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Involving patients, carers and the public in research

We can support researchers, who are applying for research funding from RDN Portfolio eligible funders, with PPI in their research.

We aim to make it easier for researchers, who are applying for research funding from RDN Portfolio eligible funders, to involve patients, carers and the public in their research. PPI has the following benefits:

  • Increased chances of funding success.
  • Improved study design and recruitment.
  • Relevant research that has an impact.

Our PPI support service

We can provide services and undertake activities to support PPI with a research grant application and to facilitate PPI throughout a research study. These services and activities include:

  • Acting as PPI lead on research grant applications.
  • Costing PPI activities on research grant applications
  • Good practice guidance and facilitation for involving patients and the public – at all stages of the research process.
  • Help with plain English summaries and ‘patient friendly’ documents.
  • Help and advice on accessing hard to reach groups.
  • Links with service users, patient groups and condition specific organisations.
  • Facilitating feedback from our Participate Network on research proposals - either face-to-face or online.

How can PPI be embedded in the research process?

This diagram developed by Louise Ting, a PPI contributor at the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West, shows how PPI contributors can be involved at every stage of the research process.

Diagram outlining the research process and how patient and public involvement can be embedded in it

How can PPI contributors help you with your project?

PPI contributors will give your project another viewpoint and may well bring up issues that might not necessarily arise without their input.

They can:

  • Review early draft research proposals from a public, patient or service user perspective
  • Support project funding applications
  • Attend early scoping or steering group sessions
  • Consider ethical issues and attend ethics committee meetings
  • Check plain English documents. Are they clear and not too lengthy?
  • Co-author reports and publications
  • Help disseminate findings
  • Help generate and deliver publicity for the research outcomes
  • Help change practice based on your research (knowledge mobilisation)

Patient and public involvement (PPI) in health and social care research: A handbook for researchers

This handbook is to help researchers and research teams to plan, manage and carry out PPI activities.

This handbook is to help researchers and research teams to plan, manage and carry out PPI activities.

Demonstrating PPI and the continued involvement of patients and members of the public is a very important part of developing a successful grant application and is often a marker of quality research.

Involving patients and members of the public can seem a time consuming and daunting prospect for new and experienced researchers alike.

This handbook will give a firm foundation in PPI and give insights into the contributions that patients and members of the public can make.

Contact us

If you would like to find out if and how we can support you to involve the patients, carers and the public in your research, get in touch.