If you are new to research or just looking for some inspiration, here we have a selection of resources and advice on conducting emergency medicine research.
Relevant Courses
Good Clinical Practice
Having a valid Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certificate is an essential part of being a research. Through this we determine how to ethically design and implement a study, and how collect good quality data.
In Edinburgh we can recommend the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facilities’ one day GCP course which provides you with a valid GCP certificate for 2 years; more information here.
If you are not local to Edinburgh and would like to complete a GCP course, we recommend the NIHR online GCP course which will provide you with a certificate valid for 2 years: more information here.
Informed Consent
Ensuring that potential participants are appropriately consented is essential to ethically conducting research. There can be a variety of versions of consent; from the participant themselves, a relative, and a professional/legal representative, for example. To learn more about how to introduce a study to a patient, ensure that they are informed about what the study entails and fully consent to studies, we would recommend the Informed Consent courses run by the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility. Find out more on this link.
Acute Care Edinburgh
To view the Acute Care Edinburgh Programme taking place at the Chancellor’s Building, click here
Edinburgh Critical Care Research Methods Course
Edinburgh Critical Care Research Methods Course is a two day course consisting of a comprehensive series of lectures and workshops designed for clinicians and researchers who are seeking to improve their understanding of key research methods with a focus on the acute health care setting. The course covers research methodologies required to critically appraise and to conduct clinical research. There is a strong focus on group work and interactive sessions. The course is of particular relevance to clinicians, trainees, AHPs and researchers in critical care, emergency medicine, acute medical specialities and anaesthesia.
The 2026 course will take place on 8th and 9th October 2026. Details of the 2026 course can be found here:
Course website: https://edin.ac/4uUOFTo
Booking link: https://edin.ac/4wf3Pow
Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility Education Programme
The Edinburgh CRF deliver an extensive multi-professional programme of education. Click here for more information.
Edinburgh Clinical Trials Management Course
An introduction to the management of randomised control trials (RCTS). Click here for more information.
RCEM Training for Research in Emergency Care (TREC)
In April 2025, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) launched the first 2 modules of an online learning programme to support emergency medicine professionals who are new to the field of research into early academic careers called Training for Research in Emergency Care (TREC) which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and co-developed with the College of Paramedics.
Modules 1 and 2 can accessed either through these NIHR or RCEM learning links:
NIHR: https://learn.nihr.ac.uk/course/index.php?categoryid=136
RCEM Module 1: https://www.rcemlearning.co.uk/modules/nihr-module-1/
RCEM Module 2: https://www.rcemlearning.co.uk/modules/nihr-module-2/
Modules 3-6 are currently in development and will be released soon
Relevant Research Events
RCEM also run a series of study days and an Annual Conference. Click here for more information.
The Scottish RCEM meeting is now an annual meeting. The next one will be in Autumn 2027.