Resources
Trainee Research nEtwork Education Seminars (TREES) - This monthly webinar series streams on the last Tuesday of every month, each seminar is designed to help trainees get involved in research and meet key capabilities from the curriculum's research and scholarship domain.
Academic toolkit - This resource includes funding application checklists, tips on writing your PhD application and case studies from those already in research.
Research funding opportunities - We support and promote paediatric child health research in the UK and internationally. Search our database of current and upcoming opportunities for projects and posts.
Trainees participation in child health research: survey report - Results from the TRN survey of trainees, published in August 2023, highlight that only a minority of trainees are involved in research, and a small group have dedicated time for research. But also reported was a strong enthusiasm to participate and develop skills in research.
Regional networks
We support other trainee research networks across the UK, including:
- Bridge Paediatrics in Yorkshire and Humber
- Cheshire and Merseyside Paediatric Trainee Research Network (ChaMP)
- Child Health East of England Research Initiative (CHEERI)
- Children's Research Trainee Network (CREST)
- Neonatal Trainee-led Research and Improvement Projects (NeoTRIPs)
- Northern Ireland Paediatric Education Audit and Research Network (NI PEAR)
- Paediatric Research Across the Midlands (PRAM)
- Paediatric Research in Manchester England (PRIME)
- Peninsula Trainees Research, Audit & Innovation Network (PenTRAIN)
- Research, Evaluation & Audit for Child Health (REACH Network London)
- Scottish Paediatric Researchers in Training (SPRINT)
- Severn Paediatric Audit Research and Quality Improvement (SPARQ)
- Welsh Research and Education Network (WREN)
Network members
| Member | Region |
|---|---|
| Dr Eva Wooding (Co-chair of TRN) | South West England - Peninsula |
| Dr Frances Callaghan (Co-chair of TRN) | North West England - Mersey |
| Dr Aarti Mistry | East Midlands |
| Dr Rachana Varma | East of England (Co-chair) |
| Dr Jonathon Holland | East of England (Co-chair) |
| Dr Vidhya Kasilingam | Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Dr Michelle D'Souza | London (Co-chair) |
| Dr Eva Loucaides | London (Co-chair) |
| Dr Christo Tsilifis | North East/Northern |
| Dr Kathryn Wilson | Northern Ireland |
| Dr Mikaela Frixou | North of Scotland |
| Dr Chris Worth | North West England - Manchester |
| Dr Sarah Blakey | South West – Severn |
| Dr Jacob Reading | Thames Valley/Oxford (Co-Chair) |
| Dr James Charlesworth | Thames Valley/Oxford (Co-Chair) |
| Dr Davide Paccagnella | Wales |
| Dr Christopher Course (co-opted) | Wales |
| Dr Tim van Hasselt | West Midlands |
| Dr Dyanne Ifeoma Imo-Ivoke | Yorkshire and Humber |
Contact
If you have any queries about this network, contact the Research & Evidence team at research@rcpch.ac.uk. For further information on the background and aims of the Network, please see the downloads below.
We have vacancies on the network for two regions, Wessex and Scotland, if you are interested in joining the network as a Regional Representative for either region, please contact the Research & Evidence team to learn more about the role and how to apply.
Background and aims
- Background
-
In 2018 we at the RCPCH published the report, Turning the Tide: five years on, which highlighted some of the many positive developments in UK basic science and clinical research. However, we also identified some worrying trends, such as the decrease in academic paediatricians at senior lecturer grade, and the limited amount of time (often zero) that paediatricians of all grades have for research in their job plans, the inadequate representation of children’s interests in the UK life sciences industries strategy and few paediatricians on national research boards and committees.
Following the report's publication, we committed to a continued focus on developing child health research and supporting paediatricians at every career stage to build capability and capacity to carry out research.
- Aims of the network
-
Our trainee-led network supports trainees across the UK to undertake research, develop research skills and confidence to develop their own research ideas through guidance and peer support.
- Increase the visibility of existing trainee research networks
- Help the development of new trainee paediatric research networks in areas where they do not currently exist
- Increase the opportunities for trainees to carry out research
- Provide trainees with peer support and guidance to develop their own research ideas
- Allow trainees to be a driving force behind recent strides in collaborative research
- Initiate and support research projects which paediatric trainees are able to participate in
- Support trainees to develop research skills (eg statistics, ethical approval, writing research reports for publication, administrative support) and confidence in research
- Allow trainees in regions to come together to address local clinical questions as well as contributing towards large-scale NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) portfolio studies
- Allow conception and conduction of pan-UK projects