Developing a research skilled workforce

Inspiring and supporting a research skilled workforce in the South West

The DRSW programme supports work to embed research as the keystone to underpin excellent care and innovation. We want to create sustainable research skills, capacity, and capabilities for all health and care professionals. This includes building relationships, collaboration with integrated care boards and provider organisations, identifying good models and rolling out supportive, sustainable structures.

Who is the project for?

The target workforce includes registered health, social care, and scientific professions.
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News

Call for abstracts: Developing a Research Skilled Workforce in the South West: A Celebration 2026

We invite submissions of abstracts celebrating the impact of research capacity building initiatives by teams, organisations, and across networks and systems of care, in the South West.
Call opens: Thursday 31 July 2025
Call closes: Tuesday 30 September 2025, 23:59
This conference is about impact, progress and celebration; what people have achieved in developing interventions, implementing processes and networks, to support and develop a research skilled workforce across the South West. Reporting work that illustrates the impact of research capacity building activity in teams, organisations, and across and within professions, networks, and systems of care.

NIHR internships in the South West Peninsula for health and care professionals

Internship opportunities designed to serve one of four career-development related themes will be available to start in September 2025. Successful applicants will each receive £10,000 to support engagement and training activities and salary backfill.
Applicants must be professionally registered with a United Kingdom regulator and working in the South West Peninsula for an institution that offers health or care that is free at the point of access to service users to be eligible for this award.

Development and Skills Enhancement Award (DSE)

This award is an opportunity to develop skills or undertake training to support your next step as a postdoctoral applied health or care researcher.
You can access up to two years of funding to cover your salary and training, including mentorship and conference attendance costs.

Multi-professional Practice-based Research Capabilities Framework

The framework has been developed to clearly outline how practitioners can get involved in health and care research. In doing so, it supports changes in health and care service delivery to better meet the needs and expectations of the people and communities we serve.
 
 
Female doctors talking to a smiling female child.
Developing a research skilled workforce logo
Dental students in Phantom Head room in Portland Square.

How can I get involved?

  • Share with us any examples of good practice in how you are engaging in research activity where you work.
  • Contact us if you would like to keep in touch about future events and opportunities: researchskilledworkforce@plymouth.ac.uk
 
 
 

With thanks to our partners