Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of role will people with this qualification work in?
The Postgraduate Certificate will give learners the confidence and the opportunity to become involved in the delivery of clinical research. The Postgraduate Certificate, the Postgraduate Diploma and the full Master's degree will allow learners to undertake leadership roles in clinical research delivery, such as a Co-Investigator or Principal Investigator.
They may take on senior research leadership roles within NHS Trusts or Clinical Research Networks.
What are the entry requirements?
The entry requirements will be set by the higher education institutions offering the courses. For further information, please look at the relevant course pages.
Are the courses only open to registered clinical healthcare professionals?
The courses could be available to those without a core profession/registration if they have relevant experience and career plans.
Potential learners should contact their preferred higher education institution to discuss their individual circumstances. To view the relevant contact details, please refer to the Contact Information page of this website.
How much will the courses cost?
The course fees will be set by the higher education institutions offering the courses. These will be in line with their other postgraduate course fees for similar courses.
For further information, please look at the relevant course pages.
Are there any bursaries/other support available for course fees?
Please refer to the funding page of this website.
How do you find out if there is a supervisor available for the Research Practice Experience module?
Please contact your Research and Development Department, Research and Innovation Department or Primary Care Research Lead to identify if there are local staff who may be willing to be your workplace-based supervisor. They will be aware of the Principal Investigators and research studies being undertaken in your area.
If you are unsure if there are suitable local workplace-based supervisors in your area, you should reach out to the higher education institution where you intend to take your course for further guidance. To view the relevant contact details, please refer to the Contact Information page of this website.
Does the Research Practice Experience module have to take place in the learner’s employing organisation?
Where possible learners will be matched with workplace-based supervisors within their own employing organisation. If this is not possible, the higher education institutions will help learners based in England to arrange an alternative suitable match.
Learners who are matched with workplace-based supervisors not from their employing organisation will need to apply for a Research Passport, Letter of Access or Honorary Research Contract from the other institution. Learners will be supported by their workplace-based supervisor to make this application, which must be in place before the Research Practice Experience module starts.
How will staff be released for study leave and/or to work on the Research Practice Experience module?
Any time off for study leave needs to be agreed between the learner and their employer.
The employer and learner will need to agree between them how the learner is released to work on the clinical research study. This work needs to be undertaken at a time when staff working on the study are available to support the learner.
Can you choose your own area of interest for the Research Practice Experience module?
To undertake the Research Practice Experience modules, learners will need to identify a suitable clinical research study (e.g. an NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio study) with a Principal Investigator who is willing to supervise them. For learners who are unable to do this, the higher education institutions will help learners based in England find a suitable research project aligned to their interests.
Does the workplace-based supervisor for the Research Practice Experience module have to provide all the training for the module?
Learners can also be supported by other members of the research delivery team (under the supervision/direction of their workplace-based supervisor).
What experience/qualities does a Research Practice Experience module supervisor need to have?
Research Practice Experience supervisors need to be able to find learners various face to face or remote shadowing opportunities, in order to develop research delivery skills.
How long does it take for Research Practice Experience module supervisors to support learners?
Evidence from the Royal College of Physicians' pilots for the Research Practice Experience found that on average it takes workplace-based supervisors about an hour a week to support a learner on the Research Practice Experience module.
Will there be any backfill funding from the NIHR for Research Practice Experience module supervisors?
There are no plans to provide backfill funding for workplace-based supervisors.
Will other formal qualifications and substantial relevant work experience be recognised when applying to start at the Postgraduate Diploma level?
You can make an application for credit transfer or recognition of prior learning to the higher education institution you are applying to. If this is accepted, you will be able to start studying at Postgraduate Diploma level without completing the Postgraduate Certificate.
How many hours per week will learners be expected to commit to completing the course?
The Postgraduate Certificates are 60 credits.
The Postgraduate Diplomas are 60 credits.
The full master's degrees are a further 60 credits.
60 credits equates to approximately 600 hours of learner activities (including teaching, supervision time, self directed study, workplace learning and the preparation and completion of assignments) which will normally be completed part-time over a period of 10 months.
Roughly 10-15 hours of study are required each week, however there will be some peaks and troughs in the levels of work required to complete the course over its 10 month duration.
How is the course assessed?
The assessment methods for the online theoretical modules will vary between the higher education institutions delivering the courses but will include work such as essays, reflections, multiple choice questions, portfolios and peer review.
For further information, please look at the relevant course pages.
The Research Practice Experience is a workplace-based module, which enables learners to take part in existing clinical research studies. It focusses on applied learning, both in the learners’ work contexts and through participation in existing, networked research. The module is supported by the supervision and mentorship of a senior researcher, the Research Practice Experience supervisor.
For further information about how this module is assessed, please contact the relevant higher education institution.
Further Questions
For course-specific queries, please email the relevant higher education institution:
King's College London: clinical-research-delivery-masters@kcl.ac.uk
Newcastle University: epgclinres@ncl.ac.uk
The University of Exeter: PG-LCRDinfo@exeter.ac.uk
The University of Sheffield: population-health-clinres@sheffield.ac.uk
For general queries about the Clinician Researcher Credentials Framework, please email credentials@nihr.ac.uk.
