May 2025 Newsletter
Date: 31 May 2025
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Welcome to the Forum May 2025 Newsletter
Welcome to the May edition of the R&D Forum newsletter.
I’m writing this May newsletter introduction before the conference because by the time you read it, I shall be on the other side of the world!
Giving myself some time to reflect on the process of developing the conference programme has been very useful. In the midst of the maelstrom it’s often easy to forget how much work has been achieved along the way. The challenges, successes and delivery of such a huge event is worthy of congratulation and thanks. Thanks to all who have been involved for #RDF25. We should all be proud.
The world of R&D/I is changing nationally and people are finding things additionally challenging with local vacancy freezes, reductions in ICB’s and NHS England. Aware of the current environment we’ve taken the difficult decision to pause and consider the future of the RD Forum Conference. We recognise that the event is often the only time colleagues get to meet, share and collaborate on such a large scale, but we are also cognisant to the national picture. We will be announcing the next event in due course – it’s likely to be a bit different.
Change is often difficult for people to manage. Change brings uncertainty, but also opportunities. Opportunity to change things up, to do things differently but can sometimes be very scary. Along with support available through your organisations please do ensure that you look after yourself and reach out to the community for mutual support. There is likely to be someone in a similar situation who may provide you with an alternative view or solution.
Carolyn Maloney
R&D Forum Trustee
Thank you for joining us at RDF25
We were delighted to welcome 900+ attendees to RDF25 in Manchester. The event featured more than 60 speakers, 20+ exhibitors, 150 posters, and provided a unique opportunity for learning, developing and networking. Thank you to all the sponsors, speakers and exhibitors for their support.
From the Sunday workshops right through to the final session, RDF25 was an interesting and very informative few days, and we hope you had a memorable experience.
Learn about the RDF Conference
Course Registration Now Open
Good Documentation Practice (GDocP) – Leeds, 10th July 2025
Join us for the first iteration of this one-day, in-person course which provides advanced clinical records management expertise taking participants through all the key requirements for creating, reviewing, approving, finalising, managing, storing and archiving / preserving essential documents, records, and research data.
Trustee of the Month – Mark Brandon-Grove
This is a monthly feature for our community to meet and find out more about our Trustees. Meet Mark Brandon-Grove, R&D Forum Trustee and Head of Clinical Research Performance & Quality (The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust), where he leads the Joint Clinical Research and Development Core Services team.
#Red4Research – Friday 20th June 2025
#Red4Research Day on Friday 20th June 2025 aims to get as many people as possible wearing red to demonstrate their support and appreciation for all those participating, undertaking and supporting research. It is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the phenomenal work, learning legacy and innovative treatments/systems/techniques that have arisen from R&D.
NIHR Updates
- Sign up to Be Part of Research – It’s easy to take part in health and care studies.
- NIHR Research Delivery Network announces new integrated ways of working
- Join us for our upcoming webinar: ‘Boost recruitment and build future research capacity using the NIHR Associate Principal Investigator Scheme’
- The Scoping for Research Locations self -service tool now includes UK population demographics
- Bursaries To Support Postgraduate Qualifications In Clinical Research Delivery Leadership
- Reconnecting Webinar – Children and Young People’s Voice in Research
- New Research Learning Lecture virtual event on Wednesday 11th June – Register for a free ticket on EventBrite now
- Why the Associate PI scheme is key to boosting UK clinical research
- Inclusive Strategies for Improving Patient Recruitment and Study Outcomes
- Take the next step in your Social Care Nursing career
- Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES): Digital Rollout and Inclusive Delivery
HRA Update: Model Confidential Disclosure Agreement (mCDA)
Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs) (sometimes called non-disclosure agreements or NDAs) are legal agreements that are often used in commercial contract research to govern the sharing of confidential information from the commercial sponsor to the prospective participating NHS or HSC organisations prior to the site agreement.
From Monday 28 April any sponsors of commercial contract research wishing to enter into a CDA with a prospective NHS research site should only do so by using an unmodified model CDA (mCDA) or model Master CDA (mMCDA).
HRA Update: Updates to model agreements
A new model Commercial Chief Investigator Agreement has been published. The mCCIA is for use when commercial sponsors want an NHS or HSC employee to be a Chief Investigator for a commercial contract clinical trial of an investigational medicinal product (CTIMP) and the sponsor wishes to contract for these services via the employing NHS or HSC organisation.
HRA Update: Update to the commercial agreements for participating NHS and HSC organisations
The commercial agreements and guidance published in December 2023 have been updated by the Four Nations Contracts Leads following feedback from commercial sponsors, CROs and NHS Trusts.
The following suite of agreements have been updated:
- model Clinical Trial Agreements (mCTAs)
- model Clinical Investigation Agreements (mCIAs)
- model Non-Interventional Study Agreements (mNISAs)
- model Commercial Participant Identification Centre Agreement (mC-PICA)
- model Commercial Hub and Spoke Agreement
HRA Update: New clinical trial registration report published
Every year, the HRA publish a report on the registration status of clinical trials in the UK. This is part of the HRA’s ongoing commitment to promote research transparency. Over the past 12 months, the HRA have done lots of work on their processes to collect registration information with the goal to support sponsors to be transparent.
International Clinical Trials Day 2025
International Clinical Trials Day (ICTD) is celebrated each year on 20th May. This is to commemorate the day when James Lind started the first clinical trial in 1747. James Lind developed the theory that citrus fruits cured scurvy in sailors. We would like to thank everyone in our community who helps make research happen. This year’s ICTD coincided with RDF25 and James Lind was spotted handing out oranges to delegates.
UK Clinical Research Delivery Performance Indicators Report
The UK Clinical Research Delivery Performance Indicators Report, an evolution of the Research Status Report, incorporates a collection of system-wide UK metrics that monitor progress.
Edinburgh Clinical Trial Management Course
Thursday 06 & Friday 07 November 2025 – John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh
This two-day course has been running for more than two decades to support the professional development of anyone involved or interested in clinical trial management, including Clinical Trial Administrators, Trial Assistants, Trial Officers, Trial Co-ordinators, Trial Management Support Officers (TMSO), Assistant Trial Managers (ATMs), Trial Managers (TMs), and related roles.
The aims of the course are:
- To develop attendees’ knowledge and skills in clinical trial management.
- To improve attendees’ understanding of related disciplines including research governance, regulation, trial methodology, data management, monitoring, and project management, with a view to effective teamworking.
- To highlight the importance of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE), the need for efficiency in trial design and conduct, and how to consider sustainability in trials. These threads will run through the whole course.
The course consists of a variety of workshops, practical tasks and lectures. Interactive sessions cover key topics associated with setting up and delivering clinical trials. Sessions provide practical guidance and facilitate discussion, information exchange and provide plenty of networking opportunities. The course is co-delivered by The Universities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
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