Courses and Events
Information and booking for courses and events run by Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility
We run a variety of face-to-face and online courses and events covering a diverse range of topics relating to clinical research.
See below for information about our upcoming courses and events and associated booking links.
Please contact us if you have any queries, are unable to find a course you are looking for or you would like to contribute to our programme: education@EdinburghCRF.ed.ac.uk
Upcoming Courses
Self-directed | Online (Xerte)
About
This course aims to help you begin your patient public involvement activities.
These are some of the topics we will cover:
- What is patient and public involvement?
- Ways of working
- Making Patient and Public Involvement work for you
- Challenges and how to overcome them
- Resources: where to find help and support
Tutor
Carol Porteous
Cost
This course is a free resource
Access to Bitesize Introduction to Patient & Public Involvement (link to external Xerte website )
09:30 - 13:00 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
**Please note: The course content and examples relate mainly to medical data.**
This half day virtual course is aimed directly at those who need to interpret numbers but have little or no knowledge of statistics. The content is appropriate for those who may need to critically appraise published (quantitative) articles. The focus is on interpreting rather than generating the results of a statistical analysis. Examples are used throughout.
At the end of this workshop those attending should be able to:
- Distinguish between absolute and relative measures
- Explain the distinction between confidence intervals and P-values
- Interpret the results of one-sample, unmatched and paired t-tests
- Interpret the chi-square test for comparing proportions
- Interpret an odds ratio
- Make sense of data presented in graphs
**We strongly recommend that anyone wishing to sign up for this course, you should have also attended the Stats for the Terrified: Introduction to Medical Statistics course. The Introduction to Medical Statistics is scheduled to take place on the 14 September 2021 (0930-1300) **
Course Tutor
David Chinn, R&D Senior Research Advisor, NHS Fife; Dr Chinn is not a statistician but an epidemiologist with a working knowledge of medical statistics.
Cost
- Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £40
- NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £60
- Other academic/NHS rate = £90
There is a cancellation date of 07 September 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Making Sense of Numbers : Interpretation of data 21/09/2021 (link to external ePay website)
14:00- 17:00 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
In the first part of this session, we will focus on the HOW to plan, design, and support your speech with visual aids. In the second part of this session, we will discuss the HOW to prepare yourself for the speech. We will talk about understanding and handling stage fright; we will discuss ways to memorise your speech; we will also talk about ways to use voice and movement elements to enhance the speech.
At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Design speeches for the medium of sound
- Develop key point speeches
- Invent clear speech outlines
- Include an introduction and a conclusion
- Explain research clearly
- Build a successful presentation deck of slides
- Keep the audience engaged
You will also be able to
- Tackle Public speaking apprehension
- Memorise a speech
- Define verbal and non-verbal communication techniques
- Use notes
Tutor
Emmanouela Theodoratou
Cost
- Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £40
- NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £60
- Other academic/NHS rate = £90
There is a cancellation date of 10 September 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: How to design and deliver successful speeches 24/09/2021 (link to external ePay website)
09:30 - 12:30 UK Time (6 sessions) | Online (Zoom)
About
This course introduces students to key principles in research design and strategy, including topics such as: theoretical and epistemological foundations in qualitative health research; developing a research question; key qualitative methodologies; collecting, analysing and interpreting qualitative data; and rigour in qualitative research.
Learning Objectives:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the role of qualitative research in healthcare practice.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of different theoretical and epistemological positions in research and its application to qualitative research (e.g. research design, methodological and analytical choices).
- Demonstrate a critical understanding and application of the main qualitative research methodologies used to gather evidence in health and social care.
- Critically appraise and apply key research methods used in data collection in qualitative research.
- Identify and understand the role of different sampling and data collection methods in qualitative research.
- Critically appraise and apply research methods used in data analysis and interpretation in qualitative research.
