Training and Upskilling

The Translational Research Team aims to offer learning opportunities to researchers supporting the development of key skills for effective engagement in translational research.

Through our Access to Expertise scheme and in collaboration with other key professional service teams and external experts the Translational Research Team (TRT) facilitates training masterclasses, workshops and other events. The aim is to equip researchers with key skills for effective, accelerated project development along the translational pathway, and to enable the broader research community to engage with translation.

Please find below access to a range of available training resources, including those developed by our partners within the Wellcome Institutional Translational Partnership Award Network (Wellcome iTPA).

Translational Training

At the University of Birmingham

  • 'Translation Top Ten Countdown': a short video by our Expert in Residence, David Fox, highlighting the key points to consider when developing a translational project.
  • 'Early drug development – key considerations to maximise success', a workshop organised by our external advisers, Boyd Consultants..
  • 'Developing a Biomarker Strategy' by Medicines Discovery Catapult.
  • 'Complex Medicines: Understanding the Interplay with Biological Systems' by Medicines Discovery Catapult.
  • 'ACCELERATE Potential', a self-paced online open-access course covering an introduction to translational research by our UCL iTPA Partners. You will have to create an account to the UCL’s externally facing course site UCLeXtend.
  • PPIE – Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement from the early stages of translational research will help you understand what matters most to those with lived experience of the condition. Input from patients is unique and invaluable and will help you in developing, delivering and translating research into practice, improving patients’ lives. Their involvement may, for example, lead to the identification of topics for research, they can support funding applications, offer insights as members of a project management committee, develop research materials such as consent forms and help with patient recruitment and interviews with research participants.

The PPIE Team within Birmingham Health Partners offer regular drop-in advice sessions. Find out more through MDS Messenger and by following the links below.

Beyond the University of Birmingham

  • 'Bench to Bedside', a four-episode seminar series delivered by the BioIndustry Association (BIA). It discusses the drug discovery process from discovery to delivery focusing on the strategies to increase potential for success.
  • 'ADVANCE', an online training course, supported by Erasmus Plus, covering career advice and the key stages of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) development. Aimed at early career biomedical researchers.

Innovation & Commercialisation Training

At the University of Birmingham

  • Introduction to IP by UoB Enterprise
    • UoB Enterprise offer bespoke support for researchers interested in commercialisation including the ‘Medici Enterprise Training Programme’ covering themes such as networking for success, validating your idea, realisation of commercial impact and how to engage with businesses and industry in an impactful, professional manner – for more details contact UoB Enterprise directly.

Beyond the University of Birmingham

  • 'Intellectual Property, the basics' by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the official UK governmental body responsible for intellectual property rights.
    • IPO has partnered with Vitae, a non-profit program and global leader in supporting the professional development of researchers, to deliver virtual lectures on the basics of Intellectual Property. See the IPO’s latest webinars and access more information on IP, licensing and illustrative case studies. More information can be found in this ‘IP for research’ handout.
  • CRUK / Start Codon Entrepreneurial Training Programme, online seminars aimed at all levels of knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship for researchers across the UK. It covers a wide range of themes including regulatory service, company formation, how to build your team and bringing your product to patients aiming to support the development of viable start-up businesses to address unmet medical needs.

Other Useful Resources

Educational papers and other resources that may be of interest to those interested in pursuing a translational career:

*Disclaimer* - These resources have not been developed by the University of Birmingham. Even though they have been shared as containing information useful to the translational research community they do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of the University of Birmingham.