During this transition period, we want to ensure that our public contributors and partners can continue to hear about patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) opportunities. To support continuity during this time, the NIHR South London Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN) has kindly agreed to step in as the main point of contact for PPIE and research engagement opportunities until future ARC arrangements are confirmed.
There are 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks across England. Within them, Research Engagement and Inclusion teams work to bridge the gap between health and care research and local communities. At its heart, this work is about building trust, strengthening partnerships and ensuring everyone has fair access to research opportunities, particularly those who have been historically underserved by research.
The teams support the public to access research opportunities, including the NIHR’s Be Part of Research registry, and is building a diverse community of public partners to support their work. They work in close partnership with voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, community leaders, faith groups and grassroots networks that have trusted relationships with local residents.
Through these partnerships, they take research conversations into community spaces, listen to lived experience and co-design engagement activity that reflects local and cultural contexts. They fund and support community-led projects helping to remove practical and social barriers to involvement such as awareness, confidence, accessibility and trust.
By working both through the Research Engagement Networks (RENs) and proactively reaching communities who are not currently connected to them, they are broadening who is involved in research. This approach helps ensure that London’s research landscape better reflects the diversity of its communities and that engagement is meaningful, inclusive and sustained over time.
The NIHR has strengthened its patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) approach to working with patients, carers and the public. Lived experience is no longer an add-on; it is a driving force in shaping better, more relevant, ethical and impactful health and care research.
As one NIHR, the RDDNs are working together across the system to support our partners and communities. If you would like to hear about PPIE updates from the RRDNs and the progress of the new pan-London ARC, please sign up to their mailing list.
By signing up, you’ll be the first to hear about the latest NIHR PPIE research opportunities, news and upcoming events in London.
Sign up to the RRDN mailing list via this secure Google Form.
Download ARC South London's resources about patient and public involvement