundation they need to build a thriving career in the field.

Working with universities around the UK (Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter, Leeds and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) we established six master’s courses in health data science subjects such as Digital Health, Genomics and Analytics and Population Health Sciences.

Some 300 students have completed or are currently undertaking these HDR UK funded courses, with 90 of them supported by scholarships designed to help people from more diverse backgrounds to complete their studies.

Professor Tim Frayling, HDR UK Chief Talent and Training Officer, said: “One of the significant achievements has been to attract students from diverse academic and social backgrounds.

“Around a third did not have a medical or life science background, instead coming from maths, computer science, physics or engineering degrees.  

“Importantly, students completing their master’s in the first two years have already started to help plug the health data science skills workforce gap, with around 90% choosing to stay in a health related area.”

The master’s students have obtained highly competitive positions in a wide range of sectors including with pharmaceutical companies, IQVIA, the Office of National Statistics, NHS Digital, European Bioinformatics Institute and The NHS Analytics Unit.

Approximately one in five have taken their studies further and gone onto a PhD in the UK. 

Now the courses are firmly established HDR UK will refocus its resources to promote Maser’s studies in new ways – specifically by working with charities and industry to provide scholarships for study projects that are relevant to their work.

  • We’ll be unveiling more about this in the coming months – and you can sign up to our regular e-newsletter to be among the first to find out.
  • HDR UK will also continue to work with master’s graduates through the recently-established Alumni Community, which is designed to provide information, contacts and support.