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.

News

Celebrating 10 Years of Impact: Reflecting Our Journey

This year marks a decade of transformative funding from the Health Research Board (HRB), a milestone that we are honored to celebrate.

Find out more >

News

David Sackett Young Investigator Award 2023 – Neil Wallace UCC

The David L. Sackett Young Investigator Award recognizes exceptional early-career researchers who exemplify the values of creativity, scientific excellence, and impactful contributions

Find out more >

News

Trials Methodology Funding Success: University of Limerick Secures Funding to Develop Core Outcome Set for Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.

Trials Methodology Funding Success: University of Limerick Secures Funding to Develop Core Outcome Set for Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment. Health Research Board –

Find out more >

News

Discover the Future of PPI in Trials Methodology: Your Invitation to Explore “A Sense of Elsewhere”

Discover the Future of Clinical Trials: Your Invitation to Explore “A Sense of Elsewhere“ Discover our practical plan for enhancing patient

Find out more >

News

Exploring the World of Trials Methodology: A New Podcast for PhD Students and Researchers

The world of Trials Methodology may seem complex and daunting, but thanks to the podcast hosted by Ella Howes (University of Leeds)

Find out more >

News

Looking for Trials Methodology research inspiration and collaboration? Join the working groups.

The HRB-TMRN is a proud Partner in the MRC-NIHR-Trials Methodology Research Partnership in the UK. This Partnership offers significant opportunity for trials

Find out more >

Get the latest HRB-TMRN news

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.

HRB-TMRN @hrbtmrn ·

5 Dec

PhD Scholarship Opportunity!

Our colleagues in in U-CARE, Uppsala Trial Forge Centre, Sweden seek a motivated PhD student to conduct research on EDI in clinical trials. Application deadline 29th December.

Further information or to apply: https://tinyurl.com/mvd2yjpr

Retweet on Twitter HRB-TMRN Retweeted

Evidence Synthesis Ireland @evidsynirl ·

3 Dec

On the beginning of your QES journey? Workshop 1 of the ESI QES Companion Series is coming up soon!
Topic: Introduction, Formulating the Question, Searching for Studies
Date: 15 January 2026 from 10am–12pm
Location: Online
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/1969112566694?aff=oddtdtcreator

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

december 2025

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

Event Details

Click here to register

Healthcare contributes ~4-5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives are underway to de-carbonise healthcare, including clinical trials. This talk will highlight some of those initiatives. Studies designed to assess the effects of healthcare interventions on greenhouse emissions alongside patient outcomes and costs have been found to be poor in several respects. Evidence suggests environmental impact assessments are beginning to be included in RCT protocols. Work on SPIRIT-ICE and CONSORT-ICE extensions to address environmental impacts is a welcome development. Many trials methodologists are unfamiliar with the concept of carbon footprinting yet their work to improve how we design, run and analyse studies is highly relevant. Following previous work to develop and test a method and guidance to calculate the carbon footprint of clinical trials, our focus is now on ways to: more rapidly gather the data required to identify carbon hotspots; identify mitigation strategies and research gaps; and promote behaviour change.

Speaker:

Paula Williamson is Professor of Medical Statistics at the University of Liverpool. Her research programme has focussed on several aspects of evidence-based medicine (EBM) including clinical trials, meta-analysis, health outcome selection, and reducing waste in research. She was appointed as an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2014, gave the Bradford Hill Lecture in 2017, and was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) in 2018. More recently, as a trials methodologist Paula has developed research interests in two aspects of environmental sustainability in healthcare: how to evaluate the environmental impact of healthcare interventions; and how to reduce the carbon footprint of clinical trials. She is the Academy of Medical Sciences Programme Lead for the International Policy Project ‘Exploring Climate Change and Health with the Next Generation of Research Leaders’, and a member of the MRC-NIHR TMRP Greener Trials Group.

Time

(Thursday) 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Calendar GoogleCal

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)

Event Details

Click here to register

In this webinar Prof. Naughton will talk about an automated RCT evaluating a smartphone app called Quit Sense. Quit Sense is a theory-guided Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention (JITAI) app which provides smokers attempting to quit with in-the-moment support to manage cue-induced cravings. The app uses location sensing to tailor the timing and content of support messages to high-risk locations. In this RCT, recruitment, enrolment, randomization, intervention delivery and most data collection were fully automated via the study website. In addition, an automated randomized study-within-a-trial (SWAT) was undertaken to assess the impact of different levels of incentive to promote completion of follow-up measures. The app also included the trial of an automated process evaluation tool, as well as a traditional process evaluation using qualitative interviews. During the talk, key aspects of the methodology will be covered as well as key findings.

Speaker:

Felix Naughton is Professor of Health Psychology at the University of East Anglia (UEA), UK. He is co-lead of the UEA Addictions Research Group and a registered health psychologist. He has a key research interest in the development and evaluation of digital interventions to promote and support health behaviour change, particularly innovative technology-mediated approaches, such as Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions. He currently leads a research programme focused on mobile phone-based smoking cessation interventions. Felix has served on multiple national policy and practice committees, including as a topic expert on behaviour change related NICE (UK) advisory committees.

