August 2023 Newsletter
Date: 31 August 2023
NHS R&D Forum Professional Development
Welcome to this special NHS R&D Forum Professional Development newsletter.
You’ll find the online and in-person courses that are scheduled for the rest of 2023 below. We are very happy to announce the return of our Practical Application of Monitoring in a Health and Care Setting course – which will open for bookings in the very near future, as well as our new half day online course, Getting the Most out of IRAS – which will take place in October.
We are always looking for new course leaders and trainers, so if either of those is a role for you, please contact training@rdforum.org.uk for more information and a chat about the possibilities.
The Forum Executives are currently discussing a revamp of the current training oversight group and the creation of a new Learning and Development Working Group, to take the lead on all issues relating to R&D and researcher competencies and training. Contact training@rdforum.org.uk if you would be interested in becoming involved with the new working group once it is in place.
As always, we very much want to ensure that the R&D Forum community has access to the training and development they need, so please let us know if there are topics or courses for which you feel we should develop resources.
Full details of all our courses and events, and how to book your place, can be found on the R&D Forum website.
Allyson Bailey
NHS R&D Forum Training Lead
Upcoming Courses
Please see below for details on our upcoming courses that have been designed to support the Health & Care R&D Community.
Regulatory Inspection Ready
Join us in-person, in London, on 18th September 2023
This course is aimed at those who deliver research in a healthcare setting either in a Sponsor team or as a Host, and that maybe subject to regulatory inspection. Preparation for Inspection is critical but compliance driven from preparation rather than from quality systems can lead to poor practice and Inspection findings.
Delegates will learn strategies that build confidence for an inspection from any of the regulators for example the MHRA, Human Tissue Authority or Human Embryology & Fertilisation Authority.
Who should attend?
The course is designed for all staff involved in research management or for those who want to learn more about the Inspection process. This might include R&D managers, Sponsor representatives, quality managers, facilitators, research governance staff, research nurses, pharmacy teams, study coordinators and investigator site staff.
Archiving Masterclass
Join us in-person, in Bristol, on 2nd October 2023
Our one day, in-person archiving masterclass course will provide expert insights in the practicalities of research archiving procedures.
End of study procedures are the domain of both the NHS and the Sponsor, and so if you are a Named archivist or just need to understand more about how to firm up your procedures then you should consider this one-day event.
Who should attend?
This Archiving Master Class has been developed to support Research management teams with their processes for archiving and is for anyone who has responsibility for archiving research in their organisation. Whether you are a named archivist or part of a team with delegated responsibility we hope that you will find this course useful. As with all Forum activities it is also a valuable opportunity to meet with your colleagues from across the country to discuss challenges and solutions.
Local Capacity and Capability for Research
Virtual Classroom
9th October 2023
This one-day course is designed to provide an understanding of the requirements of an NHS organisation when determining whether to take part in a particular research study as a host. It explains the principles of good study set up, the information required by the R&D office and where it can be obtained. The course will introduce delegates to the various systems and documents associated with research and also provides some guidance on developing relationships with key support departments and stakeholders within an NHS organisation.
Who should attend?
All staff working in R&D offices, who are responsible for assessing, arranging and confirming local capacity and capability when taking part in research.
Sponsors of health research, particularly those from outside the NHS, who will get a better insight into the requirements of NHS R&D to ensure that their study and documentation facilitate the process.
Researchers designing studies that will involve the NHS, particularly those new to NHS research and/or from outside the NHS, who can get a better insight into the requirements of NHS R&D and ensure that their study and documentation facilitate the process.
Getting the Most out of IRAS
Virtual Classroom
17th October 2023
Being able to provide a full, complete and accurate IRAS submission should help to make your approval process run much more smoothly, but many people struggle with some aspects of IRAS.
This half day course is designed to supplement the existing IRAS and HRA guidance by working through the standard and combined review IRAS systems as well as the amendments section in a live environment. We will concentrate on those questions and functions that many applicants struggle with.
Who should attend?
Anyone who has to create and submit an IRAS application and those who support applicants. The course is relevant to NHS, academic and industry researchers.
Practical Application of Monitoring in a Health and Care Setting – COMING SOON
Date & Location: TBC
We are delighted to announce that our Practical Application of Monitoring in a Health and Care Setting Course is returning, and will be available soon.
This course is aimed at individuals and organisations that deliver non-commercial research in a healthcare setting. It explores the application of different types of monitoring as an oversight tool, focusing on the practicalities of developing and delivering a risk based monitoring strategy in a healthcare setting in order to ensure high quality research in the NHS.
Who should attend?
The course is designed for all staff involved in monitoring or supervising monitoring of clinical research for example, R&D managers, quality managers, facilitators, research governance staff, study coordinators and investigator site staff.
Essentials of Research Sponsorship
Join us in-person, in Manchester, on 10th November 2023
This course is designed to provide the essentials to become and/or improve the management of clinical research as a sponsor. A one day course that will provide an opportunity to develop skills and gain knowledge in the underlying principles of sponsorship. The course covers widely accepted concepts that not only directly apply to sponsorship but are transferable to other areas of the research industry.
Content Covers: Sponsor Oversight, Financing, Risk Assessments, Quality Management Systems and Transparency
Who should attend?
This course is designed for anyone working in research sponsorship from non-commercial organisations or even small companies wishing to develop their own sponsorship portfolio. If your organisation is new to research sponsorship or would like to build on your current processes this course will provide the information to support that development.
Essentials of NHS Research
Virtual Classroom
4th – 5th December 2023
Join us for a two day course which provides a complete overview of NHS R&D management.
The first day covers the overall research landscape and the legislation and regulations that govern it, as well as the various aspects of research management and governance. Day two concentrates more on the design, development and management of a research project, as well as looking at wider issues of leadership and strategy.
Content covers: understanding the landscape, policy, regulation, patient & public involvement, roles of R&D, capacity & capability, costing, AcoRD, contracts, safety, data, oversight, impact and strategy.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for any role at all levels when new to a health care R&D department. The course might also be of interest to colleagues in industry, academia and the third sector that would like to better understand managing NHS Research or just for those who need to keep updated.