Information on Public Involvement in Research.
The NIHR is committed to involving the public, service users and carers in the work it undertakes - not as 'subjects' of research, but as active contributors to the research process. For example, members of the public can help to decide what is researched, can help carry out the research and decide what should be done afterwards. This can help ensure that the research is both relevant and communicated clearly.
This section and subsequent pages provides information on Public Involvement (PI) and how to include PI in your research proposal and in the research process. Information is also provided to allow members of the public to take part in the research process.
Featured
"A How To Guide."
Patient and Public Involvement How To Guide
The NIHR Research Design Service for the North West is pleased to launch its Patient and Public How to Guide on its website.
The guide information is aimed at researchers involved in NHS research and their collaborators in the university sector. It is designed especially to help those applying or thinking of applying for NHS research funding. Research managers, service users and the wider public may also find the information useful.
We would like to thank Dr Sue Hinder (RaFT Consulting) and Dr Tracey Williamson (RDS Adviser University of Salford) for their significant input in producing the content of the guide and their feedback which was valuable in producing the online version.
Click on the following link to visit the PPI How To Guide.
INVOLVE
INVOLVE is a national advisory group, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Its role is to support and promote active public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research. Visit their web site here.
In This Section
An interactive step by step guide on involving Patients and the Public in the Research Process.
This Public Involvement Quiz has been developed to help you test your knowledge of public involvement.
Latest News
Headline - Public Involvement.
Proposal to establish a North West People in Research Forum response to consultation published
This document outlines plans to create a North West People in Research Forum, to build support for patient and public involvement (PPI) and public engagement (PE) in health research across the North West...more.
-Latest Events and Training
Public Involvement
INVOLVE Conference.
INVOLVE's national conferences bring together people with a common interest in public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research. This includes members of the public, service users, researchers, research commissioners and representatives of voluntary sector organisations. The aim is to encourage the sharing of knowledge and learning. The focus of this 7th Biennial Conference is on innovation and impact ...more detail.
Other Events and Training
- More Events and Training available soon.
Latest Links
Latest - Public Involvement
SURF - hcai service users research forum. New.
SURF's goal is to provide a forum in which researchers and members of the public can work together to improve current research in the field of infection and identify the most important areas for future research. Visit the website here.
Other Links
- RCN Guidance on User Involvement in Research.
- NHS Centre for Involvement - Aims to work with NHS staff and organisations to engage with patients and the public more effectively and to implement change.
- Patient and Public Involvement Specialist Library - Contain collections of clinical and non-clinical resources within specialty themes.
- TwoCan Associates - Promoting partnerships for better research and development,
- UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) - Public involvement website,
- People in Research - People in Research helps members of the public make contact with organisations that want to actively involve them in clinical research,
- More Links and Resources available soon.
Success Stories
We are keen to publicise success stories concerning Public Involvement in research. If you have experience of involving the public in your research then we would love to hear from you.
Please contact us at rds-nw@lancaster.ac.uk. Or for other contact options please visit the contacts page.
NIHR RDS NW PPI Strategy.
Latest Resources
Latest - Public Involvement
Payment for involvement: a guide to making payment to members of the public actively involved in NHS, public health and social care research. New.
An INVOLVE Guide launched May 2010.
This guide is a revision of a previous guide last up-dated in 2006. It is intended primarily for use by researchers and research managers. It may also be useful for research commissioners. Included in the guide is a section on the general principles in relation to making payments and more detailed information about specific issues, intending to help researchers think about what they need to know and do to set out their policies and procedures in relation to payment and covering expenses. The guide can be found here.
--------------------------
Exploring Impact: public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research.
An INVOLVE report launched on November 6th 2009.
This report explores the impact of public involvement through an in-depth review of published literature. It draws together a wealth of examples of how public involvement is conducted, and what difference it is making. But it also raises questions of the quality of the evidence for the impact of such involvement, revealing huge variation in how this is assessed and reported and highlighting difficulties in judging it or drawing general conclusions. The report can be found here. A summary can be found here.
--------------------------
Patient and public involvement in research and research ethics committee review.
This statement has been developed by the National Research Ethics Service (NRES) and INVOLVE to provide clarity and guidance on patient and public involvement in research and the requirements of research ethics review. The statement has been approved by the NRES Advisory Group on NHS Service Users and Ethical Review. The document can be found here.
--------------------------
Payment for involvement in research.
Helpful benefit rules and systems for avoiding benefit problems.
This leaflet was written by Judy Scott for a workshop held at INVOLVE’s National Conference in November 2008. The benefit rules and systems listed in this leaflet have been confirmed or tested or occurred in actual situations with Jobcentre Plus and HMRC within 2007 and 2008. (Copyright of Judy Scott) The document can be found here.
--------------------------
Involvement Portfolio.
The Involvement Portfolio has been developed by the NHS R&D Forum Service User and Carer Working Group. It is a tool for those using health and social care services who are involved in voluntary or involvement activities such as consultation, committee membership, research and development, to record and provide evidence of their activities. The document can be found here.

