This course is open for October 2012 entry. Please apply online.

At the end of the course students will be equipped to pursue careers in clinical research in the NHS, Academia or Industry, or to undertake employment as Clinical Trial Coordinators, Clinical Research Associates or Experimental Medicine Nurses in Research and Development. There is an expectation that a number of students will go on to pursue PhD programmes and eventually establish academic careers.

The programme has been designed to cover a broad spectrum of clinical specialities. While all students will be required to follow this curriculum, the opportunity to specialize in a clinical field will be provided through the research project. The course will enable students to put theory into practice by contributing to clinical research activities, taking responsibility for a project and producing a project report. Students will obtain an understanding of research methodologies by studying in a world-leading clinical research environment.

Course objectives

•  To give students the opportunity to obtain an understanding of clinical research by studying in a world-leading clinical research environment.
• To provide students with an introduction to theoretical aspects of designing, managing and disseminating clinical research.
• To enable students to put the underpinning theory into practice by contributing to clinical research, taking responsibility for a project and producing a project report.
• To equip students for a career in research.
• To prepare students to pursue a PhD and subsequently post doctoral research.

Students who successfully complete the course will have knowledge and understanding of:

• How new interventions with therapeutic potential are assessed in humans (volunteers and patients).
• Patient safety assessment.
• Good Clinical Practice.
• The critical pathway for drug development.
• Commonly employed investigational techniques (eg ECG, lung function, magnetic resonance, ultrasound etc).
• Clinical trial design.
• Common statistical techniques.
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of the essential facts, concepts, principles and theories relevant to the student’s theme of subsequent research.
• Management and communication skills, including problem definition, project design, decision processes, teamwork, written and oral reports, scientific publications.

This MRes course is one of four pathways of an umbrella programme - MRes in Clinical Research. The four pathways include:

• MRes in Translational Medicine pathway has been designed for Medics and basic scientists.
• MRes Cellular Pathology pathway provides training for laboratory or clinical histologists and cytologists, whether medically or biomedically qualified.
• MRes Clinical Research Design and Management pathway caters for nurses and allied healthcare professionals.
• MRes in Human Nutrition has been designed for health care professionals and scientists with interest in nutrition research.

Entry requirements

The course is designed to cater for UK and international students with a background in nursing and allied health professions. A minimum upper second class Honours is required. Exceptionally, students with an undergraduate diploma with substantial work experience would also be considered. All candidates are required to register with their appropriate professional body.

Course structure

The course consists of two research projects and a lecture programme covered in four taught modules. Each module will take form of intensive teaching over a period of one week. Students will dedicate the remaining days to their projects. Part-time students are required to dedicate the equivalent of 20 days per Term working on their projects - subject to arrangement with their academic supervisor.

Research

The difference between an MRes and MSc is that the MRes focuses on research in a chosen field whereas an MSc has a larger teaching component giving you knowledge in a related area to your own. The MRes will give you the first steps into a research career and will move you into a strong position to go on to a PhD. In fact, many PhD posts ask for Mres experience. Hence there is a weighting of the total course marks (70%) on the research project.

You will be supported to conduct your own research project; preferably a longitudinal interventional clinical research project although other methodologies such as cross-sectional surveys and clinical audits may complement the project. Research projects will be divided into two parts; one for the hypothesis, literature review and study design concluded by an ethical approval. The second is for the recruitment phase including data collection, analysis and discussion.

You will be supported by two supervisors; an academic supervisor appointed by the College to provide the academic support to your methodology and design, and a clinical supervisor approached by the student to support you in the clinical environment. Students are expected to work closely with their supervisors and meet with them regularly.

 Examples of past project titles

Taught Modules (subject to senate approval)

Teaching takes place in four modules, each taught over a period of one week and complemented with home study material and tutorial meetings. The course may be done as full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years); we strongly recommend that part time students do their 4 modules of teaching in their first year to have more time on their projects in the second year. Should this not be possible, part-time students will be required to attend Core Module 1 and Core Module 2 during their first year of study and  Module 3 and Module 4 either in their first or second year of study.

Module 1 - Core Module: Introduction to Clinical Research, Medical Governance and Statistics

Teaching week: 10 - 12 Oct 2011 & 27 - 28 Oct 2011

Module 2 - Core Module: Bench to Bedside, Clinical Trials and Experimental Medicine Tools

Teaching week: 16 - 20 Jan 2012

Module 3 - Core Module: Therapeutics

Teaching week: 19 - 23 March 2012

Module 4 - Specialist Module: Clinical Research, Design and Management

Teaching week: 14-18 May 2012

 Module outlines