Updates from R and D Division
9th March marked the 1st anniversary of the launch of our Shared Commitment to improve public
involvement in health and social care research. Please see further information on our website
Shared Commitment to Public Involvement- One Year On | Public Health Agency - Research &
Development in Northern Ireland (hscni.net)
Information is also available on the Health Research Authority webpage Supporting the Shared
Commitment - Health Research Authority (hra.nhs.uk)
Margaret Grayson is an active member of PIER Public Involvement Enhancing
Research.
PIER NI (Public Involvement Enhancing Research) | Public Health Agency -
Research & Development in Northern Ireland (hscni.net).
Offers her view here:
We continue to enjoy the benefits of being involved in several other UK working groups as one of the devolved nations,
including the 5 Nations PPI Group, the UK Standards sub group, UK Payments for Public Contributors sub group and the
Be Part of Research Advisory, Governance and Communications groups! At times, though it does seem that it is a case of
the same faces in different places, particularly when it comes to our Celtic colleagues, the opportunities that membership
of these groups brings, to learn from and network with our partners 'across the water' and 'over the border' as they say
here, has only been to our advantage and wanting to do more.
With lots of other exciting PPI initiatives happening at the moment across the island, including PPI Ignite, the potential for
joining up and creating a stronger, more vibrant and more dynamic environment for PPI in Research in Northern Ireland
has never been better. This was demonstrated only yesterday (9th March 2023) when around 100 people registered to
join a virtual PIER event with Simon Denegri entitled, 'Looking Back, Forging Forward'. With the Shared Commitment
driving us on, we look forward to the next phase of this exciting journey.
Quote
The key factor that distinguishes a hobby from a job is the value your work provides to someone else. If you move on
from your research before it is useful to someone else, you are not doing your job. You are treating your research as a
hobby.