Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility

09:30 - 13:00    |    Online (Zoom)

This online workshop will focus on the ethical, legal and practical issues around obtaining informed consent for paediatric clinical research in Scotland. The first half of the course examines the legislation and guidance in relation to consent, with a specific focus on who is able to give consent, dependent on the type of trial and the age of the participant. The second section discusses how to implement the legislation by closely examining the consent process and highlighting practical considerations.

Suitable for all those involved in paediatric trials, the aim of the course is to provide participants with an improved knowledge of the subject and the confidence to apply best practice within their own work areas.

Please note: this course focuses on Scottish legislation.  

Course fees:

• Student (matriculation details required) - £40
• University of Edinburgh/NHS Lothian - £60
• Other academic/NHS - £90

For Industry Rate, please contact the Education Core directly on [email protected].

There is a cancellation date of 3 November 2022.  If you cancel after this date, you will still be charged.

24-25 November 2022

John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh

About

The objective of this course is to provide an introduction to the management of clinical trials, by giving an overview of the standard processes and legal requirements necessary to undertake clinical research.
 
Made up of a range of workshops, practical tasks and lectures, these interactive sessions cover key topics including managing the setup and delivery of clinical research.  Sessions aim to facilitate discussion, information exchange and provide networking opportunities. 

The course is relevant to individuals currently involved in the management of clinical trials, including trials assistants, trial coordinators, project support and clinical research staff, as well as those who are new to the clinical research field.

See www.ed.ac.uk/crfcourses for provisional programme.

Course fees:

• NHS/Academic = £550
• Optional dinner on Thursday 24 November 2022 = £30
• Industry (inc dinner) = £1450

Course delegates will have access to a discount code for nearby accommodation, if required.

Cancellation prior to 24 September 2022 will incur a £50 administration fee. No refund will be given after this date, unless your place can be reallocated.

13:00 - 16:00  |  Online (Zoom)

About

This live online workshop aims to help you find your way towards effective involvement of patients and members of the public in your research.  These are some of the topics we will cover:

• What is patient and public involvement all about?
• Ways of working
• Making Patient and Public Involvement work for you
• Challenges and how to overcome them
• Resources: where to find help and support

The workshop provides an excellent opportunity to discuss involvement, engagement and co-production with actively involved patients.

Cost:

This course is free-of-charge for University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian staff and students

• External Student - £40 (matriculation details required)
• Other Academic/NHS - £90

09:30 - 13:00 (Zoom)

About

Statutory GCP inspections conducted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are an important part of the regulation of clinical trials in the UK. Anyone who sponsors, conducts or supports a clinical trial in humans involving an investigational medicinal product (CTIMP) or a medical device may find themselves face-to-face with an MHRA inspector. What an inspector will be looking for is evidence that trials have been conducted in compliance with applicable legislation and the principles of GCP. It is a daunting prospect for many, but an understanding of what to expect and how to prepare can help smooth the process and lead to a successful inspection outcome.

This virtual half-day course will use presentations and workshops to provide an overview of the GCP inspection process from notification to closure, along with some handy hints and tips for surviving the experience relatively unscathed. It is aimed at anyone who may be involved in an MHRA GCP inspection.

Cost:

• Student rate (matriculation details required) = £40
• University of Edinburgh/NHS Lothian = £60
• Other academic/NHS = £90

For industry rates, please enquire at [email protected].

There is a cancellation date of 2 November 2022.  You will still be charged if you cancel after this date.

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 practicals so participants will have the opportunity to practice acquired knowledge directly during the workshop.  There will be time allocated at the start of the day to resolve any technical issues.

At the end of the workshop attendees will be able to:

• Read 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.

This course will be delivered online via Zoom.

Please note, to attend this course you will require to have organised access rights and downloaded the relevant software in advance, so please ensure you have booked your place in sufficient time for you to be able to do this.

Date: Tuesday 22 November 2022

Time: 09:00-17:00

Course fees:

• Student (matric details req) - £80
• University of Edinburgh/NHS Lothian - £120
• Other Academic/NHS - £180

For industry rates, please email [email protected].

There is a cancellation date of 4/11/22.  You will be charged if you cancel after this date.

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 Introduction to 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.

There is a cancellation date of 27 October 2022.  You will be charged if you cancel after this date.

Fees:

• University of Edinburgh/NHS Lothian = Free-of-charge (booking still required)
• External student = £15
• Other Academic/NHS = £25

The Scottish Metabolomics Network Symposium is a nationwide meeting to discuss current work and challenges within the area of metabolomics. This event is aimed at PIs, post-docs and students with a focus on sharing knowledge, analysing and solving unique problems and educating and implementing training within this field.

The Scottish Metabolomics Network Symposium will be held on 03 and 04 November 2022.

