Do you want to feel more confident about exploring the evidence-base in your clinical area? Or do you have an idea for improving practice and are not sure how to take it forward? Then the 4Ps Researcher Development Programme could be just for you!

4Ps is an accessible, interactive course which provides skills, knowledge and confidence to develop as a healthcare researcher. It consists of 5 x 3-hour sessions, one per month. There is a cost to the course (£475), but many NMAHP colleagues have found that they have been able to fund this via NMAHP CPD funding. The next cohort runs from January to May 2025, and is on MS Teams.

The North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Obstetric Research Internship is a unique opportunity that includes core research training such as ICH Good Clinical Practice (GCP), NIHR Informed Consent plus essential exposure to the research delivery environment.  

You will be supported by an identified mentor who will work with you to develop your personalised training requirements and to undertake a small project that you will be able to present at local, regional, or national meetings.

Although the internship is based at Newcastle Hospitals, we understand the geographic diversity of the regional and flexible working opportunities will be available, allowing interns to work from their local unit or remotely part of the time.

Who we’re looking for:

• A motivated obstetric sonographer
• NHS practitioners based in the NENC region
• Extensive clinical scanning experience
• Valid professional registration

What we offer:

• 0.2 WTE salary cover for six months 
• Up to £1,000 in research expenses (subject to justification)
• Training in clinical research delivery
• Mentorship and networking opportunities

We’d like to share an opportunity for colleagues to be part of Durham University’s new GOLD programme, part of collaborative work with the Care Partnership towards offsetting the social determinates of ill-health and inequalities to help improve health outcomes for the people of County Durham.

The GOLD programme (Growing Opportunities for Learning in Durham) provides bursaries to help those working to tackle ill-health and inequalities access continuing professional development opportunities (with no fees payable by individuals or employers).

The modules available are:

1. Physical Activity, Health and Inequalities

• What is implied and understood by health inequalities as they relate to physical (in)activity?
  Who is impacted by physical activity inequalities across the life course?

The course runs on Thursdays between 9-11am over 8 weeks from Thursday 16th Jan to 6th March 2025.

2. Health and Inequality

• To engage critical perspectives from social epidemiology and medical anthropology in understanding the drivers of health inequalities and inequities, between and within populations.
• To apply these perspectives to a range of health problems affecting contemporary human populations (including communicable and non-communicable diseases).

This course runs on Fridays between 4-5pm over 10 weeks from 17th January to 21st March (plus 3 small-group seminar classes, scheduled on Tuesday 3-4pm on 28th Jan, 11th Feb and 23rd Feb)

3. Participatory Action Research

• To develop understanding and skills in the theory and practice of participatory action research (PAR).
• To consider history and origins, key values, ethical/political issues, theorising and critiquing PAR, working with partner organisations to influence change, and participatory approaches to research design, process, analysis, dissemination and implementation.

This is a one week course running 12th -16th May.