Research Engagement Panel

Experts by Experience can contribute their time and expert knowledge in a variety of ways.

Their insights are sought when developing study questions or materials, when interpreting findings or when writing them up for dissemination or presentation to different audiences.

Often studies will run "Steering Groups" or "Project Monitoring Groups" which typically meet quarterly but may also get in contact for additional input outside of scheduled meetings. You will be told what the specific expectations are for each study prior to getting involved. 

Some larger projects set up a Steering Group to guide the work from start to finish. It brings together members of the project team and people with a real connection to the topic, who care about the project achieving its goals and making a difference.

Who is invited depends on the project. For a study about a particular patient group, this might include patients, clinicians, family members, or managers of care facilities. For a project on school education, it might include parents, headteachers, or representatives of the Education Authority.

What would I be doing?

Steering Group members help keep the project on track. This means checking that it is making progress, that key milestones are being reached, and that the needs and expectations of the target group are met. Your experience and perspective help make sure the project stays focused on what matters to the people it is for. 

How much time does it take?

Groups usually meet two to four times a year. Some projects may ask for occasional extra meetings or tasks, such as looking over study advertisements or research materials to make sure they are accessible and clear. For larger projects, you may be paid for your contribution. Sometimes, however, the project is very small and will not be able to reimburse you for your time. This will be communicated to you clearly before you sign up.

Before you decide

Each study provides a role descriptor explaining what is expected, and you will have the chance to talk with the project team before you join.

You could get involved as a participant in a research study. These studies are active studies looking for people who can contribute their time or data. 

Our studies vary widely. Some examples are:

• Completion of an online survey that may take 20-30 minutes of your time, for example, a questionnaire about the experiences of caring for others.
• A study with multiple timepoints (online or in-person), for example, a study investigating how children learn over time.
• A computer task (completed online or in-person), for example, a study investigating memory performance under different conditions.
• A visit to a lab for physical tests or response monitoring, for example, a study that investigates physical changes during exercise.
• A focus group (online or in-person), for example, a study that wants to understand the experiences of people living with dementia. 

All our research undergoes rigorous ethics and governance review before participant recruitment to ensure high-quality data collection and storage, participant safety, and confidentiality.

If you represent an organisation, group or service, one of our academic teams can come and talk to you about our work, whether that's a study we're planning or findings we've just completed.

We want what we learn to reach the people it could help, and organisations like yours are often the best route to them.

For example, if we're studying how people cope during illness, we'd value talking with patient groups about what would be most useful to them. If we find that a particular approach helps teachers improve reading engagement in the classroom, we'd like to share it with schools and education authorities so it can be put to use.