Website for more info: http://scottishmetabolomics.net/

Twitter: #ScotMetNet

PLEASE NOTE:  The cancellation deadline for this event is 04 October 2022. If you cancel after this date you will not be given a refund. However, if you can find a substitute delegate they can take the place at the event.

Venue: P&J Live, Aberdeen

Call for Posters:
If you would like to present a poster at the Scottish Metabolomics Network Symposium 2022, please download and complete the poster abstract submission form and email it by 07 October 2022 to [email protected]

To download the Poster Submission form, please refer to the link on our website - www.ed.ac.uk/crfcourses. 

Cost:

• Early Bird (payment received by 07/10/22):
  • Early Career Researcher - inc of PhD, post-doc (within 6 years of PhD completion), technicians and UGs = £50
  • Researcher - inc of junior and senior PIs/researchers and facility managers = £75
• Standard Rate (ECR & PI) (from 08/10/22) = £100

At the end of this practical workshop, you will have produced a first draft Data Management Plan (DMP) for your research project. You will understand the basic components of a good DMP. As this course is specifically for researchers involved in Clinical Trials, we will use the MRC template and guidance as the basis for this. Other relevant funders such as Cancer Research UK and the Wellcome Trust will also be briefly discussed.

The course will cover the following topics:

• What is Data Management Planning?
• Why does it matter?
• An introduction to DMPonline
• What data will be collected or created?
• How will the data be documented and described?
• How will the data be stored, backed up and secured?
• How will ethics and intellectual property be handled?
• How, when and where will data be preserved and shared?
• Who is responsible and what will it cost?

 Upon completion of this course, attendees will:

1. Understand the necessity/benefits of producing a DMP;
2. Know how to use DMPonline;
3. Have drafted a basic DMP that they can complete after the course.

Before the course, attendees will need to register on DMPonline https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk/), as they will be drafting a DMP using this online platform.

Course tutor - Kerry Miller

Fees

• This course is free-of-charge for University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian staff and students (booking still required).
• External student (non-UoE/NHSL) = £30
• Other academic/NHS = £90

Email [email protected] for industry rates.

Wednesday 30 November 2022

09:00-13:00 (GMT)

About

In the first part of this session, we will focus on HOW to prepare your speech. We will talk about effective ways to plan and design your speech and then we will move on to supporting the speech with visual aids.  

In the second part of this session, we will discuss HOW to prepare yourself. We will talk about stage fright and ways to control it; we will discuss ways to remember your speech and we will talk about the use of voice and movement to enhance and better communicate your speech.

In the third part of the session, you will have the opportunity to practice your speech and receive feedback. You will also have the opportunity to watch and evaluate other speeches.

Tutor

Emmanouela Theodoratou

Cost

• Student rate (Matriculation Card Required) = £40
• NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh rate = £60
• Other academic/NHS rate = £90

For industry rate - please email [email protected].

There is a cancellation date of 16 November 2022. You will be charged if you cancel after this date.

Thursday 27 October 2022

09:30 – 13:00

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.**

• Other Student rate (external to University of Edinburgh/NHS Lothian) = £40
• Other Academic/NHS rate (external to University of Edinburgh/NHS Lothian) = £90

Please book a place through this site even if your place is free-of-charge

There is a cancellation date of 13 October 2022.  You will be charged if you cancel after this date. 

For industry rates, please email us at [email protected]

Thursday 6 October 2022

10:00 - 13:00 (Online via Zoom)

Tutor - Carol Porteous

Are you applying for grant funding from a major funder or charity?  Do you want to work with patients and the public on your grant application but aren’t sure how or aren’t sure how to evidence it? In this course, we will explore what grant funders’ requirements are in terms of PPI,  when you should be seeking patient and public input and how and where to include PPI in the grant application. This course is for you if:

• You are looking to find out what funders such as the Wellcome Trust and NIHR expect in terms of Patient Public Involvement (and engagement);
• You want to know how to truly incorporate meaningful PPI into the design and delivery of applications;
• You want to know how to work with Patient co-applicants;
• You want to be able to evidence your PPI activities in your funding application; and
• You want to know what activities you should be involving people in.

Bring along a current application you are working on or a future research idea you intend to seek funding for and develop your PPI plan for your grant application.

Cost

• Student = £40
• NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh = £60
• Other NHS/Academic = £90

Please enquire at [email protected] for industry rates.

There is a cancellation date of 22 September 2022.  You will be charged if you cancel after this date.

Wednesday 9 November 2022

13:00 - 16:00  UK time (online - Zoom)

About

This course discusses how to advertise and recruit patient and public members, organise your first meeting and how to keep your PPI group running successfully and sustainably.

• Are you struggling about where to begin in setting up a PPI group?
• Are you wondering how to keep an existing panel going?
• Unsure if a panel is the best means to conducting PPI in your research?

