DkIT Welcomes Funding To Support Public And Patient Involvement (PPI) In Research

04 February 2021

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) welcomes the announcement of funding for the establishment of a PPI Ignite Network. Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) is research carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public, rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them. This approach is gaining recognition as improving research quality and ensuring research is relevant, useable and in the best interests of the public.

The Health Research Board (HRB) in collaboration with the Irish Research Council have confirmed a funding commitment of almost €5m to support the development of a network of research institutions committed to PPI at all stages of health and social care research. The PPI Ignite Network Programme will build on and consolidate the work of the original 5 PPI Ignite universities, adding 2 more lead universities, 10 national partners and 54 local partners.

NetwellCASALA Research Centre and Living Lab at DkIT is proud to be a local partner with PPI Ignite Network lead site, Dublin City University.

Commenting on the announcement, Mairead O’Driscoll, CEO of the HRB said:

“Involving people in the work we do and the work we fund leads to improved research, improved outcomes and improved lives. People’s insights and life experience can inform the work in ways researchers operating in isolation can’t.

This new PPI Ignite Network is the next step in the HRB’s national leadership of involving people in research. Working with the Irish Research Council and all the partner institutions, we are helping to ensure that people and patients are involved at every stage of Irish health and social care research, right from the start, before pen is even put to paper for a research proposal.”

Suzanne Smith, centre manager at NetwellCASALA, the multidisciplinary research centre for Ageing at DkIT (DkIT) added,

“We we welcome the creation of a new national PPI network and we look forward to bringing our experience of working closely with people and community organisations to the PPI conversation. We expect to expand our research activities to create even more space at the table for those impacted by our work and to join our research teams’.

Also speaking today, Dr Tim McCormac, Head of Research & Graduate Studies at DkIT said,

“The partnership of NetwellCASALA with the PPI Ignite Network is further evidence of the commitment to hearing and responding to the needs and the voices of people in our regional communities. At DkIT, we are fimily committed to increasing participation in our research and we welcome the opportunity to create new participatory spaces for diverse audiences in our region and beyond. This work is reflective of the innovative research approaches found across the six research centres and seven research groups at the institute.’