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Learning Opportunities
Applications are now open for places on the 2025/26 First Steps into Research Programme from the NIHR
The First Steps Programme
A 10 day programme over five months with funding provided for time and travel expenses.
- Places are open to health, social care, and third sector and VCSE colleagues interested in learning about health and social care research.
- Runs between September 2025 and February 2026.
- Aimed at colleagues with little research knowledge who are keen to learn how research could support their role and area.
- All participants will benefit from an assigned mentor for the duration of the programme.
The First Steps into Research Programme 25/26 is now open for applications until 23 July 2025. The programme is in its third year and is developed and delivered by NIHR South West Peninsula Regional Research Development Network.
This exciting programme aims to:
- ignite a passion and interest in research for a wide range of health, social care and VCSE staff
- develop skills and knowledge you need to support and develop research studies
- embed research in your work and organisation
- support your development so that together we can integrate health and care research into practice
- develop a potential career pathway in health and social care research.
This is a great funded opportunity for anyone, working across health and social care services with adults or children, who is interested in building their research skills and knowledge for themselves and their organisation.
Applications are now live and will close at 5pm Wednesday 23 July 2025. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application week beginning 11 August 2025.
If you want more information please email swp.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk
Current events
Discussion Series
Wondering how you could apply research in your work?
Then join our Discussion Series. A chance to hear about how research can be used in different settings, and to chat with others to share knowledge, gain ideas and expand your network.
Read our event poster to learn more
Recent events
Surfacing the Meaning of Research
We aim to provide a strong foundation from which to build and grow the HDRC collaboratively.
“Surfacing the Meaning of Research” was an event aimed at everyone who is interested in being part of, or benefiting from, engaging with the HDRC.
The session aimed to:
- surface our diverse understandings of research, and
- its importance for creating a shared appreciation of what research means.
Whilst we can all get on board with fixing health determinants including:
- food
- housing
- debt
- employment, etc
we often have different views of how this should be done.
That’s where research comes in:
- how do we plan
- conduct, and
- use research
in a way that helps us to understand health determinants, their impacts and how to improve them?
This session was for everyone interested in the HDRC, not just those who regularly generate or use research.
The understanding surfaced during the session will also lead into our HDRC work examining skills and priorities for the HDRC.
Introducing realist evaluation and synthesis
Introduction to realist evaluation and synthesis, with Dr Becky Hardwick, Senior Research Fellow, NIHR South West Peninsula Applied Research Collaborative, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth
- Have you ever noticed that even evidence-based public health initiatives only work sometimes, in some places, but not in others and not for everyone?
- Have you ever come up with your own ideas as to why it does or doesn’t work here, with these people, in these settings?
- Are you interested in learning about an approach to evaluation which goes beyond straightforward measures of effectiveness, to explaining how that effectiveness might be caused?
From did it work, to why did it work, how, for whom and in what circumstances?
This introductory workshop was held on Monday 2nd June 2025.
Aim of the workshop
The aim of the workshops was to develop capacity for evaluation practice and research use.
Over 1 hour, participants learnt about ‘realist evaluation’ and how to use it in practice.