Building Professional Skills for Palliative Care Research
Introduction
The Early Career Researcher Forum (ECRF) workshop: Building Professional Skills for Palliative Care Research took place online on 8 May 2025. The aim of this event was to improve skills in key areas in communication, presentations and writing for those at the early stages of their career in palliative care research.
AIIHPC launched the new PPI Impact Evaluation Framework for research in palliative and health care to support researchers to measure PPI impact. You can find out more about the framework here
The National Adult Literacy Agency, (NALA, Republic of Ireland) presented on how to use Plain English and expert tips on how to ensure diversity in your research by involving people from different backgrounds in your study.
The Communications Clinic delivered an introductory session on what makes a great presentation.
Expert led breakout sessions included:
- Developing research funding proposals – Dr Mary Rabbitte, Research Programme Manager, AIIHPC
- Plain English in research writing – Sean Driver, Plain English Tutor and Editor, National Adult Literacy Agency
- Personal branding and networking skills – Monina Mooney, Consultant, Communications Clinic
Audience
37 participants from many different organisations from the island of Ireland took part in the event along with some Voices4Care members.
Programme
The programme for the event is available here
Videos and Slides
Opening
PPI Impact Evaluation Framework
View slides here
Using Plain English in Research
View slides here
Professional Presentation Skills Practise and Feedback Session
About the Early Career Researcher Forum
The Early Career Researcher Forum (ECRF) was launched by AIIHPC in 2013, and has over 287 members, providing them with opportunities to access peer and mentor support, develop links with senior researchers, participate in capacity building workshops, and share knowledge across disciplines.
We welcome researchers to join and benefit from this collaborative community of peers. The ECRF is open to anyone based on the Island of Ireland who is interested in palliative care research. Membership is diverse and includes researchers, health and social care professionals, and policy makers from any discipline who consider themselves in the early to mid-stages of their research career within palliative and end of life care. (They may be senior researchers within other areas.)
You can find out more information about the ECRF here
You can join the ECRF here
Resources for Plain English
General resources and guides
NHS A-Z of Health Writing Style Guide
Hemmingway App: Check the readability of your writing
Information on literacy
Factsheet on Adult Literacy: 2023 PIACC Results (PDF)
CSO Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) 2023
Relevant to science and research
Sharing Science: Tips for Plain Language Summaries
Plain Language Summaries for Medical Research: Updated template
Cochrane Plain Language Summary Project (video)
Networks
Join the NALA Plain English Network to stay in touch
Events
NALA Open Plain English Training 11 June: €110 for students or charities and includes mentoring
Free 1 hour-Webinar 20 June on Top plain English tips for writing leaflets and publications
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all our speakers and facilitators on the day; Stephanie Crawford, Jane Clare, Padraig Cronin, Sean Driver, Chris Carty, Aoife Crawford, Mary Rabbitte and Monina Mooney. We would also like to thank those that took part in the breakout sessions, everyone who participated and our two ECRF presenters, Katie McGuiness and Niall Manktelow. We would also like to thank the ECRF Steering Committee for their help and support in organising the event and AIIHPC colleagues. Thank you to our funders for their support, the HRB and HSC R&D, PHA.
If you have any queries or comments about the event, please contact Jane Clare, PCRN Project Manager jclare@aiihpc.org