Welcome to your October learning update. This email is intended to keep you informed about new learning resources and other learning and development news.

(Devolved administrations – for information and dissemination – please could scientific officers in Scotland and Northern Ireland and REC Managers in Wales forward to their committee members).

In your learning update this month, you can read more about:

• Phase 1 research - knowledge exchange event
• There are still some places left on virtual REC Development Day
• We’re moving to NIHR Learn!
• Upcoming training

Phase 1 research - knowledge exchange event

Members of the Phase 1 Advisory Group recently told us that it would be helpful to provide some training for members, sponsors and Contract Research Organisations (CROs), so that people could have the opportunity to learn and discuss ethical issues in Phase 1 research.

Following on from this feedback, we have developed a face-to-face training event for members of Phase 1 RECs. You can now book on to a waiting list for this event. Details about the event are below:

• date: Monday 20 November
• location: Health Research Authority, 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ
• time: 9.30am to 4pm

The training will cover various topics, including:

• how UK early phase research fits into a global context
• complex study designs used for Phase 1 research and the competitive advantages of this in the UK
• different ethical issues in Phase 1 research and how these might be addressed by RECs and CROs
• what is checked by the MHRA as part of the Phase 1 accreditation scheme

Members of Phase 1 RECs were contacted directly as soon as the course was advertised, to encourage members of flagged RECs to book on as soon as possible. 

We have now opened a waiting list for this day if you are interested in attending.

There are still some places left on virtual REC Development Day

As you know, by the end of 2023 we'll have held seven face-to-face REC Development Days across England. We know that not everyone will have been able to attend one of these REC Development Days, and some people prefer to attend online events.

As we did last year, we have decided again to run a virtual session on Wednesday 13 December, from 6pm to 8.30pm. For this session, you'll get to hear and discuss some of the latest updates from the HRA, and learn about artificial intelligence and its role in research ethics.

Book your place now at the virtual REC Development Day.

We’re moving to NIHR Learn!

We want to improve our online learning platform and provide HRA staff and members of our HRA community with an online learning space that works for everyone.

Over the last few months, we have been testing a new online system and using feedback from volunteers to make improvements. The second testing pilot has now closed, and we have recently made the decision to move to NIHR Learn to better support all our learners, including HRA staff and members of our Confidentiality Advisory Group, Public Involvement Network and Research Ethics Committees.

We plan to have fully moved over to NIHR Learn by next March 2024. Before then, we’ll be going through a transition process which will involve:         

• moving all courses over to the new platform
• providing training for all users (more information will be provided in due course)
• closing down the former Learning Management System (LMS) by 31 March 2024

We’ll keep you updated regularly with the transition, but if you have any questions about our move to NIHR Learn, please get in touch with our HRA learning and development team.

The following online sessions are advertised via the LMS. Our updates this month are:

• new date for committee members induction now available to book onto
• new date for research involving prisons now available to book onto
• new date for research involving children and young people: an introduction now available to book onto
• places still available for introduction to Phase 1 research
• places still available for stepping into chairing

Live webinar: introduction to Phase 1 

This online session introduces delegates to Phase 1 healthy volunteer research and its regulation and review in the UK.

Next available date:

• Wednesday 4 October, 10am to 12.15pm. Book a place on this session

Online workshop: introduction to quantitative research methods and statistics

This session aims to help you understand quantitative research and its statistical aspects. You will explore quantitative research methods that are relevant for RECs and find out about the language of statistics. By the end of the session we hope you will be able to better understand where statistics fit into the ethical review, and define what statistics can and can’t do. This session will be led by Gordon Taylor, Professor of Medical Statistics from the University of Exeter.

Next available date:

• Thursday 12 October, 10am to 12.30pm. Book a place on the waiting list for this session

Online workshop: committee members induction

We have an induction area within the library on the LMS. In this area, you can find induction resources for committee members, including:

• how to prepare for your first REC meeting video
• a video explaining a broad introduction to health and care research
• the HRA and REC role within it
• induction e-learning

View the induction area within the library on the LMS. Next available dates:

• Monday 30 October, 10am to 12.15pm. Book a place on this session

Live webinar on research involving adults who lack capacity 1: principles and frameworks

The session provides an introduction to the implications for ethical review of research involving adults unable to give consent. The session will consist of a presentation with slides and opportunities for discussion.

Next available date:

• Wednesday 1 November, 1pm to 3.15pm. Book a place on this session.

Online workshop: stepping into chairing

Are you interested in becoming a REC Chair, Vice Chair or Alternate Vice Chair?
The workshop has been revamped since the first session we ran following helpful feedback we had from members who attended the first session. The session will involve an opportunity to hear from Tobias Davis, Chair of Surrey Borders REC about his experience as a REC Chair and our trainer, Paul Gapper, will cover the basic skills you would need in the role. Whilst this workshop is looking specifically at the role of the REC Chair, the information covered will also be of interest to those considering the Vice Chair or Alternate Vice Chair role.

Next available date:

• Monday 27 November, 10am to 12pm. Book a place on this session

Online session: Introduction to CAG

This session will provide REC members with an introduction to the Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG), an explanation of the regulatory framework, explore what CAG considers and how this interlinks with what a REC considers. It will also discuss how to handle applications where the REC think a CAG application may be required but no CAG application has been made.

Next available date:

• Friday 1 December, 1pm to 3pm. Book a place on this session

Online workshop: Research involving prisons

This session will provide members with updated knowledge on the prison and offender community, and the environment and process for prison-based research. The session will include speakers from the prison and probation service. All members are welcome to book a place but we will have priority places for REC members who are flagged to review research involving prisons.

Next available date:

• Wednesday 6 December, 9.30am to 12.10pm. Book a place on this session

Research involving children and young people: an introduction

Following the highly successful training sessions on 'Research involving children and young people' with Hugh Davies, Chair of Oxford A REC, Dr Bob Phillips, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist and Jenny Preston, the UK Young Persons Advisory Group leader, we have created an online session on 'Research involving children and young people: an introduction'. This session is aimed at members of RECs flagged to review this research and will cover:

• addressing the need for this vital research
• the role RECs can play in raising and maintaining ethical standards
• helping those who have an interest in this work know how to handle specific issues raised by this area of research

This isn’t an exclusive list and, as before, the programme will be interactive so the views, concerns and problems of attending delegates can be addressed.

Next available date:

• Friday 12 January, 10am to 1pm. Book a place on this session session

Spaces on all of our sessions are limited, so if you would like to attend please book onto one as soon as possible.