UK & Ireland CRF Conference 2026 9-10 July 2026, Trinity College Dublin - Hosted by Ireland's Clinical Research Facilities
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The conference brings together the UK and Ireland CRF community across the workforce to share practical learning, explore emerging challenges, and build connections that support high quality clinical research delivery. Staff across the clinical research infrastructure are welcome. Key Links |
Event Theme
Two Islands, Many Voices: Futurescaping Trans-National Clinical Research
Programme:
This years’ conference features a packed programme of plenary and parallel sessions, where delegates will gain access to expert-led insights, real-world case studies, and practical learning from leaders driving change across the clinical research community.
Plenary themes include:
- Innovative approaches to delivering ATMP trials across organisations
- Cutting edge medical technology and the role of collaboration in driving innovation
- How AI, real-world data, and wearables are shaping trial design and delivery
- Future directions in cardiovascular research and improving heart health outcomes
- Opportunities and challenges of working with industry to enhance research impact
High profile speakers include:
- Dr Maria Koufali, NIHR Life Sciences Industry Director
- Lawrence Tallon, Chief Executive of the MRHA
- Dr Alex Churchill, Deputy Director of Clinical Trials Policy, DHSC
- Professor Garret Fitzgerald, Professor of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at University of Pennsylvania
- Professor Fidelma Dunne, Professor in Medicine at University of Galway
- Professor Stuart Elborn, Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queens University Belfast
Parallel Session Topics
Join us at this years’ conference for a packed programme of plenary and parallel sessions.
Whether you are new to clinical research or a returning delegate, the conference offers relevant learning and networking opportunities across all roles and career stages.
The parallel sessions cover a wide range of topics, including:
- Inclusion, Involvement & Engagement – making research more inclusive, meaningful and patient‑focused
- Workforce Development & Training – building skills and confidence across clinical research workforce
- Collaboration & Networking – strengthening partnerships across organisations, regions and borders
- Regulation, Quality & Compliance – navigating governance, inspections and standards with assurance
- Modern Trial Design & Delivery – including decentralised models, digital quality, AI and medical device trials
- Advanced Therapies & Complex Trial Delivery – delivering advanced therapies across organisations and specialties
We are pleased to confirm that the conference is now CPD certified for the first time. Delegates can claim up to 6 CPD hours for Day 1 and 5 CPD hours for Day 2. CPD certificates will be issued following the event, with delegates asked to complete a short evaluation survey to support reflection and ongoing improvement.
Venue
This year’s conference will take place in the heart of Dublin at Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin.
Located within the historic Trinity campus, home to the Book of Kells. The venue is just a short walk from iconic landmarks including Temple Bar, Dublin Castle and St Stephen’s Green.
Address:
Trinity Business School
Trinity College Dublin
182 Pearse Street
Dublin 2, D02 F6N2
Please visit our website for further details on travel, accommodation and conference start times.
Gala Dinner
Step into a night of magic and music at our Enchanted Celtic Forest Gala Dinner in the magnificent Round Room of the Mansion House.
Prepare for a mystical woodland themed dinner, inspired by Ireland’s ancient legends. Beneath twinkling lights and forest greenery, guests will enjoy a sumptuous gala dinner, while the sounds of classic Irish music fill the air. After dinner, the celebration continues with an opportunity to dance, mingle, and soak up the atmosphere as traditional melodies bring the room to life.
✨Dress to impress and prepare for a night you won’t soon forget ✨
Ticket Prices
Tickets for the UK & Ireland CRF Conference 2026 can be purchased via our registration portal using either card payment or invoicing.
Our event planners, Conference Partners will be collecting conference payments, so they will need to be set-up as a supplier on your finance systems.
- Two-day ticket: €475 (£412)
- One day ticket: €275 (£238)
- Gala dinner: €105 (£91) + VAT*
*VAT applies to the gala dinner ticket only and is not included in the conference ticket prices
More information about supplier set-up and payment can be found here: https://www.ukcrfnetwork.co.uk/events/annual-conference-2026/
Register Now
Registration deadline: 24 June 2026
Please check our website for key event information, including event start and finish times, the group booking process and full terms and conditions.
If you have any queries or require assistance with anything conference related, please contact UKCRFN@conferencepartners.com
We look forward to seeing you there!
