NIHR Learn

What is NIHR Learn ?

NIHR Learn is a free online learning platform that allows you to enrol on a variety of online and face-to-face training courses. Each of our courses is funded by the NIHR and free to attend. They are designed and developed by experienced facilitators who have an extensive knowledge of the range of processes within research. Courses that are delivered in a face-to-face setting take place across the West of England and cover Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Swindon and Weston. Other courses can be easily accessed and completed online through e-learning modules. NIHR Learn is a national facility.

Who is NIHR Learn for?

NIHR Learn is openly available to those working within research in the NHS, UK universities, and other publicly funded organisations conducting and supporting clinical research.

How can I access NIHR Learn?

NIHR Learn can be accessed at learn.nihr.ac.uk.

Creating an account

The website allows you to create a free account using an eligible email address, including those ending: ac.uk; nihr.ac.uk; nhs.uk; nhs.net; nhs.org.uk; doctors.org; doctors.org.uk; nice.org; phe.gov.uk.

If you have an eligible email address, please complete the registration form available at hub.crncc.nihr.ac.uk/register.

If you do not have an eligible email address, you will need to complete our manual registration form and the NIHR Coordinate Centre will consider your request for access on an individual basis.

Completing your profile

Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email, and you will be asked to sign into your new account in order to activate it.

Once you have logged back into your account please select 'LMS' (Learning Management System) .

You will then need to fill in your details including name, geographic region, organisation and specialty. Please select West of England as your geographic region in order to access our courses.

From here you will then have access to our online e-learning courses and our face to face workshops.

What courses are offered in the West of England through NIHR Learn?

NIHR Learn offers a variety of courses including both online e-learning and face-to-face training. For more information about the range and types of courses we offer please take a look at the list below.

The face-to-face training courses we provide include:

  • Introduction to Good Clinical Practice

  • Good Clinical Practice Refresher

  • Valid Informed Consent

  • Let's Talk Trials - Enhancing your communication with patients

  • Next Steps in Clinical Research

  • Dry Ice Training

  • Communication and Consent within the Peadiatric Research Setting

The online e-learning courses available on NIHR Learn include:

  • Good Clinical Practice Refresher E-Learning

  • Introduction to Good Clinical Practice (Primary Care) E-Learning

  • Introduction to Good Clinical Practice (Secondary Care) E-Learning

  • Informed Consent in Paediatric Research

  • Informed Consent with Adults Lacking Capacity .

What is the difference between online and face to face training?

The difference is a matter of how you best like to learn. If you prefer to meet a facilitator and other class members with experience in research, enrol for a face to face course. If you prefer to have a quick and direct learning experience, use the online training option. It's worth noting that although you have to complete Good Clinical Practice training every two years (this can vary from Trust to Trust ; please email the Training team for advice) you can attend the Refresher training course at any time. It might be that you complete the Introduction to GCP online and attend a face to face Refresher course later when you have more experience and would benefit from meeting research colleagues.

Enrolling onto one of our face-to-face training courses

To sign up for the face-to-face training sessions you will need to sign into your NIHR Learn account. You will then need to select 'LCRN Local Learning'. This can be found in the navigation bar.

This will then take you to a list of local CRN regions. Please select 'CRN West of England' in the drop down menu.

You will then be given the option of a range of training opportunities including Good Clinical Practice, Valid Informed Consent and Let's Talk Trials. Please 'click to enter' to select the training course that best suits your learning needs.

Once selected you will then be asked whether or not you would like to enrol on the course. Please click the 'enrol me' button in order to secure a place on the course (you may need to scroll down for this).

Please click on 'view all sessions' below the list of dates provided. You will then be given the option of a range of available courses for you to then sign up to.

Please also note the 'participant materials' folder which can be found below the list of course dates. Please click here to access the range materials for your chosen course.

Now click on 'sign-up' on the right hand side of the course you wish to attend.

Once you have signed up to your chosen course you will be sent an automated confirmation email from NIHR Learn to confirm your place on the training course.

You will also receive training materials a week prior to the course date by email. As a result please ensure the email address associated with your account is correct.

Enrolling onto one of our online e-learning training programmes

To sign up to the e-Learning training sessions you will first need to sign into your NIHR Learn account. The e-Learning courses can then be accessed by selecting the 'GCP e-Learning' in the navigation bar.

You will then be given the following options:

  • Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Refresher: eLearning

  • Informed Consent in Paediatric Research

  • Informed Consent with adults lacking capacity

  • Intro to GCP for IMP management (pharmacy)

  • Introduction to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) eLearning

Please scroll down to the training course that best suits your learning needs and select 'click to enter'.

You will now need to work your way through the course by scrolling down the page and clicking each module (the link to each module can be found next to the brown box icon)

A certificate will then be provided upon completion.

Who can I contact for further information or any NIHR Learn queries?

If you have any queries or require further information regarding NIHR Learn or any of our courses please contact we.training@nihr.ac.uk or phone 0117 342 1375.

If your query is regarding logging into NIHR Learn or resetting your password, please contact the CRN Service Desk on crn.servicedesk@nihr.ac.uk or 0207 333 5894.