About PPIE
Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) describes the different ways in which members of the public can inform and shape research (involvement) and how our research work is communicated (engagement).
PPIE is an important part of research today. Aside from the mutual short- and long-term benefits, involvement and engagement activities are increasingly important for grant applications and ethical reviews. Researchers with PPIE activities on their CV are also extremely advantageous to career progression.
As researchers, holding patient and public engagement events and forming professional relationships between patients and scientists encourages patients to be part of research design and implementation.
By increasing our engagement activities, it is possible to foster new relationships with patients and the community, helping to better understand how to meet the needs of those in the greatest need. It is also important to highlight and champion our professionals and the IoO's cutting-edge research.
If you are interested in organising a PPIE activity and don’t know where to start, please have a look at the information and resources below and get in touch with NIHR Moorfields BRC by emailing moorfieldsbrc@ucl.ac.uk
A great way to learn about engaging with patients and the public is to come along to the researcher engagers group. This group aims to bring together staff and students with an interest in PPIE - to share ideas, and experiences and collaborate on PPIE projects. Whether you're an old hand or a complete beginner - everyone is welcome! The Researcher Engagers meetings are advertised on our digital screens and the Institute calendar.
For more information, please contact Charlotte Patten: charlotte.patten@ucl.ac.uk or Subhojit Chakraborty: subhojit.chakraborty@ucl.ac.uk
If you are looking to include the perspectives of patients in the design, delivery and dissemination of your research then the PPIE team at NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) can provide advice, training and support. They can help you access and work with patients to benefit your research. To discuss your project, please contact Helen Baker: h.baker@ucl.ac.uk
The Research Community (set up by NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre) is a group of around 300 members of the public with an eye condition (or their carers) who have signed up to help with the following:
- Attend events on eye research
- Contribute to the design of research studies through correspondence or by joining a discussion group
- Respond to questionnaires that help researchers develop studies in specific areas
If you are interested in working with the Research Community, please contact Helen Baker: h.baker@ucl.ac.uk
If you would like to organise a patient or public-facing event, NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre can help with advice, organisation and where to look for useful funding opportunities. Please contact Alice Thompson for events planning: alice.g.thompson@ucl.ac.uk.
We offer resources and training at NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre. Please work through our useful PPIE and Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in research courses and have a look at the information provided on our researcher guidance page.
- NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre Introduction to Patient – Public Involvement – Open to staff at UCL and Moorfields: This is a free, on-demand course; you just need to register
- NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre Introduction to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Ophthalmic Research – Open to staff at UCL and Moorfields: This is a free, on-demand course; you just need to register
- Writing and designing for lay and visually impaired audiences (.docx)