Objectives:

• Leave with a plan for your new or existing PPI group
• Know how to create adverts and role descriptions for your panel
• Understand how to keep running your group and make it sustainable

Tutor

Carol Porteous - Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Advisor from Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility (CRF). She will be joined by members of the CRF PPI Panel, who will provide a public/patient perspective on the themes discussed.

Cost

• Student (matriculation card required) = £40
• NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh = £60
• Other NHS/Academic = £90

For industry rates, enquire at [email protected]

There is a cancellation date of 26 October 2022.  You will be charged if you cancel after this date.

Thursday 1 December 2022

10:00 - 13:00 UK time (online - Zoom)

This course discusses why PPI is particularly useful for the development of clinical trials and how it can help in the design of trials and in the recruitment and retention of participants

• How can involving patients in the design of your project improve the plans for your trial?
• What does the evidence tell us about the impact of involving patients and the public in clinical trials?
• Learn how recruitment and retention can be improved by the involvement of patients and the public

Objectives:

• Learn when PPI is most useful in the development of clinical trials
• Understand what knowledge patients and the public can bring which could help in the design and running of your trial
• Create a plan for PPI in your clinical trial

Tutor

Carol Porteous 

Cost

• Student - £40
• NHS Lothian/University of Edinburgh - £60
• Other NHS/Academic - £90

For industry rates - enquire at [email protected]

There is a cancellation date of 17 November 2022.  You will be charged if you cancel after this date.

24/10/22 - 04/11/22 (13:00-14:00 weekdays)

This course 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 two 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.

Note - you should schedule two hours daily in addition to the live sessions for the completion of pre-course work.

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.

Please note that booking on this course closes on Sunday 16 October 2022 as we will be circulating pre-course work on 19 October 2022.

09:30 - 12:30  (UK Time)    |    Online (Zoom)

This introductory online workshop uses a series of interactive sessions and short presentations to examine the features of a well-designed poster to equip participants with the knowledge and skill to design and present a good conference poster.

After the workshop each participant will be able to:

• understand the purpose of a conference poster;
• describe the principles/rules of good poster design;
• identify strategies for adding value to the poster;
• appreciate the importance of words, images, and flow;
• know how to deliver a conference poster.

The workshop can accommodate a minimum of six and a maximum of fifteen participants. You should come prepared to be an active participant.

Cost

This course is free-of-charge for staff and students of NHS Lothian, NHS Fife and University of Edinburgh.

Other students - £40
Other academic/NHS - £90

There is a cancellation date of 29 September 2022.  You will be charged if you cancel after this date.

10:00 - 12:30

This course is intended primarily for lab staff who handle human samples but is also suitable for research nurses and other staff who regularly process bloods, use centrifuges and store samples.

University of Edinburgh clinical research labs that analyse samples from Clinical Trials of Investigational Products (CTIMPs) i.e. drug trials, must comply with the principles of GCLP and these labs are open to inspection by the Medicines and Healthcare Products regulatory Agency (MHRA).

However, it is desirable for staff in any lab, or area that handles and stores human samples, to be aware of GCLP and comply as far as possible.

The 9th Edinburgh Clinical Research Methodology Course is a two-day course providing a comprehensive overview of the methods and frameworks currently required to perform cutting-edge clinical research.

The course will consist of interactive 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.

Registration fee: £200

Cancellation prior to the 09 September 2022 will incur a £50 administration fee. No refund will be given after this date, unless your place can be reallocated.

Follow the event on twitter using #ECRMC22

Venue: John McIntyre Conference Centre

‘There’s an SOP for That’: A Practical Guide to Standard Operating Procedures

Date: Wednesday 15 November 2022

Time:  09:30 - 12:30  (Online - Zoom)

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are key tools in any quality management system. In clinical research, they can help to protect the safety of participants and the integrity of data by ensuring that essential processes are performed correctly and consistently every time. Well written and managed SOPs can enhance the quality, efficiency and credibility of a research project. However, get them wrong and they can quickly become more of a hindrance than a help!

This half-day virtual course is designed for anyone who is involved in writing or managing SOPs in a clinical research setting. In addition to short presentations, the course includes a significant practical component, offering attendees the chance to practice and hone their SOP writing skills.

Course tutor: James Gibson

Thursday 01 December 2022

09:00 - 13:00 

About

Informed consent is the foundation of all clinical research.  This workshop will focus on the ethical, legal and practical issues around obtaining informed consent from adults participating in clinical research in Scotland. It includes discussions about vulnerable groups who may require additional safeguards and also covers consent issues relating to the use of human tissue and data.

This workshop is designed for anyone who is involved in the informed consent process in clinical research involving adults. Please note: this course focuses on Scottish legislation.  

Tutors

• Jo Merrifield
• Lesley Briody

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 17 November 2022.  You will be charged if you cancel after this date.