July 2025 Newsletter
Date: 31 July 2025
Welcome to the Forum July 2025 Newsletter
Welcome to the July edition of the R&D Forum newsletter.
The pace of change for the research community never seems to slow. We are again under the spotlight, especially with the renewed emphasis on set-up times and the increased pressures of our budgets. However, we are a very strong community and none of these challenges phase us. For many of us that have been in the business for several years, the changes and scrutiny are nothing new. The collective voice of the UK-wide R&D community has always been a force and through our collaborative working will continue to be such.
Over the next few months many of us will be tightening our GCP belts and implementing the updates following from the ICH GCP E6(R3) release. In addition, we will be working towards the pending implementation of the new UK clinical trials regulation. Neither of these are small undertakings, but without a doubt, we will do what we do best and rise to the challenge.
It is amazing how we continue to work together and support each other. Let’s keep spreading the word of how people can be involved with the RD Forum to ensure that we are always at the centre of high-quality research management, sponsor oversight and effective, safe patient pathways.
Sean Scott
R&D Forum Trustee
Stay in the loop about RDF26
Following the success of RDF25 in Manchester, which brought together over 900 attendees, planning is now underway for RDF26.
Next year’s conference, taking place in Brimingham, 10-12 May, will continue to explore the priorities shaping UK health and care research, from digital innovation and sustainability to inclusion and clinical trial delivery.
To stay informed about the RDF26 theme, programme, and registration, sign up for updates.
Be part of the UK’s leading health & social care R&D event.
Working Group Update – Wider Health and Care and Community Working Group
Tara Maitland has co-chaired Wider Health and Care and Community Working Group since September 2024. This group is for those involved in NIHR portfolio research outside of NHS settings. The purpose of the group is to provide peer support, share best practice and solutions, and to form a united voice.
Unfortunately, Tara is stepping down from this Working Group. Tara has shared that she has immense pride in what the group have achieved together. Tara was especially key to the progress the group have made in strengthening hospice and care sector research capacity.
Angela Topping, R&D Forum Chair of Trustees would like to this opportunity to thank Tara for all her work and support for the R&D Forum, “A massive thank you for all you have done for the R&D Forum – your impact has been huge.”
Edyta McCallum, co-chair, will continue to steer the group forward
Working Group Update – Contracts Working Group – Multiparty Collaboration Agreement Template
The RDF Contracts Working Group has finalised a new template collaboration agreement for academic/NHS research projects involving a clinical study. Designed to streamline and simplify contracting, the template includes optional clauses for NIHR-funded or other funding arrangements.
It complements existing Brunswick and model clinical trial agreement templates and will be published on the HRA (IRAS), ARMA, and ALUP websites, with NIHR publication also anticipated
Training Course Dates Announced
The R&D Forum is delighted to announce that the following courses will be taking place later this year:
Essentials of Research Sponsorship
- 12 November 2025 (1 Day), Virtual
- Designed for individuals in research sponsorship (from non-commercial organisations to small companies)
Local Capacity and Capability for Research
- 14 November 2025 (1 Day), Virtual
- Designed for R&D professionals responsible for assessing, arranging and confirming local capacity and capability
View Calendar for more information
Trustee of the Month – Shahista Hussain
This is a monthly feature for our community to meet and find out more about our Trustees. Meet Shahista Hussain, R&D Forum Trustee and Head of R&D Governance at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
NIHR Updates
- UK-wide ethnicity and deprivation data included in latest NIHR tool update
- NIHR campaign: Millions urged to Be Part of Research
- NIHR Annual Report 2024/25
HRA Update: new amendment history log
To help make it easier for sites to be aware of any amendments made to a study the HRA have launched a new amendment history log.
The log was developed alongside the devolved administrations, commercial and NHS sponsors, sites and participating organisations and is based on wider feedback on the challenges of implementing amendments.
Use of the log is not mandatory as the HRA know that many sponsors already have their own version.
HRA Update: New clinical trials guidance published
The HRA have published new guidance to accompany the updated clinical trials regulations which come into force on 28 April 2026.
The guidance explains what will change in terms of processes, legal requirements, and expectations for anyone involved in setting up or delivering clinical trials.
If you have any comments or would like to share feedback on the new published guidance, please complete the online survey by 5pm on Wednesday 10 September 2025.
The HRA will use the feedback they receive to update the final guidance which the HRA plan to publish later this year.
HRA Update: Information governance in research – an update on our work to improve assurances
As part of the HRA’s work to support the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme the HRA are making improvements to reduce the unnecessary duplication of their study-wide reviews for information governance.
Read the blog by Matthew Sanderson, Research Regulation Specialist below
HRA Update: HRA new strategy launch
The HRA shared their new three-year strategy, ‘Boosting research that improves health and grows the economy’.
It sets out their objectives for the next three years to support the government’s health and growth missions:
- supporting UK growth in life sciences by making the UK the easiest place in the world to do health and social care research
- helping reduce health inequalities by ensuring that health and social care research is done with and for everyone
- increasing the impact of money invested in research by streamlining the process of doing health and social care research so that it is efficient, and encourages and supports success
Life Sciences Sector Plan
The Life Sciences Sector Plan outlines targeted actions to support world-class research and development, attract investment, grow advanced manufacturing, and accelerate health innovation.
The Plan aims to position the UK as the leading life sciences economy in Europe by 2030, and the third globally by 2035, behind only the United States and China.
NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26
The new NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26 describes a consistent and transparent approach to assessing integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS trusts and foundation trusts, ensuring public accountability for performance and providing a foundation for how NHS England works with systems and providers to support improvement.
Methodological changes to RCTs after ethical approval: Invite to Participate
This is a study about people’s opinions on changes made to the methods of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) after the study has started.
The invitation is open to anyone who has been involved in RCTs in the United Kingdom who would be willing to take part in an interview about their experiences. Interviews will last for around 45 minutes. You must be 18 years old or over to take part and participation is entirely voluntary. If you have any questions about this study please contact Andrew Mott: andrew.mott@york.ac.uk, University of York.
If you would be interested in taking part, you can find further information and express interest below.
Focus Groups about staff’s experiences of recruiting participants into clinical trials
Do you have experience recruiting patients into clinical trials in the UK and Ireland? Do you think recruitment targets are motivating? Are they communicated well? Then we would love to hear from you as a participant in our focus group study. If you are interested, please contact the researcher at m.cerar.24@abdn.ac.uk for details.
Mojca Cerar, PhD student, Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation (ACE), formerly HSRU, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen
NEW REPORT: The Global Partner of Choice for R&D: Finding the UK’s place in a changing world
This report published by Wellcome asks the UK Government to recognise the power that research and development (R&D) has to create economic growth in the UK, boost its soft power and make it healthier and safer.
Clinical Trial training for Investigators: University of Liverpool
The Clinical Trial training for Investigators course is taking place 8th-12th September 2025 at the University of Liverpool. The number of clinical trials being conducted has increased, and the need for greater efficiency in design, conduct, analysis and reporting has been recognised in both the public and industry sector. This course is aimed at health and research professionals, particularly those aiming to become Chief Investigators.
RDF Resource Exchange
Resources from The Research and Development Forum are there to support health and care research in the UK.
Browse the Resources available to the RDF below.
Contacting The Research and Development Forum
As a reminder, should you need to contact the Forum the best way is via email which is info@rdforum.org.uk