{
  "abstract": "Trainees are having more difficulty getting involved in research, and we know that academic clinical posts in paediatrics are reducing year on year. It’s a challenge for trainees to be able to add a research profile to their already busy training and preparation for exams, service demands, quality assurance and audit contribution and then a life outside medicine. The Archivist has seen the number of research-active trainees reduce, the number of abstracts sent to scientific committee meetings reduced in number and quality and in job interviews, the increase in number of applicants with minimal if no publications at all. Lee J et al (Pediatrics 2025;156(5):e2025071095) have risen to this challenge and describe how they have built research capacity and training for the future paediatric researchers in Canada. Their Paediatric Inpatient Research Network (PIRN) established the Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) in 2022 to foster trainee participation in Paediatric hospital medicine research. It describes their development, implementation and early outcomes of the TAC, highlighting key successes and challenges. The initial focus of their TAC was on increasing trainee involvement and facilitating trainee-led, cross-centre research. They completed a national survey on paediatric trainees’ (residents’) research experiences, and this informed TAC priorities and also led to a peer-reviewed publication. They then went on to develop structured subcommittees with defined leadership roles to enhance productivity and sustainability. It became clear that this work increased membership and increased annual scientific meeting attendance and abstract submissions by trainees. There is a very useful table describing their key activities and milestones with their activities and outcomes. They then went on to describe the challenges and their recommendations for the main issues: organising the autonomy of the TAC to define its goals, priorities, structure and governance, defining the role of the individual members, TAC member recruitment and retention, and defining the personal and professional benefits to those who get involved with the TAC and the networks. They then go on to define their vision of the future. Increase trainee involvement in PIRN research projects and develop a mentorship programme. This programme plans to connect clinician-scientists with trainees, complementing the research and career mentorship that they are receiving through residency programmes. They are planning a new PIRN executive role, the Early Career Lead, which will be established for the next year. This position will enhance the connection between the PIRN and TAC, fostering collaboration and continuity. As two more major UK research networks continue to grow and deliver good quality studies, the Paediatric Emergency Research network of the UK and Ireland https://www.peruki.org/ and General and Adolescent Paediatric Research Collaborative of the UK and Ireland https://bagp.org.uk/gapruki/, getting trainees involved is of major importance. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Trainee Research Network is growing (https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/rcpch-trainee-research-network). We can learn from this paper. We need to focus on succession planning and nurture the future paediatric researcher. Getting the trainees engaged and on board in all research networks is a fundamental challenge to child health.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [],
      "name": "BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Paediatric trainees and research networks",
  "uid": "cb5a6508-33a5-5c44-966b-8d741d7a75f2"
}