NIHR INSIGHT SWC Engagement 2026 Webinar Series
Nuggets for Health and Care Professionals Stepping into Research
The NIHR INSIGHT South West Central Team are pleased to share a series of webinars hosted by Dr Theo Akudjedu – Dr Theophilus Akudjedu – Bournemouth University Staff Profile Pages Theo is the INSIGHT SWC Engagement Lead and in this webinar series speaks to Health and Care Researchers on a variety of topics that might be helpful if you are exploring how to get into Health and Care Research or how to incorporate more of it into your practice.
Please access recordings by clicking on the link in the right most column.
| Episode & Topic | Key Insights | Link to recording |
| 1.1 Start Before You’re Ready: Building a Weekly Research Habit | * Tiny, realistic routines you can do around shifts (e.g. 15-minute reading blocks, note-taking systems). * How to track progress and avoid the “all or nothing” mindset. | June 2026 Link: Start Before you are Ready (part 1&2) |
| 1.2 From Irritation to Investigation: Turning Annoyances into Research Questions | * Spotting patterns and problems in day-to-day clinical work. * Simple ways to turn a vague frustration into a focused, answerable question. * Framed around a case study. | upcoming |
| 1.3 Finding Your First Research Home: Teams, Groups and Supervisors | * How to identify local research groups, academic partners and NIHR/Trust contacts. * What to look for in a good supervisor/mentor and how to approach them confidently. | upcoming |
| 1.4 Your First Small Study: Six Milestones from Idea to ‘Done | * Breaking a project into clear steps (question → design → approvals → data → analysis → sharing). * What “good enough” looks like for a first project so perfectionism doesn’t kill progress. | upcoming |
| 1.5 Writing Like a Researcher: From Scrappy Notes to Clear Abstracts | * Everyday writing habits: reflective notes, structured summaries, and email etiquette with academics. * How to draft your first abstract or summary even if you hate writing. | June 2026 Link: Writing Like a Researcher |
| Episode & Topic | Key Insights | Link to recording |
| 1.6 Patients as Partners: Getting Started with PPI (Public and Patient Involvement) | * How to involve patients and carers meaningfully from the idea stage. * Practical tips: recruiting PPI contributors, saying thank you, and handling disagreement. | upcoming |
| 1.7 Networking for People Who Don’t Like Networking | * Low-pressure ways to connect: online communities, journal clubs, local research cafes, conferences on a budget. * How to follow up after a conversation so it turns into ongoing support, not just small talk. | July 2026 Link: Networking, for people who don’t like networking |
| 1.8 Staying Well While You Learn to Research | * Managing comparison, imposter feelings, and “I’m behind” anxiety. * Setting boundaries with shifts, study, and home life so research becomes sustainable, not a new source of burnout. | upcoming |
| 1.9 Combining Clinical role with Research activity | * Creating a Clinical Research/ Portfolio Career. * Addressing resistance to research by employers. | upcoming |
| 1.10 Research Mindset | Successful Researchers are: * Educators * Leaders * Always Learning | upcoming |
If you are interested in attending one of these sessions live, and the details are not (yet) published here, please contact insight.swcentral@uwe.ac.uk to enquire whether you might be able to attend the live session.