Developing a Research Skilled Workforce in the South West: A Celebration 2026

Abstract submissions invitation

We invite you to share examples of how your work has helped build research capacity and capability across the South West. This conference is all about celebrating impact, progress, and collaboration; what individuals, teams, organisations, and networks have achieved in developing and embedding research culture and skills within health and care systems.

This year, we are not accepting submissions from individuals solely reporting the results of specific research studies.

Our focus this year is on submissions that illustrate the six domains of the DRSW research strategy :

Initiatives and innovations within teams or organisations to build research capacity and capability

Efforts to improve equity and access in research participation

Personal or collective leadership in nurturing a research-skilled workforce

Contributions aligned to identified South West research priorities

Evidence of influence; how research has shaped policy or practice

Activities that have changed or enhanced research culture.

We welcome abstract submissions for in-person posters. At the conference, there will be allocated time in the programme for poster viewing sessions when authors will need to be by their poster.

A select few will be invited to give an oral presentation to the main session of the conference.

Unfortunately, there will not be an opportunity for online presentations or posters.

Abstract submissions will be judged by an independent panel and prizes awarded.

There is the opportunity to nominate others for the 'leadership' category. These nominations will also be judged, and winners will be notified before the day.

The deadline for submissions is Thursday 30 September 2025, 23:59.

Categories

You can use any of the six domains of the DRSW research strategy to show how you have been developing a research skilled workforce:

Invest in and nurture our workforce
N This can be an initiative that has supported the development of a research skilled workforce within a team, organisation, professional network(s) or system.
Improve access and equity
N How you have provided developmental opportunities that enable healthcare, scientific and social care professionals to engage and use research and innovation skills in practice.
N How you have taken intentional positive action to address fair access to training opportunities by profession, geography, place, or protected characteristics.
Leadership
N This can be work you have led to embed the development of a research skilled workforce across your team, service, organisation, or system.
N This can also be reflective accounts of the impact of self-leadership or leadership of others.
N Nominate someone else: you can nominate someone who has shown leadership of others relative to developing a research skilled workforce, or nurturing others in becoming research active.
Support South West research priorities
N Share learning and insights of activities related to developing a research skilled workforce, associated with an identified priority within the South West.
N This can be across the wider system, or from a patient, public, or professional group.
Grow our influence
N Share learning and insights relating to how research capability and capacity building has influenced practice or policy, regardless of whether this is at a local (within a team, organisation, professional network(s) or system), regional, national or even international level.
Create a thriving research culture
N Any project, reflection, or evidence illustrating change in research culture, whether this is at a local (within a team, organisation, professional network(s)) or system level.
N Share learning in how you have overcome barriers and identified enablers to develop and sustain a thriving a research culture.

Developing and Celebrating a Research Skilled Workforce Conference 2025

Access resources produced and presented at the conference on 2 April 2025.

Practitioners from across the south west of England submitted abstracts for oral presentations and in-person and online posters.

Practitioners shared practice-based research activities. Many of these addressed research capacity-building efforts, service evaluation and improvement, and patient and professional experiences.

These resources will be of interest to health, social and science professionals. They describe real life practice-based work to evaluate and improve services, and therefore offer examples of how other health, social and science professionals might evaluate their practice.

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