In this proposal we outline an ambitious programme of activity that has the potential to fundamentally alter the way that health research is undertaken in NUI Galway. Building on existing strengths in public and patient involvement across several of our Colleges we will appoint a PPI Ignite team based in the new Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS), a building that exemplifies community engagement and partnership. The PPI Ignite team will include the Lead Applicant, a PPI Ignite Programme Manager and Support Officer along with several NUI Galway research leaders linked to the new Population Health & Health Services Research Institute. We will form a Lay Panel whose members will influence the work of the PPI Ignite team. The proposed activities include (1) a Support function, delivered both as face-to-face and online support, (2) an Education and Training function, drawing on resources developed by our international partners with expertise in PPI (in the UK) and in Community-Based Participatory Research (in the US) and (3) an Evaluation and Impact function in which we will undertake an appraisal of our own PPI Ignite activities and contribute to an appraisal of where Irish HEI’s are with PPI in health research. In the short-term we will influence awareness, knowledge, skills and attitudes towards PPI; in the intermediate term we will influence readiness and capacity to incorporate high quality PPI in health research projects; in the longer term we will influence the culture and approach to health research through altering the values that drive decision-making in research methodology (Figure 1). We recognise that culture change is not easy to accomplish and are encouraged that NUI Galway has agreed to provide sustainability funding for 3 years beyond the lifetime of any PPI Ignite funding from the HRB/IRC.
