Welcome to the HRB Trials Methodology Research Network

The HRB-Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TMRN) is a collaborative initiative between a number of Irish and international higher education institutes and methodology centers.
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What is the HRB-TMRN?

The HRB-Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TMRN) is a collaborative initiative between several Irish and international higher education institutes and methodology centres.

We want to strengthen the methodology and reporting of trials in health and social care in Ireland so that they become more relevant, accessible and influential for our community of patients and other service users, practitioners, policymakers and the public. This is achieved through a programme of work relating to the methodology of trials and focused on (i) support, (ii) training and education, (iii) research and innovation and (iv) Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement.

CALL OPEN

To support emerging and early career researchers in building pilot data aimed at developing an intervention and/or preparing for a clinical trial. We encourage applicants to include meaningful collaboration with PPI Partners in the proposal.

https://rarediseaseresearch.ie/seed-funding/

WEBINAR - The Imperatives of In-Silico Evidence in the Digital Era. @affrangi, Bicentenary Turing Chair in Computational Medicine & UK CEiRSI Executive Director, discusses how ISTs address limitations of traditional clinical trials (9th Oct 1pm). Register: https://universityofgalway-ie.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vOAvsQXBRS2fdu51rpJ1tQ

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Our Expertise

Our Network is connected to over 70 national and international trials and trials methodology organisations. We are a partner within the MRC-NIHR-Trials Methodology Research Partnership in the UK. Our collaborations give us access to world leaders in trials methodology research.

Our trials methodology research expertise includes:

Studies within a Trial (SWAT)

A SWAT is an embedded methodology research study within a planned or ongoing trial. We have been involved in SWATS for over 10 years and were involved in the first registered SWAT and we provide annual competitive funding for SWATs. Our members are active in developing and implementing SWATs across a variety of clinical trials nationally and internationally.

Core Outcome Set Development

A core outcome set is agreed, standardised set of outcomes that should be measured and reported in all trials for a specific clinical area. We have been involved in developing core outcome sets across a range of clinical areas. We are proud to collaborate with the COMET Initiative in many of these.

Priority Setting

Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs) enable clinicians, patients and carers to work together to identify and prioritise evidence uncertainties in particular areas of health and care that could be answered by research.We have led or contributed to research agenda setting across a range of trials methodology topics and also promoted the use of prioritisation setting across clinical trial areas nationally.

Qualitative Research in Trials Methodology

We have specialized expertise in qualitative research in our Qualitative Research in Trials Centre (@QUESTSCentre). Here a team of advisors with expertise in case study research, ethnography, grounded theory, phenomenology and qualitative evidence synthesis are active in a wide range of trials methodology projects.

Latest Events

october 2025

09oct1:00 pm2:00 pmWebinar: Prof. Alejandro Frangi – The imperatives of in silico evidence in the digital era

23oct1:30 pm4:00 pmRoadmap for PPI with Trials Methodology Research – Session 2

november 2025

06nov(nov 6)9:00 am07(nov 7)5:00 pmEdinburgh Clinical Trial Management Course 2025John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh

12nov9:30 am12:30 pmSENSITISE: Inclusivity in Practice – Designing and Delivering Trials That Reach Everyone

12nov2:00 pm5:00 pmPragmatic vs Explanatory Trials – Designing for the Real World

13nov9:00 pm5:00 pm9th Annual HRB-TMRN SymposiumKingsley Hotel, Cork

20nov1:00 pm2:00 pmWebinar: Prof. Mahesh Parmar – Improving Health Faster: A More Strategic Approach to Randomised Trials and Meta-Analysis

december 2025

11dec1:00 pm2:00 pmWebinar: Prof. Paula Williamson – Decarbonising the healthcare, social care and research systems: How can trials methodologists contribute?

january 2026

15jan1:00 pm2:00 pmWebinar: Prof. Felix Naughton – An automated, online RCT to evaluate a Just-In-Time Adaptive smoking cessation smartphone app (Quit Sense)

february 2026

12feb1:00 pm2:00 pmWebinar: Prof. Rhiannon Evans – Process evaluations: How do we explain why interventions work or cause harm?

Our Ethos

Collaboration & innovation

We work collaboratively and innovatively. Our doors are always open to new ideas in Trials methodology.

Inclusion

Involvement of all key stakeholders including patients and the public is central to what we do. This helps us ensure our work will matter most and achieve impact.

Capacity

Capacity-building is central to all our work. This is essential to provide opportunity, invigorate perspective and build our research future.

Our Network operates across five University Partners,
each leading the way in trials methodology research and training