Are you working in mental health? Are you interested in improving mental health care through research? Training in clinical research delivery is a vital step for mental health professionals to create system level improvements in mental health care and services.
The NIHR MH-TRC Mental Health Mission is funding Masters courses for 11 mental health professionals to undertake training in clinical research delivery.
The courses – which are fully-funded for mental health professionals – offer professional practitioners or those working in research support roles the chance to study the theory, practice and key issues underpinning clinical research delivery in practical mental health settings. The two course options to choose from are both delivered as online, distance learning, part-time programmes, one by Exeter University and the other by KCL.
Why is the NIHR MH-TRC Mental Health Mission (MHM) funding this training?
The need for individuals who understand the need and context of mental health care in clinical and other settings, and who understand how effective research is planned and delivered, has never been higher.
Dr Shruti Garg, co-lead of the research capacity theme in the NIHR MH-TRC Mental Health Mission, says:
This is a fantastic opportunity for mental health professionals to advance their research careers, lead innovation in the field, and make a real difference in improving outcomes for people living with mental health conditions.
The courses are designed to meet the challenges and opportunities for clinical research in the 21st Century NHS, whilst supporting the government’s plan to create a world-leading UK clinical research environment. The report Saving and Improving Lives: The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery provides further detail of the ambitious vision for the future of clinical research delivery.
Is this for me? What else could I be doing at this stage in my career?
The NIHR MH-TRC Mental Health Mission is funding these Masters course places for anyone who currently works or is a trainee in a mental health role, or who works in a research-support role in a university. Many of the students already on these courses are doing this training right at the beginning of their research career. One key requirement of the courses, though, is that your current employer can help you to identify a clinical supervisor who is an experienced healthcare researcher who can support development of the research capabilities [sites.google.com] that form part of the Clinician Researcher Credentials Framework [nihr.ac.uk].
The course leaders would expect that students on the courses have a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) from any registered healthcare discipline, such as medicine, nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions (including pharmacists and healthcare scientists), be working or training in public funded healthcare settings in England and the devolved UK nations, or have worked in a relevant role for at least two years (eg as a clinical trials manager, clinical research practitioner or university postdoctoral researcher). Applicants from NHS, public funded healthcare settings, academia and social care are all welcomed.
Getting trained in research methods and delivery is one aspect of building a career in mental health research and/or a career as a clinical academic. Also important is getting research experience through involvement in existing research projects in your organisation, working on quality improvement projects and starting to publish wherever you can. We have a range of advice relating to getting started in mental health research on our advice pages here. Alongside initial experiences like this, getting some relevant Masters level training will be an important part of your research career development.
What will mental health professionals gain from this training in research?
The course leaders emphasise that the courses have a strong theoretical foundation covering topics such as research leadership, equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as planning and piloting to ensure study feasibility and optimal delivery, the practicalities of doing clinical research and ways to improve participant recruitment. This training is practically-focused.
The training is offered as online, distance learning and part-time to make it a viable option for practising professionals wherever you are based.
Interested and keen to know more? Join course leaders who will be discussing the programme on Weds 7 May, 12pm online
We are hosting a webinar on Wednesday 7 May 2025 in which attendees will hear from the programme directors talking about the course, core modules and selection process. We will also hear from mental health practitioners who are already on the course and how it has helped them, and have a Q&A session.
Register to attend the webinar via this link.
Find out more and apply for these Masters’ courses on the universities’ webpages
Application forms and further information can be found on the King’s College London and the University of Exeter webpages: Clinical Research Delivery | King’s College London [kcl.ac.uk] & Leading Clinical Research Delivery (Online) MSc | Postgraduate Taught | University of Exeter [exeter.ac.uk]