Patients and the public

We work in partnership with local communities, recognising the important role of patient and public involvement in research.

There are lots of different ways that patients and members of the public can get involved in research and support the work of our partners.

Take part in research

Interested in opportunities to take part in research? The Be Part of Research website is run by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) and is designed to help people find and volunteer for studies.

Through Be Part of Research, you can search for trials and studies taking place near you, and for health conditions that you are interested in. You can also find out more about signing up to be a healthy volunteer, supporting researchers to help others living with a health condition.

Help shape research

We also need patients and members of the public to work in partnership with researchers to help shape research. Your lived experience can guide what research is done, how it’s carried out, and how the results are shared.

Whether it's joining a funding committee, helping decide which projects should be prioritised or providing feedback on funding applications, there are many ways to get involved. The NIHR's People in Research website can help you discover opportunities of interest.