Training and development
A key part of HDRC Bradford’s work is to support our stakeholders to understand and use research and evidence in their everyday council work. We want to do this in a sustainable way so it becomes the ‘way we do things’ and that everyone feels able to ask ‘what does the evidence say about this?’. We have developed a learning and development approach to develop and apply these skills both personally and professionally. This includes:
- A wide-ranging training programme that enables to understand research and evidence.
- A ‘Community of Research’ to support everyone interested in research.
- Bringing in external academics and experts to support.
- Supporting staff and stakeholders to develop their research interests, skills, and knowledge while raising the importance of research within the Council.
- Showcasing council staff and stakeholder’s work
- Creating networking and collaboration opportunities
Health Determinants Research Collaboration Bradford Training
Our Training and Development team coordinates a monthly series of free webinars and workshop on a range of research topics and methods.
Upcoming training
Webinar: Learning disability inclusive research
Research inclusion: 'No research about us without us' - a collaborative research project led by people with learning disabilities, academic researchers and community partners. The project explored what true partnership in research looks like, the barriers that prevent people with learning disabilities from being equal research partners, and what needs to change. During the session, the research team will share key learning from the project, practical takeaways and recommendations for future research, and next steps for creating more inclusive and equitable research practice.
When: Tuesday 21 April 2026, 10am to 11am
Where: Online event
Link: To book your place to join the webinar: Learning disability inclusive research
NIHR Oral and Dental Health highlight notice webinar
The NIHR are launching a new Highlight Notice in Oral and Dental Health, the Highlight Notice is seeking research proposals in oral and dental health, especially those addressing health inequalities or based in primary dental care. Applications are particularly encouraged from those working in oral health promotion and dental professionals.
When: Monday 27 April 2026, 12 noon to 1pm
Where: Online event
Link: To book your place to join the webinar: Oral and dental highlight notice
Working with under-served communities in public health research
We will be sharing experiences from PHIRST evaluations that have involved working with people from under-served groups. Presentations will discuss methodological considerations, and practical strategies for conducting evaluation research with under-served groups. Presentations will focus on 3 evaluations:
- Projects Athena and Phoenix, supporting prison leavers in North East Lincolnshire
- Older adults taking part in the Falls Exercise Management programme in Lincolnshire
- Parents from under-served groups accessing Camden's Best Start for Baby Service
When: Thursday 7 May 2026, 10am to 11:30am
Where: Online event
Webinar: Unlocking the power of routine data, part 1
An introduction and common pitfalls: Dr Megan Wood offers guidance on how to get the most from routine (already collected) data. In the webinar, Megan will cover how data you already have can be used to gather new insights, the benefits and challenges to be aware of, and top tips on how to get started.
When: Tuesday 2 June 2026, 10 to 11am
Where: Online event
Link: To book your place to join the webinar: Unlocking the power of routine data, part 1
Webinar: Unlocking the power of routine data, part 2
Data linkage and Connected Bradford: Dr Megan Wood delves deeper into the benefits of routine data and how data linkage can help us connect information from different sources and services to create a holistic picture. She will also share an overview of Connected Bradford, a platform providing secure access for researchers to linked data.
When: Tuesday 6 October 2026, 10am to 11am
Where: Online event
Link: To book your place to join the webinar: Unlocking the power of routine data, part 2
HDRC Bradford Q&A session - what do you want to know about research and academia?
HDRC team delivers this session every 8 weeks on Microsoft Teams. If you have any questions regarding research and academia, why not come along to HDRC Q&A drop-in sessions.
When:
- Thursday, 26 February 2026, 12 noon to 1pm
- Thursday, 23 April 2026, 12 noon to 1pm
- Thursday, 18 June 2026, 12 noon to 1pm
- Thursday, 13 August 2026, 12 noon to 1pm
- Thursday, 8 October 2026, 12 noon to 1pm
- Thursday, 3 December 2026, 12 noon to 1pm
Where: Microsoft Teams
Link: Join the HDRC Bradford Q&A sessions
HDRC Bradford Course - Introduction to Research Methods
Whether you’ve never conducted research before or it’s been years since your university days, this free course is designed to help you build confidence and practical skills. It’s a fantastic opportunity to gain meaningful insights and apply research to your work.
What you’ll learn:
- Introduction to research – what is research, developing research questions, overview of research methods, research cycle, ethics,
- Introduction to qualitative research (methods and analysis)
- Introduction to quantitative research (methods and analysis)
- Introduction to evaluation
- Introduction to coproduction and community involvement
- Introduction to searching for and appraising evidence
- Introduction to evidence-based decision-making
- Planning a research study
Dates
Cohort 1
Day: Saturdays x 4
Date: 18, 25 April, 9 and 16 May 2026
Time: 11am to 3pm
Venue: City Hall, Bradford
Cohort 2
Day: Tuesdays
Dates: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 June, and 7 July 2026.
Time: 1.30pm to 4.30pm
Venue: City Hall, Bradford
To book your place Email rahima.ali@bradford.gov.uk with details of your preferred cohort.
Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis!
HDRC Bradford Lunchtime Webinar - Macroeconomic inequality, brain structure and function, and mental health during adolescence
We are delighted to invite you to a seminar with Dr Divyangana Rakesh, whose recent Nature Mental Health paper offers groundbreaking insights into how income inequality shapes children’s brain development and mental health. She will share key findings, discuss their wider implications, and reflect on the international, interdisciplinary collaboration behind the work.
About the Research
This work, published in Nature Mental Health, brings together expertise across neuroscience, developmental psychology, public health, and global mental health. The research team includes Dr. Divyangana Rakeshof King’s College London, Dimitris I. Tsomokos of King’s College London and University College London, Teresa Vargas of Harvard University, Professor Kate Pickett of University of York, and Professor Vikram Patel of Harvard Medical School.
This interdisciplinary collaboration spans three countries and five globally respected institutions reflecting the scale, ambition, and importance of the work. Dr Rakesh will discuss how the project examined the relationship between societal income inequality and children’s brain development and mental health. Using data from over 8,000 children aged 9–10 in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, they tested whether living in more economically unequal US states is associated with differences in brain structure and functional connectivity, independent of each child’s own socioeconomic background. Higher state-level inequality was linked to widespread reductions in cortical thickness and surface area and to altered communication between key brain networks. These brain differences partly explained why children in more unequal contexts showed greater mental health difficulties over time. The findings suggest that income inequality is not only a social and economic issue but also a neurodevelopmental one, with measurable effects on children’s brains.
When: Monday, 27 April 2026, 12 noon to 1pm
Where: Microsoft Teams
Link: Join the webinar on inequality, brain development and mental health
National Institute of Health and Care Research
The National Institute of Health and Care Research (NHIR) are the UK's largest health and care research funder. Some resources developed by NIHR organisations are shared below:
- What are Health Determinants Research Collaborations? (short video)
- What is research and why does it matter? (short video)
- Why health determinants are the Council’s business (short video)
- Introduction to cultural competence in research (10-minute video)
- Toolkit for conducting Equality Impact Assessments in Research (written guide)
- Defining Research in Local Authorities: Guidance and Decision Tool - if you can't access this you will need to request access from your IT service