Applications are now open for the third cohort of the NHS Digital Academy.

Officially launched in 2017, the academy, which is run in partnership with Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh and Harvard Medical School, is a year-long training programme which results in a Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Health Leadership.

Speaking on Twitter, the academy’s CEO, Rachel Dunscombe, said she was “really looking forward to a diverse group of people applying”.

Applications opened on 19 August and will close 4 October. Successful applicants will be contacted on 5 November.

Those who may be thinking of applying must have an executive sponsor and must be able to commit to attending all three residential training sessions, as well as undertake self-learning in support of the programme.

The Academy was set up in response to Professor Robert Wachter’s 2016 Making IT Work report, which said the NHS lacked sufficiently-trained leaders able to drive forward digital transformation.​

The virtual programme features six modules, including health information systems and technologies as well as citizen-driven informatics.

More information, including the application form and a booklet, can be found on the NHS England website.