Be Part of Research makes it easy to learn about UK health and social care research. Anyone can search for ethically-approved studies and ask to take part. There are studies for people living with a condition, as well as those who may be healthy. The service also features the latest research findings from reliable sources. Visit www.bepartofresearch.uk to find out more.
Participant experience is a key part of research delivery. Understanding the experience of participants and the reasons why people decide to take part in research helps to improve processes for all involved. Every year, CRN West of England conducts a survey of people who have taken part in research.
Our 2022/23 Survey reported that 93% of research participants would consider joining another study. View the full digital report or download the PDF report.
Read more about the Participant in research experience survey (PRES).
A Research Champion is someone who volunteers their time to engage with the public and promote research from a patient point of view. Research Champions are keen to share the benefits of health and social care research and play an active part in its development. They could be a patient, service user, carer or lay person who is enthusiastic about health research and willing to communicate this to others.
Research Champions ensure people and researchers work well together to produce excellent research.
For more information, please read the Research Champion role description.
Please get in touch to find out more about Research Champions.
In the West of England, public involvement has been going on in academic research and in service improvement for many years. People in Health West of England (PHWE) work to embed public involvement in research, and are linked with key regional networks as core partners, including NIHR CRN West of England. PHWE aim to make improvements not just in patient involvement in research but also service improvement and commissioning.
Visit PHWE's website to find out more about how to promote research opportunities to members of the public.
People interested in taking part in Dementia research can register on the Join Dementia Research site and potentially be matched to suitable studies. Study teams and researchers can access this register and get in touch with suitable participants. For more information visit the Join Dementia Research website
11 December 2023
Heather's son, Robin, took part in the SurfON study after being born 6 weeks prematurely. Heather shares their story of taking part in research.
10 June 2022
Paul Sparrowhawk, 44, took part in the Thames Valley Young Stroke Study (TV-YSS) after experiencing a stroke. This is his story of taking part in research.
04 March 2022
When approached about donating tissue from his son, Matthew, to a brain tumour study, Andy knew it was something Matthew would have wanted him to do.
19 July 2021
Phase 3 of the Valneva vaccine study opened in Bristol in April 2021. The vaccine is the only inactivated, adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine in clinical development in Europe. Will is one of the volunteers taking part in the study. This is his story of taking part in research.
01 June 2021
Nicky Hayward, 60, from Bath, is one of the participants taking part in the FLAIR study, a randomised trial comparing treatments containing the drug ibrutinib with standard treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). She tells us about her experience.