-
Evaluate and critically appraise rigour in qualitative research design.
| Session | Date | Time | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuesday 28th September 2021 | 09:30 - 12:30 | Introducing Qualitative Research (Ontology, Epistemology, Paradigms) |
| 2 | Thursday 30th September 2021 | 09:30 - 12:30 | Introducing Key Qualitative Methodologies (GT, Phenomenology, Ethnography, Evaluation Research/Case Studies/RE, Action Research) |
| 3 | Tuesday 5th October 2021 | 09:30 - 12:30 |
Part A: Designing a Qualitative Research Study Part B: Methods in Qualitative Research (Observation, Interviews, Focus Groups, Documents, Arts- Based Methods) |
| 4 | Thursday 7th October 2021 | 09:30 - 12:30 |
Part A: Mixed Methods Research and Complex Interventions Part B: Sampling (Types of non-probability sampling, size, recruitment) |
| 5 | Tuesday 12th October 2021 | 09:30 - 12:30 |
Part A: Analysing Qualitative Data Part B: Worked example of thematic analysis |
| 6 | Thursday 14th October 2021 | 09:30 - 12:30 |
Assessing the quality of Qualitative Research Reporting and publishing qualitative studies |
Tutor
Sheila Rogers
Cost
- Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £240
- NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £360
- Other academic/NHS rate = £540
There is a cancellation date of Tuesday 14th September 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: An Introduction to Qualitative Methods 28/09/2021 - 14/10/2021 (link to external ePay website)
09:30 – 13:00 BST | Online (Zoom)
About
A half day of interaction with Research Ethic Committee (REC) members and staff providing an insight into the NHS ethical review process.
Step-by-step guidance on the ethical review process including details on what to do before submitting an application, during the committee meeting and after gaining ethical approval. REC staff will provide advice on submitting the correct paperwork and their opinions on what information is required for a successful application.
Tutors
- Lindsay Murray
- Helen Newbery
Cost
**This course is free for University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian staff and students.**
- Student rate (External to UoE/NHS Lothian) = £40
- Other Academic/NHS rate (External to UoE/NHS Lothian) = £90
There is a cancellation date of Thursday 16th September 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Helping you to submit an ethics application 30/09/2021 (link to external ePay website)
09:30 - 12:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
This virtual workshop is for experienced research personnel who have completed an Introduction to Good Clinical Practice within the last 2 years and require an update.
By the end of this workshop, you will be provided with:
- Update on the changing UK legislative framework for CTIMPs
- Refresher of your understanding of Good Clinical Practice
- Opportunity to share good practice and reflect on your own experience
***Please note, places are limited, and priority will be given to those working or studying in the Lothians
Cost
This course is free for students, academic and NHS staff based in Scotland.
To book a place, please email the Education Core: education@edinburghcrf.ed.ac.uk
09:30 - 17:00 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
This one day virtual workshop is directed to those who have a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts and want to transition to the R environment. Using realistic examples from day to day research practice, we will cover the entire process from receiving a dataset to producing an analysis output ready for write-up, covering the most common problems that may occur along the way. The course will consist of a mix of lectures and practical's so participants will have the opportunity to practice acquired knowledge directly during the workshop.
At the end of the workshop attendees will be able to:
- Read in datasets in various formats;
- Clean and prepare variables for the analysis;
- Explore and describe the data (producing table of descriptive statistics);
- Visualise the data (basic plots and graphs);
- Perform group differences tests (t-test; ANOVA);
- Perform tests of association (correlation coefficient, linear, logistic and multinomial regression.
The course will be delivered by Dr Iva Čukić, Research Fellow in Public Health and Policy at the University of Liverpool.
This course will be delivered online via Zoom.
Please note, to attend this course you will require the use of two monitors for the practical session in the afternoon.
Tutor
Dr Iva Čukić, Research Fellow in Public Health and Policy at the University of Liverpool.
Cost
- Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £80
- NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £120
- Other academic/NHS rate = £180
There is a cancellation date of 29th September 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: A Realistic Introduction to R 13/10/2021 (link to external ePay website)
2 week course
13:00 - 14:00 weekdays | Online (Zoom)
(except Wednesday 20th October 2021 - 14:00 - 15:00)
About
This online course is an adaptation of the existing face-2-face Planning and Conducting a Systematic Review course, it is designed to provide practical guidance on all the steps involved in doing a systematic review from planning through to completion. This course will enable delegates to understand the process of how the systematic review is put into action and to complete a systematic review involving quantitative studies. The teaching will include online lectures spread over 2 weeks and some hands-on practice using a range of tools and resources that are available to help researchers carry out reviews. The teaching material will include themed examples spanning both clinical and public health research.
