In 2018, the PPI Ignite @ NUI Galway team embarked on a mission to bring about a culture change in health and social care research, so that the people most likely to be impacted by the research findings are involved in, and shape, all stages of that research. We aim to achieve this by creating awareness of PPI among researchers across the University and in the local community, by building PPI capacity in both researchers and the local community through PPI training and by supporting researchers from all disciplines to embed PPI approaches in their research.
In January 2019, we established a Public Advisory Panel (PAP) to be involved in, and shape the work of, the PPI Ignite @ NUI Galway programme.
The Public Advisory Panel at NUI Galway was established by drawing on existing PPI partners, community contacts and professional networks to make initial contact with potential members. Equality, diversity and inclusion considerations underpinned the breadth of our selection process and will continue to do so as we expand the membership of the PAP.
Members of the PAP contribute to shaping the PPI Ignite programme at NUI Galway in many ways, including co-developing and co-facilitating PPI education activities, co-designing PPI initiatives aimed at community organisations, co-authoring publications and articles about PPI, acting as PPI ambassadors in the media and within their own communities, and attending the PPI Ignite Steering Committee meetings. When the lived experience of a group member is relevant to a research topic, they help researchers to refine research questions and plans, at grant application stage by co-managing specific research projects within NUI Galway.