International Studies in Advanced Mental Health Research (ISAR)

RMIT is a multi-sector university of technology, design and  enterprise, with more than 96,000 students and close to 10,000 staff  globally.RMIT's European hub in Barcelona, ​​Spain, is the gateway for European research, industry, government and enterprise to innovation and talent in Australia and Asia.We leverage the University's global connections to deliver an international dimension to research and innovation beyond Europe's borders.We provide early access to the next generation of talent for European industry including servicing our partners seeking local talent for their operations in Australia.We also work with our partners looking to extend their workforce in Europe through the diversity and depth of international talent.Talk to us about the ways you can leverage our presence in Europe to extend your markets to Australia and Asia through innovation and talent.

RMIT Europe

The ISAR Winter School Seminars are specifically designed for PhD students, post-graduate students, and early-career scientists focused on mental health and related fields. The seminars will centralise on key aspects such as epistemology, methodology, research design, and data generation and analysis. Additional focus is placed on ethics and the practical application of research methods within the field of mental health research. Particular emphasis will be given to systematic literature review and qualitative research.Led by experts in the field, interactive sessions are designed to facilitate an exchange of views and networking opportunities. Participants are encouraged to present a poster describing their studies related to the current topic of the ISAR Winter Research School.The 2025 edition is hosted by RMIT Europe, part of RMIT University, and delivered in collaboration with Linnaeus University, the University of Southern Denmark, and Mid Sweden University.All participants will receive 2.8 ECTS points for the course. How to applyInterested individuals can register and will receive a confirmation email to upload CV, cover letter and abstract (Call for Abstracts information included further below). The selection committee will review applications and communicate results. The cost for participation is 200€ per participant, payable once the applicant has been selected.DetailsDate: 17 to 20 November 2025Time: Monday 3.30 pm to 6.00 pm and Tuesday to Thursday from 9.00 am to 6.45 pmLocation: RMIT Europe - Carrer de Bilbao, 72 08005 BarcelonaTickets: 200€ to be remitted once the candidate is acceptedBreakfast and lunch provided from Tuesday to Thursday

Call for abstractsApplicants shall submit an abstract of no more than 350 words, prepared using the official abstract form.Click <a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAANAASegrwtUQjBCOFo0Q0tEWEFXUlVMVjhETDdXNVhGTS4u&route=shorturl" title="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAANAASegrwtUQjBCOFo0Q0tEWEFXUlVMVjhETDdXNVhGTS4u&route=shorturl" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here </a>to complete the form. The deadline to submit abstracts is 19 October 2025.Submissions will be reviewed by the ISAR Scientific Committee, and applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by email shortly thereafter.Accepted applicants will be required to prepare a poster for presentation during the conference. The poster must be designed in vertical format, size A1 (594 × 841 mm, approximately 23.4 × 33.1 inches), and brought printed to the venue, RMIT Europe, by 2:00 p.m. on the first day of the Research School, 17 November.

17 November 2025

Welcome

Poster presentations

18 November 2025

Lecture 1 - Solid, Shifting or Uncharted? Navigating the Landscape of Evidence

Break

Lecture 2 - Methodological considerations in Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

Lecture 3 - Special considerations regarding grey literature in QES

Lunch break

Lecture 4 - How to perform a sound and relevant critical appraisal in QES

World Café A - Critical appraisal of qualitative studies

Coffee break and poster looking

Lecture 5 - Promoting epistemic justice and ethics in mental health research

Short panel debate and concluding remarks

19 November 2025

Lecture 6 - Mixed methods

Lecture 7 - Qualitative methods design - The landscape and conundrums

Lecture 8 - Danish Design (LEGO) - How to structure your scientific research

Lecture 9 - Qualitative methods: handling individual interviews

Lecture 10 - Qualitative methods: focus groups and participant observation

World Café B1 - Interviewing in practice

World Café B2 - Continued: hands on interviews

20 November 2025

Lecture 11 - Scientific theory in qualitative health care research

Lecture 12 - How to do thematic analysis (and survive)

World Café C1 - Hands on doing thematic analysis

World Café C2 - Continued hands on analysis

Lecture 13 - Empirically tested scientific models from qualitative data