Wellcome X ACRC Academy Joint Workshop - Glasgow

The idea behind this workshop series was to build interdisciplinary connections between the two programmes, and create an opportunity for peer-to-peer support and learning tailored to students’ priorities.

The first workshop took place at Glasgow University on 28^th October 2025. Planning for this event was led by a committee consisting of Phil Broadbent and Kieran Sweeney (Wellcome) and Jack Robertson and Emilie McSwiggan (ACRC Academy). The theme for the workshop was based on responses to a survey across both programmes exploring student priorities for teaching and discussion topics. For this workshop, the chosen topic was maximising research impact and engaging policy makers.

The day started with an energetic session led by Cara Bezzina (GP, medical educator and Wellcome PhD student) which addressed the question: how do you get the most out of research workshops? (Yes, a workshop-about-workshops). At some point in our research careers, most of us will have to facilitate a discussion among a group of people (whether patients/public or professional) with some outcome or purpose in mind. This might be exploring particular healthcare-related challenges with a PPI group or developing ideas for new interventions with a focus group. Cara delivered a how-to masterclass, outlining (while also demonstrating) how to foster engagement and stimulate meaningful discussions, by leading the attendees through a series of dummy exercises. Very ‘meta’, and very brilliant.

The next session involved some roundtable conversations in breakout groups. A key aim of the workshop series is to enable students to confidentially share and discuss PhD challenges among peers, whether those be academic, bureaucratic or professional. These conversations brought together previously unfamiliar students not only from across the two PhD programmes, but also from across cohorts (from those at the beginning, to those closer to the end of their PhDs). Discussions covered a broad range of topics and were as much about sharing solutions as finding common ground on problems.

Lunch marked the arrival of two guest speakers who featured in the afternoon session focused on policy engagement: Dr Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin (co-director of SPRE) and Alix Rosenberg (principal researcher, social care analytical unit, Scottish Government). Between them, their presentations covered the essentials of how research can shape policy through strategic, relational and longitudinal engagement with decision makers, as well as an awareness of the policymaking context and cycle. A panel discussion, chaired by Jack Robertson and also featuring Cat Tottie (ACRC Academy) and Nina MacKenzie (Wellcome), followed, providing valuable insights into first-hand experiences of policy engagement, and highlighting the benefits of interdisciplinarity in this context.

Two more workshops in 2026 will build on the momentum and continue bringing the two cohorts together. The Dundee workshop was successfully held in January 2026 – watch this space for a blog! A third workshop held in Edinburgh will include similar elements of facilitation, roundtable and guest speakers across wider topics.