Training courses for researchers

Our Education courses include a nationally agreed NHS Research Scotland (NRS) GCP training programme with the aim of ensuring a standardised approach to good clinical practice.

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for clinical research

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is an international ethical and scientific quality standard for designing, conducting, recording, and reporting studies that involve human participants.

We offer a choice of face to face NRS courses on Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for clinical research or live Tayside Trainer-led sessions online (MS Teams). All courses are open for registration.

New legislation has come into place for Good Clinical Practice ,if you trained with NRS GCP Update, the new course launches 3 February. Which means you should re-train irrespective of when you last took the course. However, if you completed the NIHR GCP Update course after 8 December 2025 you are up to date.

If you were trained on GCP Intro any time in the last 3 years you should attend an update course between now and April.

You can either do NIHR online or the new Scottish GCP Update.

Introduction to Good Clinical Practice

This course is a practical introduction to the subject and comprises short topics with a clinical research monitoring exercise to help consolidate and apply training.

* Face to Face (F2F) at Improvement Academy, Level 5, Ninewells Hospital

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Update

This course is regularly updated to include the most recent changes to legislation and GCP process with up to date clinical research context and examples. 

The Good Clinical Practice Update course will be updated from January 2026, all trial staff who have completed the Introduction to Good Clinical Practice course will have to be updated on the new legislation within 6 months of it being implemented.

All courses are online via MS Teams on the following dates:

Further NRS Introduction to GCP/Update GCP courses are offered by other Scottish Health Boards via the NRS Portal.

Alternatively, researchers can undertake NIHR online training. NIHR website: Good Clinical Practice

To complete the online training, register with NIHR and select the course appropriate to your needs. Once the course is completed you will receive your certificate. To register for any of the Good Clinical Practice courses, please email [email protected]

Training sessions

Online sessions of 30-60 minutes are offered covering a wide range of clinical research topics.

Topics Include a wide range of sessions that are relevant to your clinical research role. These sessions are emailed out through our mailing list and will be advertised on the training SharePoint page. If you would like added to the mailing list please email [email protected]
 

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for Laboratories

The GCP for Laboratories course is primarily intended for lab staff who handle human samples but may also be of interest to research nurses and other staff who regularly process bloods, use centrifuges, and store samples.

This is an annual course for NHS and University staff and students.

• May 2025 - To be confirmed

Further information

Courses are free of charge to NHS, Universities or Higher Education

Industry fees (ex VAT)

Introduction to GCP £290
GCP Update £180
Education sessions £75
GCP for Labs £90