This webinar will inform members about how the RCM supports and provides resources for midwives, student midwives and MSWs/MCAs who are new to research. This includes:

• Small Research Awards 2026
• RCM’s Research Buddy Scheme
• Education and Research Conference 2026

Why attend

1. Discover how the RCM offers members support with getting into research, evaluation or audit, including about our new Research Support Buddy Scheme
2. Hear from a previous Small Research Award winner, and learn about how to apply for the 2026 Awards
3. Learn about what opportunities there are to start research and find funding

Speakers

Jo Cull, Head of Nursing for Nurse and Midwife Led Research at ACORN (A Centre of Research for Nurses and Midwives), Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Katie Handley, Clinical Lead for Maternal and Child Health, Genomics England

I am  working on the Generation Study, a groundbreaking research initiative aiming to sequence the genomes of 100,000 babies to identify and treat rare genetic conditions. In addition to my research work, I am also a midwife with experience in wards, community settings, and Quality and Risk Governance. After completing my Masters in Healthcare Ethics and Law, I am now pursuing a PhD in Bioethics and Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Manchester, focusing on the role of midwives in whole genome sequencing of newborns. Prior to my healthcare career, I served as an Intelligence Officer in the RAF.

Dalvir Kandola, Consultant Midwife for Inclusion, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

I’m a registered and practising midwife, having joined the Nursing and Midwifery Council register in 2010. Over the years, I’ve gained experience across the NHS, higher education and the private sector. My academic contributions include successful publications in a range of midwifery journals and co-authoring a textbook chapter on supervising students in clinical practice. I was also an active panel member in the 2023 MBRRACE-UK confidential enquiry, which examined disparities in the care of women from different ethnic backgrounds who experienced stillbirth or neonatal loss.

I’m a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of both the Association of South Asian Midwives and a Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives and currently serve as a registrant panel member for NMC fitness to practise hearings. I’ve also been trained in strength-based interviewing and am honoured to be a Core20PLUS Ambassador; working to address healthcare inequalities. In 2025, I was awarded a pre-application fellowship with NIHR ARC East Midlands, supporting my ongoing development in health research.

Professor Hora Soltani MBE, FRCM, Professor of Maternal and Infant Health, Sheffield Hallam University

Hora leads the Maternal and Infant Health Research theme including several interdisciplinary researchers and PhD students in Sheffield Hallam University.  Her research is of a collaborative nature, focusing on maternity care models reducing health inequalities for mothers and babies from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

Hora was listed in the Elsevier top 2% cited scientists in her field in 2020 with a field adjusted impact of 2.4 according to SciVal 2021. She has also been acting as Editor/Senior Editorial Board member for journals and an expert advisor for organisations such as WHO and Public Health England. Hora was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s new year honour list (Dec 2020) for her services to higher education and impact on maternal and infant health, guiding maternity policy development at national and international levels.