Get involved

Find out more about the ways to get involved in research and how you could help change people's lives.

There are lots of ways to get involved in health and care research. 

We are always looking for people to help guide what research we fund and how it is carried out. You can have a professional role in health or care, lived experience of a condition or just a passing interest.

Involvement roles for health and social care professionals

Become a professional committee member

We are looking for academics, subject experts, clinical staff, service managers, health, social care and public health professionals to join our committees. Learn more about becoming a professional committee member and search for positions.

Become a peer reviewer

Peer reviewers help shape the research we fund and improve practice by providing insight from their professional experience. Find out more and apply.

Become an evidence reviewer

We seek commentary from health and care professionals, as well as people with lived experience, carers and other members of the public on our research summaries. Find out more on the NIHR Evidence website.

Suggest a research topic

To make good decisions about what research to fund, we need to know which questions need answering most. Give your perspective.

If you are a patient, carer, service user or member of the public 

Every day, thousands of patients, carers, service users and members of the public go the extra mile to help make research happen. 

You could help by taking part in a study or trial. Or you could share your experiences of the health and social care system in partnership with researchers to shape what research is done, how it's carried out, and how the results are shared.

Take part in a study or trial

Some studies examine new treatments, while others might involve interviews and surveys. Learn more about being part of a study and find the right study for you.

What is public involvement in research?

If you don’t want to take part in a trial, there are plenty of other ways you can shape research. 

Find out more about what public involvement in research is, and how to get started.

Use your lived experience to shape research

Help spread the word about research

We work with communities and members of the public to spread the word about research and make it more inclusive. Discover how you can raise awareness of research and encourage people to take part.

Men chatting

Work with research teams and organisations to shape research

Use our match-making service – People in Research – to find opportunities to work with research teams and input into how research is carried out.

Become a public committee member

NIHR committees help decide which research to prioritise and which research projects to fund. Learn more about becoming a public committee member and search open positions.

Review and comment on documents

We need members of the public to help review research documentation and provide valuable insight from their lived experience.

Learn more about research

NIHR Evidence

Browse our easy-to-read summaries on the NIHR Evidence website. The site focuses on the results of NIHR projects that we think could change the way people do things.

What is Health Research?

Learn more about what's involved in research and hear from the volunteers who have taken part in this free, 3-week, online course.

What difference could I make?

Don't just take our word for it, read these real life stories from patients, carers and their families about their experience of being part of research. You can also see how research has made a difference to people's lives and patient care.

Stories

Earlier diagnosis of dementia in patients

NIHR Dementia TRC enables expansion of recruitment to assess the accuracy of the digital tool CognoSpeak

Stories

Routes to Wellness: a person centred approach to research

Routes to Wellness is working with refugees, researchers and service providers to create a shared language about mental health, which will help refugees to identify health goals and access support.

Stories

NIHR supports global pharma company's patient-focused approach to breast cancer trials

Patients are experts in their conditions. Discover how the NIHR assisted a global pharma company to engage in direct dialogue with breast cancer patients to help embed the patient’s perspective in their upcoming programme of breast cancer research.

Couple holding a mobile phone

Connect with us

Keep up-to-date by following us on social media and signing up to our newsletter to find out more about opportunities to get involved in research. We share people's experiences of taking part in studies and helping shape research.

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