Training webinars

Webinar: Research with the LGBTQ+ community 

📅 Thursday 29 January 2026 (rescheduled)

🕧 11:30am to 12:45pm

This webinar will offer support for public health researchers thinking about research involving the LGBTQ+ community, and offer guidance around building relationships and encouraging participation. 

Webinar: Introduction to mixed methods

📅 Wednesday 14 January 2026

🕧 2 to 2:45pm

Dr Deborah Harrison will provide an introduction to mixed methods research including different study designs, challenges and considerations. Deborah is a Research Design Methodologist based in the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health. Her background is in applied public services research, and she has worked with local authorities, VCSE organisations, social care providers, NHS and emergency services. 

Webinar: Tackling the wider determinants of health

📅 Tuesday 3 February 2026

🕧 10 to 10:45am

Samina Sheikh will share some of Merton Council's strategies for tackling inequalities in the wider determinants of health, focusing on key themes including environment, housing and child poverty. In the session, Samina will share how data has been collected to help inform approaches and guide interventions across directorates. 

Webinar: Storytelling for public contributors

📅 Wednesday 11 February 2026

🕧 10 to 11:15am

In this webinar for public contributors, Duncan Yellowlees focuses on telling the story behind, and building confidence to, talk about your connection with research. This webinar will cover techniques that help connect you to the people you're speaking to, make sure your thoughts are engaging, and ensuring your audience understand the projects you are part of. 

Webinar: An introduction to coproduction

📅 Wednesday 18 February 2026

🕧 11am to 12 noon

This webinar will take you through the principles of coproduction in public health research, including the terminology and different approaches. They will also share examples of how to do coproduction well.  

Webinar: An introduction to coproduction

📅 Wednesday 25 March 2026

🕧 10 to 11am 

This webinar raises awareness and gives examples of trauma informed practice in research by providing practical steps intended to build confidence and to help you adapt your approach. During the webinar, we will look at the response to trauma from the points of view of a researcher, public participant and community researcher. 

Webinar: Learning disability inclusive research

📅 Tuesday 21 April 2026

🕧 10 to 11am 

'No research about us without us' - a collaborative research project led by people with learning disabilities, academic researchers and community partners. The project explored what true partnership in research looks like, the barriers that prevent people with learning disabilities from being equal research partners, and what needs to change. During the session, the research team will share key learning from the project, practical takeaways and recommendations for future research, and next steps for creating more inclusive and equitable research practice. 

Catch up: Introduction to qualitative methods

Dr Charlotte Rothwell and Dr Lauren Hall deliver a introductory session which starts to demystify the world of qualitative research. 

Catch up: Evaluating public and community involvement

This session explores the use of a range of methods to evaluate public and community involvement. The models explored in this session are Ripple Effects Mapping, Theory of Change and PIRIT. 

Catch up: How do we use lived experience to create research?

Dr Helen Munro Wild explains how real world information, routine data and accounts of lived experience can be used to create a research project. 

Catch up: Introduction to health economics

Dr Cristina Fernandez-Garcia delivers an introductory session into using health economics to understand the cost effectiveness of an intervention or programme. 

Catch up: An introduction to qualitative data analysis

Dr Lauren Hall delivers an introductory session which starts to demystify the world of qualitative research. 

Catch up: Ethical practice in public involvement and engagement

In this session, Dr Felicity Shenton will take you through the key aspects of ensuring your public involvement and engagement is ethical and meaningful.

Felicity is an extremely experienced Public and Community Involvement Manager, with a background in participatory research, peer research, co-production and service user involvement in education, research and service improvement. In this session, Dr Felicity Shenton will take you through the key aspects of ensuring your public involvement and engagement is ethical and meaningful.

Catch up: How do I read a paper?

Dr Helen Munro Wild steps you through the process of reading a research article, highlighting the key areas to focus on. 

Catch up: Introduction to Research Inclusion (RI)

Professor G.J. Melendez-Torres will take you through an introduction to RI, covering aspects such as equality, diversity, and how to address barriers to participation. 

Catch up: Using AI in qualitative research

Dr Francis McKay introduces the topic of how to use AI, specifically large language models (such as ChatGPT), in qualitative research, with the aim of building confidence so you might start to think about how you can use some of these tools yourself. 

Francis is a medical anthropologist and lead researcher at HDRC Gateshead. Francis has a wide ranging background with key interests in digital technologies, including the social and ethical impacts of using AI in health and wellbeing research. 

Catch up: Storytelling for researchers

Duncan Yellowlees explores how imagery, empathy, and curiosity can be used as tools to create a crucial “way in” for your audience. Too often, audiences are left on the outside, unable to see the value or potential of your projects. This session aims to help you build the skills to ensure your work resonates with the people who need to hear it. 

Resource: Storytelling for research - key points 

Catch up: Introducing the 'evidence pie' with HDRC Rhondda Cynon Taf

Zoe Lancelott and Rhianydd Davies from NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Rhondda Cynon Taf introduce the 'evidence pie' as a way of demonstrating the different types of information, insight and data a local authority may have as categories of evidence for research. The evidence pie tool has helped staff and elected members understand why having a range of evidence is so important, and our speakers will take you through how this is helping to build a culture of evidence-informed decision-making in their council.

Catch up: Making research engaging 

Dr Michael Johansen offers guidance and examples of how to make the research process interesting and how to tell a great story about it afterwards. Whether you're trying to engage community members to participate, or want to convince others that research has real-life benefits, Michael will talk through his methods of harnessing curiosity.  

Catch up: Culture Change - Reflections from HDRC Coventry

In this webinar Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Coventry take you through what they are doing to support research culture change, covering aspects such as Research Ambassadors, secondments, and collaborating to boost research and data in the local authority and beyond. 

Catch up: Creating a public and community involvement and engagement strategy

In this webinar, we explore the benefits of creating a public and community involvement and engagement strategy for public health research in a local authority setting. Opened by Donna White, Senior Research Manager at NIHR, we hear from two local authorities who have taken different approaches to creating their involvement and engagement strategy and what they learned through the process. 

Catch up: The benefits of evidence-based decision making 

Dr Susan Hampshaw explains and give examples of the benefits of evidence informed decision making and how evidence can be used to create policies that work best for the residents of a local authority. 

Catch up: Designing ethical research

Dr Deborah Harrison is a Research Design Methodologist based in the Specialist Centre for Public Health. In this webinar, Deborah will outline key principles of ethical research including informed consent, confidentiality and avoidance of harm. Deborah's background is in applied public services research. She has worked with local authorities, VCSE organisations, social care providers, NHS and emergency services.