Training and Development Needs Assessment in a large NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: A Survey

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the training and development needs of researchers and support staff affiliated to the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), one of the largest BRCs in England, and to find out about their past experiences of training. Design A cross-sectional online questionnaire survey. Setting and Participants A convenience sample of clinicians, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, researchers and support staff (N=798) affiliated with the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome measure was the type of training and the secondary outcome measures were the duration, location and timing of training. Results The response rate was 24%. Of 189 respondents, 114 were women (60%) and 75 men (40%). Respondents included research scientists (31%), medical doctors and dentists (17%), nurses and midwives (16%) and research managers and administrators (16%). Seventy-one percent respondents (n=134) reported attending at least one training activity in the last year and the most wanted training was leadership skills (25%), followed by research grant and fellowship writing (18%) and statistical analysis (16%). An ideal length of a training course was half a day (41%), whole day (25%) and 1-2 hours (22%). The most preferred time of the day for training was morning (60%) and afternoon (22%) and the favoured delivery style of training was an interactive workshop (52%), lecture/talk (25%), online (9%) and practical activities (9%). The main barriers to attending training courses were the lack of time (n-18%), work commitments (13%), and childcare responsibilities (6%). Conclusions Translational researchers and supporting affiliates want short, easily accessible, interactive training sessions, particularly leadership training skills and grant and fellowship writing. However, practical elements are important too e.g. in a convenient location during the working day. Work commitment is the biggest obstacle in doing training. Strengths and limitations of this study This survey was done to develop and revamp the NIHR Oxford BRC’s training programme that met the training and development needs of our researchers and research support staff. Leadership skills, research grant and fellowship writing, statistical analysis were the most wanted training. The lack of time, work commitments, and childcare responsibilities were the main barriers to attending training courses. Our findings have limited generalisability because the study is based on the responses of participants who are affiliated with only one NIHR BRC; hence, these findings could not be generalised to other NIHR BRCs. These findings might inform the training and development programmes in other NIHR BRCs in the country.