Courses and events

Information and booking for courses and events run by Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility

Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility (CRF) delivers a wide range of in-person and online courses and events covering diverse topics in clinical research. Our current courses and events programme follows. 

Information on our course programme, including how to book and how to apply for Funded Places, is provided below. 


A limited number of Funded Places are available on selected courses. Where applicable, Funded Places will be detailed in the course fees (or funding and discounts) section of the individual course description.  Terms and conditions apply for Funded Places on our courses.

Terms and conditions for Funded Places


We are currently transitioning to a new booking system: the University of Edinburgh Short Courses platform. During this transition period, courses may use either our existing ePay booking system or the new Short Courses platform. We aim to make both systems as intuitive as possible; however, if you experience any issues or have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

University of Edinburgh Short Courses platform

Email to contact us


For general queries, please consult our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).  If you require further assistance, cannot find a specific course, or would like to contribute to our programme, please contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Email to contact us


Website homepage

For additional information, including educational resources and webinars, please visit our website homepage.

Education Core homepage.

Mailing list

Join our mailing list to receive updates on upcoming courses and events, as well as news from the Edinburgh CRF Education Core.

Join our mailing list

Podcast

Listen to our podcast exploring different careers and opportunities in clinical research. Available on Spotify and Apply Podcosts.

Clinical Research Career Conversations  

Social media

Follow us on Bluesky - Education @ Edinburgh CRF    Handle: @EduEdinburghCRF.    

Edinburgh CRF Education Core on Bluesky 


Good Clinical Practice (GCP) courses

We offer regular Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training courses.  See below for information and scheduled dates of available courses.

Which course to book

Please ensure you register for the course most appropriate to your experience. We advise that GCP training should be renewed every two years, and if you are involved in a clinical trial, the MHRA and/or your sponsor will expect you to hold a current GCP certificate.

  • If your GCP training has lapsed, or you have never completed GCP training, you should book onto our Introduction to GCP course.
  • Alternatively, you may complete the free NIHR Good Clinical Practice (GCP) eLearning (see link below)
  • If you have completed an "Introduction to GCP" course within the past two years, or have maintained training by attending update courses every two years, you should register for a "GCP Update" course.  NIHR also offer an online update course.

NIHR Good Clinical Practice (GCP) eLearning

GCP courses: Free of charge

We offer GCP courses free of charge to staff and students from Scottish NHS or academic institutions. Please note that priority for places is given to individuals who work or study in Lothian. Individuals from other regions may register two weeks before the course date, subject to availability. Please contact us to enquire.

Email to contact us

Important Update: Changes to UK Clinical Trials Regulations 

From February 2026, both the "Introduction to GCP" and "GCP Update" courses were revised to reflect upcoming changes to UK Clinical Trials regulations, which came into effect in April 2026.  If you are working on Clinical Trials of an Investigational Medicinal Product (CTIMP), it is important that you attend one of the updated courses within a reasonable time after the regulations change. We recommend completing the new training within 12 months of April 2026, although you should confirm the required timeframe with your sponsor.  After completing the updated course, GCP training should be refreshed every two years. 

This one-day workshop introduced the GCP principles, ethical standards, and their application in UK clinical research.

This course is intended for individuals who are new to conducting or supporting Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMPs), or for those who have not attended a GCP course within the past two years.

Please note that priority for places is given to individuals who work or study in Lothian. Individuals from other regions may register two weeks before the course date, subject to availability. Please contact us to enquire.

Email to contact us

See below for course dates - to register a place, please select the hyperlink (link will open to the Short Course Platform):

2026

2027


This half-day, NHS Research Scotland (NRS) course enables learners to refresh their knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) principles relevant to clinical research delivery in the UK. It also provides updates on recent legislative changes and related processes within the clinical research landscape. Through a combination of lectures and workshops, participants will have the opportunity to share experiences and reflect on their practice. 

This course is relevant for those who are conducting or supporting Clinical Trials of an Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMPs) and who have previously undertaken a GCP course within the last two years.

Please note that priority for places is given to individuals who work or study in Lothian. Individuals from other regions may register two weeks before the course date, subject to availability. Please contact us to enquire.

Email to contact us

See below for course dates - to register a place, please select the hyperlink (link will open to the Short Course Platform):

2026

2027


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Other scheduled courses

See our full programme of courses below.  

Join our mailing list to be kept informed of our courses and events programme and news from Edinburgh CRF Education Core. 

Join our mailing list

Bitesize Introduction to Patient and Public Involvement

This free online, self-directed Xerte course aims to help you begin your Patient Public Involvement (PPI) activities.

An Introduction to Knowledge Mobilisation

A half-day introductory workshop looking at how to mobilise knowledge, making sure valuable research findings don't gather dust. 

Creating and Running a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Group

In this course, we will discuss how to advertise and recruit patient and public members, organise your first meeting and how to keep your PPI group running successfully and sustainably.

A Practical Approach to Public Speaking

A half-day hands-on workshop that builds real speaking confidence through practical exercises. 

Helping you to submit a successful NHS Research Ethics application

A half-day course exploring how to successfully navigate the NHS ethics review process for clinical research. 

Lothian Clinical Research Welcome Day

An introduction event for those new to working in clinical research in Lothian.

Bite-size Practical Project Management

Delivered as four 1.5 hour live online sessions, this course covers skills, tools and techniques to help you plan and deliver clinical research projects.

GCP for Laboratories

This 2.5 hour course covers the importance of GCP for Labs and how to apply it in research studies. 

Research Management: Research Finances and Contracts

This one-hour training course for NHS Lothian and University of Edinburgh staff will cover different aspects of clinical research finances and contracts.

Doing Patient and Public Involvement with Under-served Groups

This course will equip you with the skills to identify barriers and enablers to effective PPI with under-served communities.

Edinburgh Clinical Trial Management Course (ECTMC) 2026

This two day course aims to develop your knowledge and skills in clinical trial management.

An Introduction to Health Economics

A half-day interactive online session introducing key concepts of health economics in relation to clinical research.

An Introduction to the R Statistical Software

This self-paced online training course is designed to introduce beginners to the R software. 

Courses that we run

Refer to the full list of courses that we run to register your interest in future courses or to suggest other topics for training related to clinical research.

Full list of CRF Education Core courses and events that we run

Follow us on Bluesky - Education @ Edinburgh CRF      Handle: @EduEdinburghCRF.

Bluesky - Education Core

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