Training

Welcome to the training section for researchers, select the relevant training session from this list:

Commercialising your healthcare idea – drop-in sessions
Cambridge Clinical Research Fellowships
Clinical Nursing Research Group (CNRG)
Cambridge Medical Library
Council for Allied Health Care Professionals Research (CAHPR)
Edge End-User trainings and drop-in sessions – 2025
Epic functionality training
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training
Impact Intros – monthly networking sessions for researchers
MPhil in Translating Devices and Advanced Therapies Research
National Institute of Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN)
NIHR Career development
NIHR – Presenting on the virtual stage training
NMAPs Pre-application for support funding now open
PPI online events / training
Research Skills for Clinicians

Commercialising your healthcare idea – drop-in sessions

Do you have a novel idea that could improve patient healthcare but not sure what to do next?

NIHR Cambridge BRC Technology Transfer Team from Cambridge Enterprise and Health Enterprise East are running free monthly one-to-one sessions to all Cambridge University Hospitals and University of Cambridge staff, to provide guidance on how to commercialise your idea.

Whatever your role at the hospital or university, no matter what stage you’re at, the team will be able to advise on how to proceed to protect and commercialise your concept.

You don’t have to work in research or have a clinical role to attend, as long as you have a new healthcare idea and are interested in seeing it developed.

The online meetings will take place between 11:00 and 13:00 on the first Wednesday of every month. Email: NHSBRC@enterprise.cam.ac.uk for more information or to book a meeting. If you are unable to make this time, contact the team and they will try and accommodate a suitable time around you. Find out more details.

Cambridge Clinical Research Fellowships

The Cambridge Clinic Research Fellowships scheme with Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, the Evelyn Trust and the NIHR Cambridge BRC, provides an entry point into a career in clinical academia. It provides salary support and a consumable allowance for up to one year, during which time it is anticipated that successful candidates will apply for fellowships, with a view to completing a PhD.

For any queries, please contact Ines Smith, Grant Manager.

Clinical Nursing Research Group (CRNG)

The CNRG runs regular research workshops, training and support, and an annual Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals (NMAHP) research conference.

Previous workshops and training have included:

Drop-in research surgeries
Turning a clinical problem into a research question
Introduction to systematic reviews
Conducting a successful poster presentation

CUH Trust employees who would like to be added to the NMAHP research email distribution list, or those with an interest in research can contact Annette Aylward for more information.

Cambridge Medical Library

The Medical Library supports the University of Cambridge and CUH, and offers various types of training and resources, tailored to suit NMAHP research needs. Examples include:

Databases for literature searching
“Teach Yourself” guides
Group training
Critical appraisal resources
Writing for publication

Council for Allied Health Care Professionals Research (CAHPR)

CAHPR has an East Anglia Research Hub and offers training and networking opportunities.

Email the hub lead – which can be found on their website – to ask to join the network and request more information.

Edge End-User trainings and drop-in sessions – 2025

Since 2017 Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) have been using EDGE, a Local Portfolio Management System (LPMS), to capture clinical trials data and support the delivery and maintenance of research at CUH.

If you work on studies adopted to the NIHR Portfolio, it is a mandatory requirement to upload patient recruitment data to Edge. Find out more about training information. Contact cuh.edge@nhs.net if you require support using EDGE.

The CUH EDGE Team are holding a series of both online and class-based trainings combined with Drop-in sessions throughout 2025 for all research staff.

EDGE End-User Training is suitable for those new to EDGE and those who would like to refresh their knowledge on adding or updating participant records on Edge for their research studies at CUH.

Drop-In Sessions are for all research staff already using Edge who need support on general use of the Edge system.

Research staff can ask for guidance and support on:

GCP and CV Certificate uploads
Participant recruitment uploads and related queries
A quick refresh demo in “How to” do a particular task in Edge
Resolving any queries related to Edge use.

Dates for January and February 2025:

Wednesday 8th January 14:00-16:00 MS Teams (first hour training, second hour drop-in)
Friday 31st January 09:30-12:30 Room DK10, Deakin Centre (first two hours training, third hour drop-in)
Wednesday 12th February 14:00-16:00 MS Teams (first hour training, second hour drop-in)
Monday 24th February 09:30-12:30 Room DK10, Deakin Centre (first two hours training, third hour drop-in)

Please find the remaining dates for 2025 in the Registration Form, or contact the CUH EDGE Team (cuh.edge@nhs.net).

