Race equality in public involvement

NIHR’s Race Equality Public Action Group (REPAG) aims to give racialised communities a stronger voice in shaping priorities for research

REPAG was established in 2020. The group is co-chaired and led by public contributors of Black African, Asian and Caribbean heritage - each of whom brings their professional and lived experience - working alongside NIHR staff and members of the academic, health and care communities.

REPAG’s purpose

The purpose of the group is:

• to strengthen NIHR’s understanding of race inequality in health and social care research
• to advise on actions for NIHR to take to ensure that race equality is embedded in the interactions between the research community and patients, people who use social care services, carers and the public
• to prioritise the voices of those most affected by health and care challenges
  
  

Increasing inclusive participation and involvement

We know that the ethnic diversity of those who participate in or shape health and care research often does not reflect that of the population affected by the issue being researched. This means that research often doesn’t meet the needs of the whole population. We want to ensure research is delivered in a way that is informed by a diversity of experiences and addresses health inequalities.

REPAG is part of the NIHR’s commitment to Equality Diversity and Inclusion and our efforts to diversify the voices of those who shape our research agenda. REPAG is focused on race equality in public involvement and specifically on finding better ways to work with Black African, Asian and Caribbean heritage communities.

Why focus on Black African, Asian and Caribbean heritage people?

We know that Black African, Asian, Caribbean heritage people are significantly underrepresented in shaping NIHR research. These groups are also disproportionately affected by health conditions, including COVID-19 , and have a history of mistrust of biomedical research.

Black African, Asian, Caribbean heritage people need to have a stronger influence in shaping the health and social care research agenda and so REPAG and the Race Equality Framework are focused on these communities in particular. However the approaches are generalisable to other racialised groups and across a wider group of diverse communities.

Race Equality resources

REPAG has co-produced or contributed to resources to help organisations and individuals improve racial equality in public involvement in health and care research.