Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) (previously Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)) means engaging and involving people and communities with research. Patients and the public have perspectives based on their experiences, lives, and expertise in their own conditions which may differ from researchers’.
Publicly funded research should reflect the needs and priorities of the people it aims to serve. CEI gives people and communities the opportunity to influence and shape research, ensuring it is carried out with people rather than to them. This helps to make research more relevant, inclusive, and beneficial to the people it serves.
I feel incredibly proud to have been involved with something I know will help other people starting out on their PPI journey and all I had to do was use my lived experience and put it to good use. Researchers and the public working together to make a difference. NIHR South West Public Contributor
I feel incredibly proud to have been involved with something I know will help other people starting out on their PPI journey and all I had to do was use my lived experience and put it to good use. Researchers and the public working together to make a difference.
Involvement – The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) – who are the body that funds the BRC – defines public involvement in research as research being carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them. It is an active partnership between patients, carers and members of the public with researchers that influences and shapes research.
Engagement – Where information and knowledge about research is provided and disseminated.
Participation – Where people take part in a research study.
You can read our PPIE strategy to find out our goals and ambitions for PPIE within the BRC’s work.
"I’m passionate about using my experiences to help both researchers and the patients/public and making people aware of research and encouraging them to take part. I want to work with researchers to make their research more inclusive and diverse. Inclusion and diversity in research are crucial to ensuring treatment and care are tailored to everyone’s needs.” Public representative on the BRC Management Board
"I’m passionate about using my experiences to help both researchers and the patients/public and making people aware of research and encouraging them to take part. I want to work with researchers to make their research more inclusive and diverse. Inclusion and diversity in research are crucial to ensuring treatment and care are tailored to everyone’s needs.”
You don’t need any medical or specialist knowledge to get involved. All you need is an interest in health and care research, some time to spare and a willingness to share your thoughts and experiences with us.
There are lots of ways to get involved, whether you’d like to join regular involvement activities or hear about occasional opportunities that match your interests and experience, both within the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Exeter and the wider South West region.
The BRC CEI Group
Our core BRC CEI group meet several times a year, usually remotely via a video platform such as Zoom. Group members work alongside our researchers, providing valuable feedback on research ideas, funding applications, study materials and research priorities.
We welcome people who live in the South West and are aged 60 and over with a range of lived experiences, health conditions, and previous involvement experience. Whether you’re new to research or have been involved before, your perspective can help shape research that matters to people and communities.
Hear about other opportunities
If you would prefer to take part on a more flexible basis, to suit your lifestyle, you can join our mailing list to receive details of involvement opportunities from the BRC and our NIHR partners across the South West.
We will keep in regular contact with you, and share opportunities – there’s no commitment to get involved, but you will be offered the chance to get involved in projects that you find interesting or relevant to your experience.
If this is something that interests you, please follow this link to our form to sign up today!
If you’d like to find out more about getting involved, we’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch with our team at any time with questions and find the best way for you to get involved – involvement@exeter.ac.uk.
Sign up today!
“I’m a passionate supporter of health research, innovation and evidence-based practice. I have a particular interest in biomedical research and experimental medicine – the essential building blocks for harnessing the scientific innovations that will lead to new and exciting treatments for patients – the “bench to bedside” approach that brings scientists and clinicians together to improve health and healthcare and that can bring about life-saving treatments." Public representative on the BRC Management Board
“I’m a passionate supporter of health research, innovation and evidence-based practice. I have a particular interest in biomedical research and experimental medicine – the essential building blocks for harnessing the scientific innovations that will lead to new and exciting treatments for patients – the “bench to bedside” approach that brings scientists and clinicians together to improve health and healthcare and that can bring about life-saving treatments."
“Working as a patient advisor kept my brain active – it kept me focused on other things as well as my husband’s condition. It’s helped me, and I hope I’ve helped others by being involved.” NIHR South West Public Contributor
“Working as a patient advisor kept my brain active – it kept me focused on other things as well as my husband’s condition. It’s helped me, and I hope I’ve helped others by being involved.”
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