The UCLH Research Directorate has launched a campaign to showcase the variety of career opportunities available in research throughout November.
The campaign will feature webinars, blogs and other activities to bring information and resources to those looking to take their first steps into a research career.
It will also highlight training and development opportunities for staff already working in research.
Visit the hub of activities.
UCLH does a huge amount of research, with many thousands of our patients participating in research at any given time.
To do this research, UCLH has a large and varied research workforce. It includes clinical research nurses and midwives, allied health professionals and doctors, as well as non-clinical professional in areas including finance, administration, quality assurance, governance, research regulation – and more.
Some of this work is full-time, and some is done as part of an individual’s overall job plan, and the hard work of our research teams has been critical in delivering high quality research and in making sure we provide research opportunities to our patients.
Throughout November, a series of blogs and webinars will include a focus on:
- How to start out working in research
- Research career support for nurses, midwives, clinical trial practitioners and allied health professionals
- How staff can move into research from a non-research role
- The journey to becoming a research study Principal Investigator, a research nurse, a Clinical Trial Practitioner, or to work in non-clinical support services
- Training and development resources at UCLH, UCL and at national level for existing research staff.
Follow the month of activity via the UCLH Research Twitter account and the UCLH and UCL Joint Research Office website.
UCLH Director of Research Prof Bryan Williams said: “Our research workforce is fundamental to our success in research at UCLH and UCL, and it is vital we support our research teams as much as possible – as well as highlighting career opportunities to staff who may be interested in how to get started in research.
“Working in research is a hugely rewarding experience. It is exciting, you get to work at the cutting edge of medicine, and you get to see the lives of patients transformed thanks to new treatments and approaches to care – that potentially you had a hand in developing yourself.
“For anyone who is clinical like me, working in research also keeps your knowledge sharp, and widens your perspective. The skills and experience you develop through research make you a better all-round clinician.”
Dr Nick McNally, Managing Director of Research at UCLH and UCL, said: “Our research workforce is critical, and there are huge opportunities for careers in research in a wide variety of roles, both clinical and non-clinical. I would encourage anyone who is interested in becoming more closely involved in research delivery and management to have a read of the information and resources we will be releasing this month, and to come along to a webinar to find out more about career development opportunities offered in research.”
Rajinder Sidhu, Associate Director of Research Governance and Operations, said: “One of our main aims is to show that there are opportunities in research that staff may never had thought about before. We also want to make sure research careers are open to staff from all groups and backgrounds. We are hoping this campaign will provide all UCLH staff – both clinical and non-clinical – with useful tools and information to help take the next step into research, or expand their current research careers.”
