Our “Research Connect Forum” is a schedule of monthly training sessions throughout the year, specifically developed to support staff in essential areas of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and local policy.

The Forum sessions are hybrid and face-to-face attendance is encouraged. Each April and September we release the schedule for the following six months, providing an opportunity for staff to meet up, upskill and discuss any challenges with experts in the field.

A calendar invite will be sent automatically to all staff in the Directorate – all you need to do is attend when a subject matter is pertinent to your role.



Introduction to the Nuth Non-Commercial costing tool – Basic introduction to the Nuth non-commercial costing tool, explaining its function and how to use it to accurately cost up research study activity within the trust.

Research Funding in the NHS – This sessions provides a wider view of how NHS non-commercial research is funded, and how the finances flow round the system. For those wanting a wider understanding of research finance. Covering detailed aspects of research funding including ACCORD, SoECATs, ICB and Specialised Commissioned ETC’s and HEI Full economic Costing (FEC).

Introduction to the NIHR interactive costing tool (ICT) and the National Contract Value Review (NCVR) process – an introduction and guidance to the NIHR interactive costing tool for commercial research, explaining its functionality, and NCVR by providing essential information on the UK-wide standardised approach to costing and contracting for commercial contract research. This session will provide the tools required to navigate local and national processes.  

The Directorate provides a tailored one-hour session, specifically for our Chief Investigators at Newcastle. These virtual sessions are to support our CIs with understanding the previous year’s audit findings and informing of any local and national changes.
The same session will be delivered each month to maximise outreach and it is recommended that CIs attend one of the sessions.

Our quarterly Laboratory working group is a collaboration between Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University. The forum provides a space to discuss all areas of research, the impact for laboratories and provides a network of support.

The group is now in it’s fourth year and has made significant progress with policy, process improvement, GCP updates and collaboration.

Here is the latest PPIE training programme which you can access on this link

Clinical Trial Coordinator Forum

A Forum to bring together all Clinical Trial Coordinators across specialities within the Research Directorate. Lead through the Newcastle Joint Research Office, the forum provides a platform for shared learning and updates from a local and national perspective. The platform offers an place to support others in the same role whilst connecting the R&D and delivery functions across the Trust and University.

Data Managers Forum

A forum to bring together Data Managers across all specialities within the Research Directorate. Lead by the Newcastle Joint Research Office, the forum provides a platform for shared learning and updates from a local and national perspective.  The platform offers a place to drive quality improvement with an emphasis on data integrity and process with peer support and connecting with the wider R&D teams.