We have designed the course spread thinly over 2 weeks to minimize the amount of live online content delivered in one go as this can be quite hard work. Organised this way the course gives delegates a better opportunity to work on small tasks and learning relevant to all the sequential steps of the systematic review process.
The learning content will be released on each Friday for completion before attending the live, interactive sessions on each of the following weekdays between 13.00 – 14.00 unless otherwise stated.
The course is suitable for those planning on doing systematic reviews and also anyone needing to evaluate and interpret existing systematic review evidence. Therefore this course is widely applicable to researchers, healthcare professionals and students.
Tutors
- Dave Saunders
- Anne Martin
- Ruth Jenkins
- Marshall Dozier
- Avril Johnstone
- Paul Kelly
- Hilary Thomson
Cost
- Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £160
- NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £220
- Other academic/NHS rate = £360
There is a cancellation date of 4th October 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Systematic Review 18/10/21-29/10/21 (link to external ePay website)
09:00 - 16:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
This one day online course is designed either for those who have not studied Good Clinical Practice (GCP) before or those who have studied it more than two years ago. It is presented as a practical introduction to the subject and consists of a mixture of short lectures interspersed with practical activities, culminating in a monitoring workshop. The monitoring workshop allows the more abstract concepts that have been discussed throughout the day to be brought to life.
While the principles of GCP that are covered in the course are common to a wide range of different types of clinical research, the course does focus on the drug trial specific legislation. However, it also promotes the ‘GCP-mindset’ needed to satisfy inspectors and auditors and would, therefore, be useful for all clinical researchers.
This ICH E6 GCP Investigator Site Training meets the Minimum Criteria for ICH GCP Investigator Site Personnel Training identified by TransCelerate BioPharma, Inc. as necessary to enable mutual recognition of GCP training among trial sponsors.
Tutors
- Jo Merrifield
- Lorn MacKenzie
Cost
This course is free for students, academic and NHS staff based in Scotland.
To book a place, please email the Education Core: education@edinburghcrf.ed.ac.uk
***Please note, places are limited, and priority will be given to those working or studying in the Lothians
09:30 - 12:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
This virtual workshop is for experienced research personnel who have completed an Introduction to Good Clinical Practice within the last 2 years and require an update.
By the end of this workshop, you will be provided with:
- Update on the changing UK legislative framework for CTIMPs
- Refresher of your understanding of Good Clinical Practice
- Opportunity to share good practice and reflect on your own experience
***Please note, places are limited, and priority will be given to those working or studying in the Lothians
Cost
This course is free for students, academic and NHS staff.
To book a place, please email the Education Core: education@edinburghcrf.ed.ac.uk
14:00 - 15:30 UK Time (4 sessions) | Online (Zoom)
About
This introductory level project management course aims to de-mystify the world of project management, focusing on the practical skills, tools and techniques to help you successfully plan and deliver your clinical research projects.
Delivered as 4 x 1.5 hour live online sessions via Zoom, each focussing on a different aspect of project management. Each session consists of presented material on standard project management techniques, combined with breakout rooms, where you will discuss the techniques covered in the context of the world of clinical research.
No prior knowledge of project management is required.
The sessions are delivered by the Project Management Office (PMO) in the University of Edinburgh’s Information Services Group.
Learning objectives
By the end of this course, you will have learned about: -
- The project lifecycle, and the key factors that influence project success;
- The role of the project manager, and the skills required;
- How to clearly define your project, setting it up for the best chance of success;
- How to construct a robust and realistic project plan;
- Some of the tools that are available to help you organise, and document your project;
- How to evaluate and manage risks, issues and changes to scope as your project progresses;
- How to identify your stakeholders, understand their needs; and manage their expectations;
- Developing a communications plan;
- The importance of project roles and responsibilities;
- The need for effective project governance and regular project monitoring and reporting;
- How to learn from lessons identified at the completion of a project.
Pre-work
There is no pre-work required other than to gather your thoughts about research projects that you have been involved in and to be prepared to share your experiences in the breakout room discussions. For example: -
- What went well (or not so well) in terms of planning and managing the project?
- Did everyone on the team know what was expected of them and when?
- What challenges did you face along the way?
Post-work
There is no compulsory post-work work required, though a short list of optional additional reading/watching will be supplied for those wishing to further explore the world of project management.
