Training and resources

We will be updating information in this section on a regular basis – including adding new dates for our upcoming training sessions. To hear more about our training and other work, please join the Health Research Inclusion Network: https://forms.gle/fimKDGyCs9yMZUyp8

Online training

Improving Diversity and Inclusion in Health and Care Research

Underserved groups often experience poorer health outcomes than the wider population and are less likely to take part in health and care research. Funding bodies underscore the importance of conducting inclusive research, and in 2025 Research Inclusion became a key condition of NIHR funding. Training researchers on best practices in conducting inclusive research is critical to carrying out research that is relevant, impactful, and reflective of the diverse populations that make up our communities.

At the Centre for Health Research Inclusion, we have pooled our wealth of expertise to develop a 3-hour CPD training course to share actionable learning about the inclusion of underserved groups in research. Our Improving diversity and inclusion in health and care research course aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to design and conduct inclusive research, and embed equity throughout their projects.

Trainers

This course is delivered online by Dr Suman Prinjha, with the support of Community Researchers, senior researchers, and occasional guest speakers who are experts in their work with underserved groups. Everyone teaching on the course is research-active and works with underrepresented groups.

Suman Prinjha is an Associate Professor in Inclusive Health Research at York Trials Unit, a Research Inclusion Advisor in the NIHR Research Support Service delivered by University of York and partners, and a BACP-registered psychotherapist. She leads research into health inequalities, ethnic minority health, and using patients’ illness narratives to improve health information, care and services. Over the past two decades, her research has focused on the health experiences of people from a wide range of underserved groups, published on the award-winning www.healthtalk.org. She has also led research with South Asian communities, as part of the NIHR-funded Summit-D clinical trial; and is EDI Lead on the NIHR-funded UPTURN study. The EDI Workstream focuses on the inclusion of Bangladeshi, African and Caribbean communities to a clinical trial on COPD. Suman leads the Centre for Health Research Inclusion and advises on the Wellcome Trust Anti-Racism Accelerator Awards funding scheme.

2026 course dates

Thursday 7^th May (9.30am – 12.30pm)

Thursday 25^th June (9.30am – 12.30pm)

Wednesday 14^th October (9.30am – 12.30pm)

Wednesday 9^th December (9.30am – 12.30pm)

Format

Online (using Zoom software)

Course objectives

This course provides participants with an in-depth understanding of the principles and practice of conducting inclusive research. The course will cover the key stages of research and practical guidance on incorporating inclusion from study design to dissemination. We will explore the real-world challenges, barriers, enablers, and opportunities for enhancing diversity in health studies – showcasing examples of good practice from successfully completed projects and ongoing live research.

By the end of the course, participants will have a good understanding of:

the importance of Diversity and Inclusion in health and care research, and how underrepresentation affects the quality and applicability of research
identify the underserved groups that need to be included in a study, and the challenges that diverse groups face in participating in research

community engagement, building trust, and sustaining long-term relationships with partners and stakeholders
barriers to inclusion and insights into strategies for improving equity in research design, recruitment, data analysis, and dissemination
costing for Research Inclusion
identifying actionable learning to apply in individual research projects

This is a practical, interactive webinar in which participants will have the opportunity to learn from the work of experienced researchers and discuss their own research in a small group setting.

Who will benefit from attending this course?

The course is aimed at everyone with an interest in conducting inclusive health and care research. This includes Masters and PhD students, and researchers at all career stages working in academia, industry, the NHS, community organisations, local councils, business, and health charities. The course is particularly valuable for anyone:

applying for a studentship, fellowship, or grant funding and would like to be better prepared for conducting inclusive research
starting a new project and would like to embed equity throughout the study
Principal Investigators who would like their team to have a good understanding of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in health and care research

Course materials

On completion of the course, participants will receive an e-brochure of key topics covered in the session and helpful resources, and a CPD certificate of attendance.

Cost

£300 for public and private sector staff; £200 for students and staff voluntary sector staff.

Our training course and fees will be updated every year. Please email us at cheri-info@york.ac.uk if you would like to include the cost of attending the course into your grant or fellowship application in 2027.

Bookings

Bookings are taken via our online booking system.

If you would like us to deliver a training session at your organisation, please email us at cheri-info@york.ac.uk