HDRC Conference 2026

Please note that the HDRC 2026 Conference has been postponed due to extreme weather and warnings in place. The conference organising team are currently reviewing an alternative dates and communications will be sent out in the next few weeks.

Join us for a day of collaboration and knowledge sharing at the NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) annual conference 2026

'Thinking differently about research and changing the research culture'

Hosted jointly by NIHR HDRCs Southampton, Portsmouth and Surrey, in partnership with the Research Support Service and Specialist Centre for Public Health, University of Southampton and Partners.

The conference will offer guests the opportunity to network, collaborate and attend various workshops.

Any questions about the event, please email: nihr-rss-comms@soton.ac.uk

Conference agenda

9am - Arrival, registration and networking

9:30am - Welcome: Dr Debbie Chase, Director of Public Health, Southampton City Council and Professor James Knowles, Vice Chancellor, Solent University

9:40am - Keynote speaker - Professor Nisreen Alwan, Professor of Public Health, University of Southampton

9:55am - Short talks and panel Q&A

10:40am - Refreshment break and networking

11:10am - Keynote speaker - Professor Marian Knight, Scientific Director for NIHR Infrastructure

11:25am - Short talks and panel Q&A

12:10pm - Lunch and networking

1:20pm - Workshop 1
Find out more about each workshop here.

1. A practical guide to ethics and governance in local authority settings
2. Knowledge mobilisation: what is it and why does it matter?
3. Strengthening engagement in research across local authorities

2:30pm - Refreshment break and networking

2:50pm - Workshop 2
Find out more about each workshop here.

1. Demystifying funding applications: lessons learned and knowledge exchange
2. Bringing research to life: participatory methods for meaningful public involvement
3. Working with heart: using appreciative inquiry to strengthen the culture of research and evaluation

4:00pm - Closing remarks - Adam Briggs, Professor of Public Health, Director of the NIHR Public Health Research Programme and Deputy Director of Public Health, Oxfordshire County Council

4:30pm - Event close

Every HDRC has the opportunity to showcase a poster of something they are proud of. Please refer to conference poster FAQ's for more information.

Please direct any conference questions to nihr-rss-comms@soton.ac.uk or alternatively you can find out more on the FAQ's page.

Read more about workshop themes and topics

Day before activities

Please note that the HDRC 2026 Conference and day before activities have been postponed due to extreme weather and warnings in place. The conference organising team are currently reviewing an alternative date and communications will be sent in the next few weeks.

Side meeting: HDRC housing research workshop - Tuesday 23 June, 2 - 5pm at Solent University

This is intended to be a focused session for colleagues directly involved in local authority-led housing research and evaluation so that we can learn about each other’s work and discuss opportunities for joint collaboration. You do not need to be one of the three HDRC delegates attending the national meeting the next day.

We hope to come away from this session with: material to develop publicly available briefs on HDRC housing work and methods, a set of housing-specific resources for the national sharepoint, and a list of projects/ideas, interested collaborators and other next steps for the group.

We would like everyone to be actively involved as a presenter, discussant, facilitator or note taker.

Book your place here (by Friday 8 May).

Side meeting: Health Economics discussion - Tuesday 23 June, 3 - 5pm, Southampton Civic Centre

An opportunity to come together with other HDRCs to discuss approaches to embedding health economic methods within Local Authorities. You do not need to be one of the three HDRC delegates attending the national meeting the next day to join us.

We will be joined by Health Economists based at the University of Southampton who have been working in collaboration with Southampton HDRC on how to support the council to understand and apply health economic approaches in decision-making.

Topics for discussion include:

work done to date
challenges encountered in instilling health economic approaches in the local authority
approaches to overcoming barriers to change

Please email laura.dunkley@southampton.gov.uk if you wish to attend.

Evening social event - Tuesday 23 June

A evening social event will take place for those traveling to Southampton the evening before the conference.

In the evening of the 23rd of June (6-8pm), before we get down to our exciting work, we invite you to join us at one of Southampton’s most historic buildings, and now premier arts and heritage venue, God House Tower, for a pre-conference ‘social’, including a performance by Southampton Ukulele Jam, with food and drinks available to purchase.

Conference FAQ's

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