Course Outline
| Session 1 | Laying the foundations | 26/10/2021 | 14:00-15:30 |
This first session introduces project management, the project lifecycle, and the role of the project manager. We will explore the project management techniques involved at the beginning of a project to help set it up for success.
|
| Session 2 | Planning the journey | 28/10/2021 | 14:00-15:30 |
In this session we look at the key elements required to construct a robust and realistic project plan: -
|
| Session 3 | Adapt & survive | 02/11/2021 | 14:00-15:30 |
In this session we explore project management techniques to help steer your project away from potential risks, and how to adapt and survive when things change or go wrong.
|
| Session 4 | Right people, right message | 04/11/2021 | 14:00-15:30 |
This final session explores the people-related elements of project management: -
|
Tutor
Dawn Holmes
Cost
This course is free to NHS Lothian and UoE staff and students (matriculation number required)
- NHSL/UoE staff/students - £0
- External students rate (external to UoE) - £80
- Other academic/NHS rate - £180
There is a cancellation date of 19 October 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Bite-size Practical Project Management for Clinical Researchers 26/10/21-04/11/21 (link to external ePay website)
09:30 - 12:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
This course aims to introduce learners to the knowledge and skills required to conduct research interviews in qualitative research.
Learning objectives:
- A critical understanding of the principles of recruiting participants for qualitative interviewing.
- Appreciate the ethical issues involved in conducting research interviews.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the different formats for interviewing.
- A critical understanding of the principles of conducting qualitative interviewing.
- Develop skills in conducting research interviews in healthcare.
Tutor
Sheila Rogers
Cost
- Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £40
- NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £60
- Other academic/NHS rate = £90
There is a cancellation date of Thursday 21st October 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Conducting Interviews in Qualitative Research 28/10/2021 (link to external ePay website)
09:30 - 12:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
The virtual session will last 3 hours, and will cover many of the practical aspects of information law likely to be encountered by health and social care researchers in the UK.
It will be comprised of a series of short didactic sessions, intermixed with workshop activities to help consolidate learning. All workshops will be based on ‘real-life’ examples. Workshops will be tailored to ensure relevance to different audiences.
Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions.
Attendance certificates will be issued to all those who complete the training course (delivered by email).
Target Audience: Any researcher or research support staff who collects, manages, handles or accesses information about people to support research activities. It may also be relevant / of interest to Research and other governance managers. But it will not directly address all of their specific learning needs. Members of research ethics committees may find the content interesting, but again this training will not directly address their specific learning needs.
Tutor
Alex Bailey
Cost
- Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £40
- NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £60
- Other academic/NHS rate = £90
There is a cancellation date of Tuesday 19th October 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Research, GDPR and confidentiality – what you need to know 02/11/2021 (link to ePay booking site)
Thursday 4th November 2021 | Implications of the recent changes to health data environment in the UK
11:00 - 12:00 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
The recently published Data Strategy for Health and Social Care and the Goldacre review of health data use have wide-ranging implications for the use of data in health research. This talk will provide an overview of the Data Strategy and the Goldacre review and explore the impact they will have on health research in the UK.
Tutor
Alex Bailey
Cost
This course is free for University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian staff and students.
- Student rate (External to UoE/NHS Lothian) = £10
- Other Academic/NHS rate ( External to UoE/NHS Lothian) = £20
There is a cancellation date of Thursday 21 October 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Implications of the recent changes to health data environment in the UK 04/11/2021
(link to external ePay website)
10:00 - 11:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
The practical applications in Higher Education of the most recent social or technical development (MOOCs, social media, digitisation and online collaboration etc.) or regulatory changes (RCUK & HEFCE OA policies, new copyright exceptions) has led to a new level of complexity vis-à-vis Open Access and Copyright compliance.
Copyright and licensing training is an important way to build confidence, awareness and staff skills, enabling them to provide information services in compliance with the law and open educational resources.
This Copyright and Licensing training course is well-suited to those who require a basic understanding of copyright law, licensing, and open educational resources. For those who already have some knowledge of copyright law and licensing, this course can serve as a refresher. Opportunities for questions and discussions will be ample.
