Recent reports from the Academy of Medical Sciences , the Royal College of Physicians and the National Institute for Health Research, have commented on the lack of capacity to conduct high quality population health science research in the UK. The LEU aims to contribute to increasing this capacity, through:

1. Recruitment of high quality scientific and research support staff, with excellent generic skills and the capacity to learn new skills on the job.
2. Training and capacity building for all Unit staff.
3. The application of a wide range of learning and development opportunities tailored to the individual, but set within a series of Unit-wide initiatives.
4. Monitoring the training needs for staff through an annual review process as part of our learning and development strategy.
5. Developing capacity externally as well as internally.
6. Capitalising on partnerships with networks and stakeholders.
7. Evaluating recruitment, training and development to ensure value for money.

Postgraduate training in the LEU has three main elements: a PhD programme (integrated with the postgraduate training strategy of the University of Southampton); a clinical training programme (in close collaboration with Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, the NIHR Biomedical Research Units in Nutrition and Musculoskeletal Science, and the University of Southampton School of Medicine); and the short course on ‘Epidemiology for Clinicians’.

1. PhD training
2. Epidemiology for Clinicians Course
3. Other training opportunities
4. Seminar series