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: Trauma informed approaches in research
This webinar raises awareness and gives examples of trauma informed practice in research by providing practical steps intended to build confidence and to help you adapt your approach. During the webinar, we will look at the response to trauma from the points of view of a researcher, public participant and community researcher.
When: Wednesday, 25 March 2026, 10am to 11am
Where: Online event
Link: To book your place to join the webinar:Trauma informed approaches in research
Webinar: Research ethics showcase
Explore ways in which local authorities are approaching research ethics. Colleagues from Islington Council and Hertfordshire County Council share their experiences of setting up and running research ethics committees, and the Specialist Centre for Public Health delivered by University of Southampton and Partners will share findings from their ethics pilot.
When: Wednesday, 15 April 2026, 10am to 11:30am
Where: Online event
Link: To book your place to join the webinar: Research ethics showcase
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
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
Potential Dates: 12, 19, 26 May, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 June, 7 and 14 July 2026.
Time: 1.30pm to 4.30pm
Venue: City Hall, Bradford
To book your place Email [email protected] 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