The HRB hosted an event in Dublin recently celebrating the contribution public reviewers make to decisions about research funding.

The occasion was a learning opportunity for both public reviewers and the HRB, as attendees heard from, and spoke with, HRB funded researchers and their PPI partners about the creative ways they have included the public and patient involvement (PPI) voice in their research.

This included work with the Dundalk Simon community evaluating the provision of an emergency accommodation unit for people experiencing homelessness, a research partnership with a GAA PPI partner to enhance men’s awareness of testicular diseases and a collaboration in a programme of research about different aspects of stroke care.

Dr Anne Cody Head of Investigator-Led Grants at the HRB said:

“We wanted to say a big thank-you to our public reviewers. After initial training, public reviewers work in their own time, so this opportunity to bring everybody together created a great buzz. They also rarely see what happens once an application has been funded, so getting first-hand accounts of PPI collaborations in some of our grants was really appreciated. I think everybody, including HRB staff, left the event with some new insights.”

Feedback was positive, with participants saying they enjoyed the sense of collegiality and openness at the event.

Attendees appreciated the opportunity to meet other reviewers and HRB personnel to share thoughts and experiences. They felt they learned from the event and looked forward to thinking more about how to better support researchers with their PPI plans.