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Involving the public in your research

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

We aim to make it easier for researchers, who are applying for research funding from RDN Portfolio eligible funders, to involve the public, as Public Contributors, in their research. The benefits of involving Public Contributors include:

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

Our public involvement support service

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

  • Acting as public involvement lead on research grant applications.
  • Costing public involvement activities on research grant applications
  • Good practice guidance and facilitation for involving 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 public involvement be embedded in the research process?

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

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

How can Public Contributors help you with your project?

Involving the Public Contributors in your project gives another viewpoint and they 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)

Contact us

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