A lack of diversity among research participants has serious ethical and research consequences, including impeding the ability to generalise study results, make medical advancements of effective therapies, and preventing some populations from experiencing the benefits of research innovations.

Attendance at the UK Clinical Research Facility Network conference in July 2024 was a fabulous opportunity for me to showcase the pioneering work we are undertaking here in Sheffield on improving diversity in clinical research participation to reflect our community. Networking with research colleagues from across the country, I’ve come away absolutely inspired with lots of fabulous ideas for how to better engage with our communities to build collaborative, trusting relationships to improve access to research for everybody in Sheffield and our wider community.

In his keynote speech, Ivan Browne emphasised the need for us to think and act like we are part of the community, not just an institution which I found to be a very powerful message to take forward in our equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) work. He explained that different communities will engage differently with different approaches and these differing needs need to be considered in communication strategies, e.g. communities that have very strong oral traditions will be much more interested in face-to-face sessions with opportunities to ask questions and see trusted faces.

Rikki Titheridge, Operations Manager

Unsurprisingly, outside of the plenary talks, my time at the UK Clinical Research Facility Network conference in July 2024 was laboratory focused. During the morning on the second day, I attended the workshop on NCVR (National Contract Value Review) costings for labs. This focused on the principles of completing an NCVR and recognising which tariffs can and can’t be levied and when to apply them. A lot of work has gone into this from a lab perspective to allow for accurate charging for pre-analytical processing and will help remove the discrepancies currently found between different sites when calculating costs.

I then delivered the afternoon lab session focusing on identifying essential equipment for labs, understanding suppliers and recommended equipment, as well as understanding the principles of an environmentally sustainable lab. A few of our research nurses attended this session and found it incredibly useful (and thanks to them for the moral support)!

It was good to catch up with the other lab managers and former colleagues whilst I was there too and I got some great ideas on how to improve a few things within our labs (watch this space).

Kim Driver, Lab Manager

This was the first time I attended the UKCRF Network conference, and it proved to be a brilliant opportunity to network and meet the UKCRF Network education group in person.

On day one the morning was dedicated to learning about UKCRF Network and national progress and priorities for 2024-25 with greatest emphasis on reaching under-served groups. Posters from all the work packages were available on the day to highlight current work, including our very own Kim Driver’s and Alex Radford’s in relation to laboratory work and the nurse intensity tool.

The afternoon session initially focused on UKCRF Network staff group sessions. It was a pleasure to join the education leads, to explore opportunities in education for sharing best practice. The conference also launched the latest UKCRF Network induction booklet. We encourage all new registered nurses to complete this. 

There were lots of inspiring ideas on how inductions and training was being developed throughout the country. It was reassuring that at Sheffield we already have robust systems in place to support staff. 

Further sessions on recruiting underserved populations continued in the afternoon. All providing inspiring ideas on how these populations can be reached with the right resources and willingness to be flexible and think outside the box. 

The importance of involving participants and carers/parents in the entire research process was evident. It was particularly interesting to observe how this worked in the USA in a remote farming community, where the challenges were immense. 

Overall the day was also a great team bonding experience and I’m grateful for the opportunity and hope this can be shared with more members of our team next year.

Helen Wollff, Clinical Research Training & Education Lead