This 1.5 hr training course provides an introduction to copyright including:
- Components and duration of UK copyright law
- Public domain
- UK copyright exceptions related to teaching & research
- Licences and how they allow specific re-use of copyright protected works
- Copyright risk assessment
Tutor
This session will be run by Stephanie (Charlie) Farley. Charlie is our Open Educational Resources (OER) Advisor for Educational Design and Engagement.
Cost
**This course is free for University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian staff and students.**
- Student rate (External to UoE/NHS Lothian) = £15
- Other Academic/NHS rate (External to UoE/NHS Lothian) = £25
There is a cancellation date of Wednesday 3rd November 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Copyright and Licensing in Clinical Research 10/11/2021 (link to external ePay website)
Day 1 - Tuesday 16th November 2021 | 10:15 - 16:00 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
Day 2 - Wednesday 17th November 2021 | 10:00 - 16:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
The 8th Edinburgh Clinical Research Methodology Course.
A two-day online course providing a comprehensive overview of the methods and frameworks currently required to perform cutting-edge clinical research.
The course will consist of interactive online lectures and opportunities for delegates to network with distinguished researchers, all of whom are recognised experts in their field.
Aimed at practitioners at all levels from all disciplines (medical, allied health professionals, nursing and midwifery staff and scientists) who have an interest in or are actively engaged in clinical research.
Cost
Registration fee = £100
There is a cancellation date of Tuesday 2nd November 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Edinburgh Clinical Research Methodology Course 16/11/2021 - 17/11/2021 (link to external ePay website)
09:30 - 12:30 UK time | Online (Zoom)
About
Health economics is still seen as a bit of a dark art by some, but it is increasingly important in clinical research, funding applications and communicating the value of research. This session will introduce the key concepts behind health economic evaluation, the motivation for undertaking health economics in a climate of resource scarcity and describe briefly a few of the philosophical debates in health economics at the moment which are particularly relevant to early career clinical researchers.
Learning objectives:
- Obtain a good overview of the major theoretical and practical approaches to health economics in the UK
- Understand the relationship between clinical trials and health economics, and between health economics and clinical implementation on the ground
- 'Know what you don't know' - understand when and where speaking to a health economist might be valuable
Tutor
- Alex Bates
Cost
- Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £40
- NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £60
- Other academic/NHS rate = £90
There is a cancellation date of Wednesday 17th November 2021. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.
Book now: Intro to Health Economics 01/12/21 (link to external ePay website)
09:30 - 12:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
This virtual workshop is for experienced research personnel who have completed an Introduction to Good Clinical Practice within the last 2 years and require an update.
By the end of this workshop, you will be provided with:
- Update on the changing UK legislative framework for CTIMPs
- Refresher of your understanding of Good Clinical Practice
- Opportunity to share good practice and reflect on your own experience
***Please note, places are limited, and priority will be given to those working or studying in the Lothians
Cost
This course is free for students, academic and NHS staff based in Scotland.
To book a place, please email the Education Core: education@edinburghcrf.ed.ac.uk
09:00 - 16:30 UK Time | Online (Zoom)
About
This one day online course is designed either for those who have not studied Good Clinical Practice (GCP) before or those who have studied it more than two years ago. It is presented as a practical introduction to the subject and consists of a mixture of short lectures interspersed with practical activities, culminating in a monitoring workshop. The monitoring workshop allows the more abstract concepts that have been discussed throughout the day to be brought to life.
While the principles of GCP that are covered in the course are common to a wide range of different types of clinical research, the course does focus on the drug trial specific legislation. However, it also promotes the ‘GCP-mindset’ needed to satisfy inspectors and auditors and would, therefore, be useful for all clinical researchers.
This ICH E6 GCP Investigator Site Training meets the Minimum Criteria for ICH GCP Investigator Site Personnel Training identified by TransCelerate BioPharma, Inc. as necessary to enable mutual recognition of GCP training among trial sponsors.
Tutors
- Jo Merrifield
- Fiona Mitchell
Cost
This course is free for students, academic and NHS staff based in Scotland.
To book a place, please email the Education Core: education@edinburghcrf.ed.ac.uk
***Please note, places are limited, and priority will be given to those working or studying in the Lothians
Please note: we are not for profit, course fees are charged to cover tutor, administration and other costs associated with course delivery.
Industry rates are available for courses on request at: Education@EdinburghCRF.ed.ac.uk