Time

(Thursday) 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Calendar GoogleCal

21jan10:00 am4:00 pmCore Outcome Set Training workshopNational University of Ireland, Merrion Square, Dublin 2

february 2026

03feb9:30 am4:00 pmIndependent Data Monitoring Committee Course (In-person)

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

Event Details

Click here to register

This webinar will introduce process evaluations. Process evaluations are often integrated with outcome evaluations (e.g. RCTs). They help to explain why an intervention was or was not effective by exploring: 1) If it activated the intended causal pathways; 2) If it was implemented as planned; 3) If it was acceptable to delivery agents and participants; and 4) If the wider delivery context was supportive or inhibitive. The webinar will describe key process evaluation concepts, frameworks and guidance, alongside common methods that are used to undertake them.

Speaker:

Professor Rhiannon Evans is based at DECIPHer, which is a public health research centre of excellence at Cardiff University. The centre is focused on the development, implementation, evaluation and adaptation of interventions. Professor Evans is the Deputy Director and lead for health inequalities research. She is Deputy Director of the NIHR Public Health Research Systematic Reviews Team, which undertakes evidence syntheses to inform NIHR funding priorities. Rhiannon is Co-Investigator on the newly established Wales National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm and the NIHR Rhondda Cynon Taf Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC). Her methodological expertise in in complex systems informed systematic reviews, intervention development and adaptation, and process evaluations. She was Principal Investigator on MRC-NIHR funded ADAPT guidance to support the adaptation of interventions for new contexts.

Time

(Thursday) 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Calendar GoogleCal

march 2026

23mar9:30 am4:00 pmTrial Steering Committee (TSC) functions & challenges: workshop for researchers & TSC members

Event Details

Co-hosted with Irish Critical Care Clinical Trials Network

Location: Museum of Literature Ireland, Dublin

General admission: €200. To register, CLICK HERE

Overall aims of the workshop

Provide a structured introduction (“primer”) to Trial Steering Committees (TSCs).
Clarify the role, remit, and responsibilities of TSCs, including key stakeholders’ perspectives
Increase expertise in resolving challenges for TSC members using real world situations in facilitated groupwork sessions
Promote good practice and up-to-date guidance on TSC functions
Strengthen trials community capacity and networking, particularly across Ireland and the UK

Learning outcomes

Describe the core Trial Steering Committee oversight role
Explain the specific responsibilities of TSC members and the Chair.
Summarise how funders (HRB, NIHR) and sponsors define a “successful TSC”
Understand how TSCs should engage with Clinical Trials Units and Clinical Research Facilities
Support the key role of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in TSCs
Apply TSC guidance to real world trial scenarios
Reflect on their own willingness and readiness to serve as TSC members or chairs

Rationale for the workshop

Clinical trials depend on robust, independent oversight.
There is a need to harmonise understanding and practice across Ireland and UK.
Many trialists are still uncertain about taking on TSC chair or member roles.
Complex oversight decisions are difficult and potentially have major consequences.
TSC guidance is evolving.

Workshop timetable:

09:30–10:00 | Arrival, Refreshments & Registration

10:00–10:10 | Welcome & Introduction

10:10–10:35 | The Role of TSCs in Trial Oversight

10:35–10.55 | The Chair as a “Critical Friend”

10.55–11:15 | Patient and Public Involvement in TSCs

11:15–11:30 | Coffee Break

11:30–12.10 | Funder & Sponsor Perspectives

12.10-12.45 Breakout Session 1: TSC Sample Size and Recruitment Scenario

12:45–13:40 | Lunch & Group Photograph

13.40–14:25 | TSC Experiences

14:25–14.40 | Coffee Break

14.40–15:20 | Breakout Session 2: IDMC recommendation to the TSC Scenario

15:20–15:40 | Group Discussion

15:40–15.55 | Closing Remarks

15:55 | Close

Time

(Monday) 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

Location

Museum of Literature Ireland, Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

86 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, D02XY43

Calendar GoogleCal

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

Welcome to the HRB Trials Methodology Research Network

Celebrating 10 Years of Impact: Reflecting Our Journey

David Sackett Young Investigator Award 2023 – Neil Wallace UCC

Trials Methodology Funding Success: University of Limerick Secures Funding to Develop Core Outcome Set for Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.

Discover the Future of PPI in Trials Methodology: Your Invitation to Explore “A Sense of Elsewhere”

Exploring the World of Trials Methodology: A New Podcast for PhD Students and Researchers

Looking for Trials Methodology research inspiration and collaboration? Join the working groups.

What is the HRB-TMRN?

Our Expertise

Studies within a Trial (SWAT)

Core Outcome Set Development

Priority Setting

Qualitative Research in Trials Methodology

Latest Events

Event Details

Event Details

Time

Event Details

Event Details

Time

Event Details

Event Details

To register, click here

Time

Location

Learn More

Event Details

Event Details

Time

Location

Event Details

Event Details

Time

Event Details

Event Details

Time

Location

Our Ethos

Collaboration & innovation

Inclusion

Capacity

About

Information

Contact Details