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Randomised Controlled Trials course

RCT Course 2025: 29 SEPTEMBER - 3 October

This annual course provides a thorough grounding in the principles and practice of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for evaluating healthcare interventions. You will learn from an interdisciplinary faculty of clinicians, statisticians, and trial managers, all with a wealth of RCT experience. The course uses a problem-based learning approach, including lectures and small-group practical sessions, and grounds all learning in practical experience and examples from the literature.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

  • Clarify the fundamental principles and practice of RCTs
  • Present the optimal methodology to use in RCTs
  • Examine the critical issues involved in planning, conducting and completing a successful trial
  • Provide a basic understanding of the statistics used to plan and analyse RCTs
  • Teach critical appraisal skills and practice appraising RCT papers

COURSE Faculty includes

  • Prof Jonathan Cook, Professor of Clinical Trials and Medical Statistics and Deputy Director of the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit, Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford
  • Prof Richard Emsley, Professor of Medical Statistics and Trials Methodology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London
  • Prof Sally Hopewell, Professor of Clinical Trials and Evidence Synthesis, Centre for Statistics in Medicine and Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford
  • Dr David Keene, University Research Lecturer and Senior Researcher in Trauma Rehabilitation, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford
  • Prof Graeme MacLennan, Professor of Medical Statistics and Director of the Centre for Health Care Randomised Trials (CHaRT), Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen
  • Prof Eric Ohuma, Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Centre for Maternal Adolescent Reproductive & Child Health, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and International Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • Dr Ines RombachSenior Research Fellow/ Statistician, School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield
  • Dr Michael Maia Schlussel, Medical Statistician

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

If you are planning or actively involved in trials, or are interested in furthering your knowledge of trial methodology, this course is for you. It is ideal for those early in their career or those looking for a refresher course, as it provides an overview of all elements of an RCT. We welcome applications from clinical and non-clinical researchers and other professionals allied to medicine.

Details

Date and times: Monday 29 September to Friday 3 October 2025.

A typical day runs from 9am to 5:30pm, with a course dinner on the evening of Thursday 2 October and a 2pm finish on Friday 3 October after lunch.

Venue: The course will be held at Merton College, University of Oxford, a historic college located in Oxford's city centre.

Course fees: £1650 (£1500 if payment is made by 30 April 2025). Fees must be paid in full before your place on the course is confirmed. Fees include daily lunch and refreshments, a course dinner (Thursday evening), and a comprehensive delegate’s pack including all course materials.

Fees discounted to £1400 for a limited number of NDORMS staff and students, if payment is made internally.

Accommodation: Bed and breakfast accommodation is available at Merton College for £137.00 per night (not included in course fees).

REGISTRATION

Course registration is now open. Please contact rct.course@csm.ox.ac.uk if you would like to submit an application.