How are the public involved in the BRC?
Public members are involved in many ways in the Birmingham BRC. They contribute to individual studies and activities in our research themes as part of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) groups we run. Public members support the governance and central operations of the BRC organisation.
Some of our groups meet up regularly, whilst others only once or twice a year. To include everyone who wants to get involved with our research, we hold meetings and events in-person and online and at different times of the day, to try to meet everyone’s needs.
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Patient and Public Involvement Groups in BRC Research Themes & Partners
There are several groups across the BRC themes and partners (in brackets) where public members work with and advise researchers:
- Liver & Gastrointestinal (GI) PPI Group (Liver Disease; Oral, Intestinal & Systemic health)
- Muscle Health PPI Group (Sarcopenia & Multimorbidity)
- R2P2 – Rheumatology Research Patient Partnership (Inflammatory Arthritis)
- Research User Group (Keele University)
- The Hildas (Women’s Metabolic Health)
- DAISy-PCOS – a programme of community and public engagement for polycystic ovary syndrome (Women’s Metabolic Health)
Keen to get involved in one of these groups? Just complete this form and find out more.
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BRC governance and operations
Public members are involved across the BRC governance and operational groups:
- Executive Board and Advisory committee – 3 public members provide advice on the strategic direction of the BRC
- BRC Patient and Public Advisory Group (PPAG) – a diverse group of 18 people from different PPI groups working with the BRC, who work alongside the BRC PPIE Team. They help improve public involvement across the BRC and co-develop new public involvement and engagement initiatives and programmes
- Working Groups – members of the PPAG work with other BRC staff and researchers on the following groups:
- Academic Career Development
- Communications
- Research Culture, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- PPIE Leadership Group and Community of Practice for PPIE practitioners and researchers
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Achievements
- New BRC Patient and Public Advisory Group formed in September 2023
- REP-EQUITY: Public contributors help co-develop a new toolkit for improving the inclusion of underserved communities in research
- NIHR Race Equality Framework: we piloted the Framework with our patient partners. Find out more about our work (link opens download)
