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News and opportunities

Providing information on the latest news from across the musculoskeletal research community and the clinical research community in Scotland more generally

NHS Research Scotland Musculoskeletal newsletter Show more Show less

Final Health Research Authority (HRA) Clinical Trials Guidance Published, effective 28 April 2026 Show more Show less

The Health Research Authority (HRA) has published final guidance to accompany the updated clinical trials regulations which come into force across all four nations of the UK (Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales) on 28 April 2026.

Working in partnership with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the HRA have sought the views of patients, researchers, healthcare professionals and industry to inform and develop the new regulatory reforms.

The updated regulations are designed to protect trial participants, strengthen patient safety, and accelerate approvals by reducing unnecessary burdens on researchers, to support high-quality, trusted research taking place in the UK.

Visit the HRA website for a round-up of their work on the regulations and the operational and guidance updates we've made to support the research community.

NIHR Reseach Learning Lectures Show more Show less

The NIHR Associate Principal Investigator (PI) Scheme is continuing to host the Research Learning Lectures; a series of lectures for anyone in Health and Social Care interested in learning more about research.

The lectures cover a variety of topics relating to basic science, clinical trial methodology and statistics, and more; providing learning and advice for anyone who wishes to know more about research or work towards a career in research/academia. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from and put questions to research experts from across the world. For more information, visit their Resource site.

  • More lectures are to be announced soon. Check the NIHR Resource site for when they announce more dates

For any queries or further assistance, please reach out to the Associate PI Scheme team at associatepischeme@nihr.ac.uk.

Scotland Partnership Advancing Careers for Clinical Clinicians (SPARCC) Show more Show less

SPARCC will provide funding to support clinical researchers, providing protected research time, up to 0.5 FTE, and a clinical researcher hub offering networking and mentorship.

Applications will open in July 2026, with awards commencing early 2027.

If you have any questions, or require an accessible format of the flier, contact SPARCC.enquiries@ed.ac.uk.