The Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care (NMPC) has launched a new website to support inclusive public involvement in research, offering training, resources and events for researchers and communities alike.

The site, which went live on 12 January, was developed through the Inclusive Research and Education Practices (IREP) Project Working Group 3 and funded by Research England. 

“Our new site will bring together staff and members of the public to share knowledge and resources,” said Dr Sarah Crabtree, public involvement coordinator at King’s NMPC. “The aim is to help minimise duplication of work and better support others in this space, while making it easier for researchers and communities to connect and collaborate.”

What you’ll find on the website 

The website brings together information, training, resources, news and events to support meaningful public involvement:

  • Training: Researchers across King’s highlighted a lack of foundational training to help them know where to start with public involvement. The Foundations of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) course is a six-part online program covering what PPIE is, why it matters, practical tips for planning and delivering involvement, and best practices for meaningful engagement. Developed for staff and students by public contributors and engagement professionals, it was led by Dr Sarah Crabtree and Dr Annie Howitt Sprent, with support from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity. The course is flexible and a certificate is available upon completion.
  • Resources for communities and researchers: Guides, tools and information to support communities and researchers in their involvement work.
  • Events and news: Updates on funding calls, knowledge exchange opportunities, community events and opportunities for PPIE members to get involved in research projects. 
  • Engaging young people: An animated video co-created with young people explains research and public involvement, highlighting why their voices are important in shaping research projects.
Sarah Crabtree (staff co-lead of IREP WG3), Honor Morris, and Leonie Lawson (public co-lead of IREP WG3) in Newcastle for the Advance Higher Education (HE) Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity (EDI) Conference .

The team behind the new site: Sarah Crabtree (public involvement coordinator at King’s NMPC and staff co-lead of IREP WG3), Honor Morris and Leonie Lawson (public co-lead of IREP WG3) .

A collaborative effort 

The website was built in close consultation with both staff and community partners across King’s Health Partners. Key priorities included:

  • Supporting equal partnerships between communities and the university
  • Offering clear resources and training for researchers
  • Creating opportunities for connection and collaboration
  • Building awareness of funding and involvement opportunities 

The platform also incorporates learning from the Cicely Saunders Institute Online Forum, helping ensure that it reflects best practice in online public involvement.

Next steps 

Between January and June 2026, the IREP PPIE working group, alongside the Better Health and Care Hub, will continue to seek feedback from communities to improve the website and make it an even more valuable resource for everyone involved in research.

If you have any feedback or are interested in more formally getting involved in further development of the website, please get in touch with sarah.crabtree@kcl.ac.uk. 

Visit the King’s NMPC public involvement website.