Course Overview

Date: 27 May 2026
Time: 9.30am to 4.00pm
Delivery Mode: In-person only
Location: UNSW Sydney, Kensington Campus
Course Pre-requisites:
- Broad familiarity with statistical concepts such as confidence intervals and hypothesis testing would be helpful, but is not essential.

Sample size determination is a central component of planning a scientific study. A well-justified sample size ensures that a study is scientifically credible, ethically defensible, and feasible to conduct.

This one-day course introduces the principles of precision-based and power-based sample size calculations. Using practical examples and simulation-based demonstrations, we will outline the general process underlying sample size determination and show how it can be applied across common study designs. We will also discuss practical challenges that arise in real studies, common sources of uncertainty and complexity, and how to report a sample size calculation in a grant application or study protocol.

This course is suitable for researchers, PhD students, early-career investigators, and professionals involved in designing or planning scientific studies across a range of disciplines, particularly health and medical research.

Note: After the course, participants can access a free consultation to discuss their own sample size calculation with a statistician. If you would like to take up this opportunity, please provide a brief outline when registering. Thank you!

Register Here

Course Outline

• Precision-based and power-based sample size calculations

• Sample size determination for common study designs
  

• Standard formulas and software tools
  

• Practical issues in study planning

• Writing and justifying a sample size calculation