Principal Investigator Training
Development of Future Clinical Researchers
The development of future clinical researchers is a crucial part of building mental health research capacity within the Midlands. We are working with Midlands Mental Health NHS Trusts to develop staff, research facilities and organisational practices to help them grow their research study portfolios. We are working on a number of initiatives which are detailed below, and we will continue to develop further activities in response to our continuing discussions with our partner Trusts and any future needs identified.
Principal Investigator Training
These one-day, in-person, training events provided an introduction for clinicians about becoming a Principal Investigator with a focus on the role in clinical trials. We invited clinicians working in mental health, who were interested in taking on the role of Principal Investigator, and were located within the Midlands region, to attend the events with a representative from their R&D department. The events were free to attend and were aimed at clinicians who had not been Principal Investigators on a clinical trial before.
Events were held in January 2024 in Birmingham, April 2024 in Nottingham and the final in-person event took place in March 2025 in Birmingham. A total of 91 clinicians and research staff attended these events.
Session topics included:
Why become a Principal Investigator? Introduction to different types of studies Introduction and overview of clinical trials: What they are and why we do them Developing capacity and capability within local Mental Health Trusts The roles and responsibilities of PIs The experience of being a PI Next steps to becoming a PI: How to take things forward
Aims of the day:
- To bring together clinicians working in mental health trusts who were interested in becoming a Principal Investigator (PI) on a clinical trial.
- To foster relationships with Midlands mental health trusts who may be part of current or future studies associated with the MHMTC.
- To facilitate a dialogue and mutual support between potential PIs and R&D departments.
- To outline different types of trial design and standard processes involved within them.
- To identify the standard organisational structure of clinical trials and then apply this to sites.
- To outline the roles and responsibilities of PIs.
- To identify the infrastructure requitements for engaging in clinical trials and to develop actions for developing the infrastructure.
Learning Objectives & Outcomes
- Clinicians understand the key processes of clinical trials and know how they apply to their Trust.
- Clinicians and R&D representatives understand their respective roles in undertaking clinical trials.
- Clinicians and R&D representatives identify the infrastructure/support currently available in their Trust and what would need to be developed to undertake different types of clinical trial.
Midlands Principal Investigator Development Network
This exciting new opportunity was implemented following feedback from attendees at the PI Training Events and provides members with access to a wide range of opportunities to develop their research experience. The Network is for any clinician (allied health professionals, nurses, psychologists, medics etc) who are interested in, or have experience of, being a PI in research. The Network currently has over 340 members across a range of clinical specialties and from all 11 Midlands Mental Health NHS Trusts.
See what the Midlands PI Development Network offers...
If you would like to join the PI Development Network and gain access to the above resources, please use the link below to register.
Register Here: PI Development Network Registration
Personal Support Meetings for PI Network Members
The Capacity Development Team at the MHMTC are pleased to offer individual and tailored support for members, with meetings arranged at the request of members at a time to suit you. These meetings will be with Charlotte and Gemma from the Capacity Development Team, and may also include other colleagues from the MHMTC Team if we feel they have expertise which may be helpful to the clinician seeking advice and support.
These meetings can be used to discuss anything that will help you progress your research journey, which may include:
- Research role opportunities you have identified that you wish to explore or seek advice on
- Advice on being a PI, what the role entails, help with day-to-day tasks etc.
- Help with joining the NIHR Associate PI Scheme, including finding a study on the scheme or getting an existing study registered for the scheme
- Help with identifying a mentor for your first PI role
- Advice on training and development opportunities
This offer is in addition to the valuable, local support offered by your Trust R&D Teams, who we will also continue to work with in relation to helping you progress any local opportunities. We hope you will utilise this offer from us, and we very much look forward to hearing from you if there is anything that you feel we may be able to help with.
Please contact Charlotte or Gemma to arrange an appointment.
Charlotte Maybury at c.maybury@bham.ac.uk
Gemma Unwin at G.L.Unwin@bham.ac.uk
We look forward to seeing you!