Clinical Research Training Programme

Looking to enhance your skills in clinical research? We’ve got just the opportunity for you! Apply by Monday 18 September, 12pm for a chance to be a part of it.

This opportunity is designed to benefit clinically qualified medical trainees, nurses, dentists, dental qualified staff, pharmacists, allied healthcare professionals and healthcare scientists. Following last year's collaborative hosting of the Designing Clinical Research Course (DCR) with the University of California, San Francisco - King's Health partners has developed another valuable academic offer, this year individually running the Clinical Research Training Programme.

This programme will be hosted in person and online and it will be delivered through 10 weekly sessions. Students will be supported to develop the vital tools they need to write a robust clinical research protocol - the document that describes how a clinical trial is managed. 

The topics covered include:

1. Introduction to research, grantsmanship, and formulating research questions
2. Designs and populations for observational studies
3. Designs and populations for trials
4. Outcome measures and diagnostic accuracy
5. Statistical methods
6. Sample size calculations
7. Ethics and Patient and Public Involvement in Research
8. Systematic Reviews
9. Costing, Finance, and Project Management
10. Pitching your project to a panel

Here are six reasons why you should apply:

1. You’ll become adept at clinical research

This programme will give you the skills you need to run a clinical trial; from writing a research question, developing a study design, determining a study sample size, data analysis, management, thinking about ethical considerations in research, writing qualitative questionnaires, and mastering statistical methods. 

2. You’ll learn from leading specialists

The workshops are led by professors, academic researchers, and statisticians from across King’s Health Partners. It will feature weekly facilitated sessions, podcasts, and recorded lectures. Throughout the course experienced clinicians and methodologists with expertise in the design and conduct of applied healthcare research in the NHS will support students to reach their goals.

3. You’ll learn how to peer-review

A key aspect of any research is peer-review. This course will give you the tools you need to constructively critique co-learners’ work and understand colleagues’ feedback on your own. 

4. You’ll improve your presentation and networking skills

Once you’ve completed this programme, you’ll be asked to present your research idea to the programme leaders. Those with the best pitches will be selected to present at an event attended by faculty and experts – opening you up to wider opportunities within the research community. 

5. You’ll participate both in person and online 

Now more than ever, having the flexibility to study in your own time is vital. The Clinical Research Training Programme will take place face to face giving you the opportunity to engage meaningfully with leading specialists, alongside independent online learning which can be completed online at your own pace, in your own time, in a way that suits you.

6. You'll have an opportunity to win a Research Design Prize 

Upon completion of the course, participants will have the chance to be selected for presenting their research proposal to a King's Health Partners panel. The winning proposal will be awarded the prestigious KHP Research Design Prize.

What you need to know about the course before applying

• You will need to be available to attend a compulsory 90-minute introductory session on Monday 2 October.
• Throughout the course you will attend a weekly group session on Microsoft Teams, alongside the online learning you complete in your own time.

Please register your interest here, and to apply send the following information to Joyce Matovu, Education Academy Business Support Officer, at educationacademy@kcl.ac.uk by 12pm on Monday 18 September: 

• A brief statement explaining why you want to participate in the course (one page maximum);
• A one-page CV; and
• A brief supporting statement and signature from your academic supervisor.

You will be notified whether your application has been successful week commencing 18 September. For more details about the course and how to apply, view our course flyer.

Liked this article? Read about the winners of the former Designing Clinical Research Course to find out more about what the new 2023 programme will be like.