Operations Team
Showcasing Innovation: Posters from UKCRF & NIHR BRC Network Conference 2025, Birmingham
Featuring Posters Presented by our Clinical Research Facility Team
Wellcome – HRB Clinical Research Facility 10 Year Celebration
Thursday 3rd October 2024 at the Trinity Translational Medicines Institute
St James’s Hospital
Clinical Trials Day May 2023
Dr Ruth Hutch – Research SHO
CARTITUDE Trial Announcement February 2023
New Cancer Treatment Trial
- RTE.ie, Fergal Bowers: ‘Blood cancer clinical trial to begin at St James’s Hospital’ – Fergal Bowers reported on the announcement in an online article on the RTE News website. The article is available here.
- RTE Radio 1, ‘News At One’ with Bryan Dobson’ – Dr Larry Bacon was interviewed about the announcement of the trial by Bryan Dobson on today’s RTE Radio 1 ‘News At One’ radio show. The clip is available to listen back to here.
- The Irish Times, Paul Cullen: ‘Drug trial to start for blood cancer patients – Paul Cullen, Health Editor of The Irish Times interviewed Dr Larry Bacon and reported on the announcement. A press clipping is attached from this morning’s print paper and the online version of the article is available here.
SUPPORT Clinical trial: Semaglutide for people with obesity and resistant hypertension (SUPPORT): a pilot, randomised, parallel group, integrated, multicentre clinical trial
https://sites.google.com/view/semaglutidecrfstudy/home?authuser=1
CRF was shortlisted for the 2022 Irish Healthcare Centre Awards
04/05/2022 – Irish Healthcare Centre Awards – https://www.irishhealthcarecentreawards.com/shortlist
Winning the fight against cancer: ‘It’s just miraculous’
Cancer care in St. James’s Hospital
02/04/2022 Irish Times – https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/winning-the-fight-against-cancer-it-s-just-miraculous-1.4840373
Groundbreaking new treatment for babies with muscle-weakening condition
Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment
11/10/2021 – Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/groundbreaking-new-treatment-for-babies-with-muscle-weakening-condition-1.4696664
Medical Device
A Dublin 8 medical device start-up company have invented a new medical device for better lung biopsy outcomes from St. James’s Hospital to the Guinness Enterprise Centre.
The first day of Summer took our radiologists and respirologists into the heart of Dublin 8. Selio Medical (https://seliomedical.com/ ) is a TCD spin-out company that has developed a novel device for lung biopsies that reduces the risk of pneumothorax, which can often lead to a long inpatient stay. The device relies on an advanced hydrogel that seals the lung and stops air leaking into the chest cavity. Selio has finished the design and development of the product and has completed animal studies. The next step is to conduct clinical trials that confirm the product’s safety and St. James’s hospital has the opportunity, along with hospitals in the UK and France, to be among the first users of this device.
As a TCD affiliated teaching hospital, St. James’s hospital has always been an active place for the conduct of clinical trials. The big difference is that Selio is a local company located between the hospital and the university, barely 800 metres from the hospital and 2Km from TCD. Ireland’s economic future relies on the smart economy and this is an example of how innovation takes place and develops a commercially viable product that can improve outcomes for patients. It also illustrates the role TCD and St. James’s can play in medtech innovation and local economic development.
The visit was led by CRF Director Professor Martina Hennessy of the Wellcome HRB Clinical Research Facility and she was accompanied by Ms Mary Day, CEO of St. James’s Hospital, Jim Meaney, Danielle Byrne and Peter Beddy from Diagnostic Imaging, Barry O’Connell and Ann-Marie McLaughlin from Respiratory Medicine, Vincent Young from the Department of Surgery and Cormac Kennedy and Jeremy Towns from the Clinical Research Facility.
Picture from left to right Cormac Kennedy, Martina Hennessy, Ann-Marie McLaughlin, Barry O’Connell, Garrett Ryan (Selio), Jim Meaney and Mary Day in Selio’s GMP Manufacturing Facility located in the Guinness Enterprise Centre
New Haemophilia Clinical Trials
08/12/2020 – Irish Times – https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/irish-haemophilia-patients-given-functional-cure-1.4430168
01/09/2020 – Irish Examiner https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30985978.html
New Tinnitus Treatment
05/03/2020 – Science – https://stm.sciencemag.org/content/12/564/eabb2830
Motor Neuron Disease Clinical Trial
07/10/2020 – Independent.ie – https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/dublin-researchers-join-game-changing-gene-trial.html