Epic functionality training

Further training sessions are available to support researchers in setting up studies and documenting research activities in Epic. The half-day interactive sessions led by a trainer will explain features and functionalities for staff who are new to research at the Trust.

If you are a researcher new to the Trust and are yet to have your initial Epic training, you must complete initial training (either the Epic clinical review or Epic outpatient nurse courses depending on your job role) before you can book onto the research training course. To book initial Epic training please email ehospitaltraining@addenbrookes.nhs.uk.

If you have completed initial Epic training and would like to book onto the research course, please use the same email address above but state ‘eHospital Epic Research Training‘ in the subject line.

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training

All staff who work in clinical trials at Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), sponsored or conducted within the Trust, are required to undertake Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training every three years and must hold a valid full GCP training certificate.

Once you have completed your training, your certificate should be recorded by your department and updated on Q Pulse/ EDGE. A copy of your GCP certificate will also need to be sent to the R&D department at cuh.gcptraining@nhs.net, which has now transitioned from ReDA to EDGE for study set-up and management procedures for all portfolio and non-portfolio research studies taking place at Cambridge University Hospitals.

As part of this changeover, CV and GCP certificates will also gradually move over and be managed via EDGE as part of the research and quality management system.

Please note, this does not apply to Trial Master Files, Investigator Site Files and Pharmacy Files.

GCP Training options

If your training is up for renewal, the R&D team are offering three GCP training courses via the NIHR website:

GCP Full Course
GCP Refresher Course – for staff who have undertaken the full GCP course within the last three years or have renewed their training within the last three years.
Fundamentals of Clinical Research Delivery for Laboratory Staff – for lab staff after completion of the full/refresher GCP course.

NIHR Learn is a national resource co-developed with and approved by the MHRA and is accepted by most research sponsors. Courses can be completed in your own time and followed up with a webinar/ face-to-face consolidation workshop. All courses, including the consolidation day, are free of charge to NIHR, NHS and UK university staff.

Book your GCP training

You can book your GCP course via the NIHR website. If you are unsure about your GCP certificate, when it is due for renewal or any other queries, contact cuh.gcptraining@nhs.net

Further training

NIHR Learn host a number of other training sessions for research staff. Download a copy of the training information leaflet or find more information on NIHR Learn.

Impact Intros – monthly networking sessions for researchers

Are you interested in innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability? Do you have an idea for improving patient health, but you’re not sure where to start?

Cambridge Enterprise is pleased to be announcing the launch of ‘Impact Intros’ on the clinical campus. Drop in at your convenience to meet with our staff for informal discussions about how we can help you. Make new connections with researchers and clinicians sharing common interests and complementary skills, and grow your network to transform your idea into reality. Impact intros are designed to facilitate conversations and collaborations from all sectors, disciplines, and industries across the Cambridge ecosystem.

Impact Intros will be held on the last Wednesday of the month, 3.30-5.30pm at Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre. Find out more.

National Institute of Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN)

The NIHR CRN provides a range of research training including:

Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
Principal Investigator Masterclass Training
Advanced Research in Practice
Advanced Leadership Programme
Building Research Partnerships
Cancer Researchers Introductory Course
Essentials of Clinical Research

Find out more about NIHR CRN funding (please note users who do not have an NIHR Hub account will need to set up their own account to access this site).

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Training

Run by the NIHR Cambridge BRC PPI team, these introductory sessions are open to all research staff conducting research studies and clinical trials with patients in the NHS. The events are suitable for all, but will particularly suit people who are new to PPI and need to understand what it is and for those who are thinking of submitting a grant application or setting up their first PPI project. See a list of our PPI training opportunities.

Research Skills for Clinicians

The Research Skills for Clinicians course is run annually by the Cambridge Clinical Research Centre in partnership with the Clinical School and Health Education East of England.

There are places open for NMAHPs. For more information contact: patojomcpeake@thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk.