TU Dublin to Champion Inclusive Health Research through the National PPI Ignite Network
The Health Research Board has announced a €10 million investment in the second phase of the PPI Ignite Network, aimed at increasing capacity and skills for high-quality, meaningful PPI (Public and Patient Involvement) in Ireland’s health and social care research. Of this total investment, €7.3 million funding comes from the Health Research Board (HRB), and €2.7 million co-funding from lead sites. Phase II will expand the network from seven to eleven university sites across the island of Ireland and will be led nationally by the Royal College of Surgeons.
Dr Gráinne Gorman, Chief Executive at the Health Research Board (HRB), said:
We are proud to invest in a further five-year phase of the PPI Ignite Network. Public and patient involvement is critical to making research more relevant, impactful and inclusive. The HRB is committed to championing initiatives that embed PPI into the research system, ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience are heard and drive meaningful and lasting change.
TU Dublin is one of the new lead sites and will support and participate in all the activities of the network. The University will work with ten local partner community organisations and the other Network Partners to develop training, resources and a range of new initiatives to support PPI in research, ensuring that research reflects the priorities and viewpoints of local communities.
Funding of €499,994.14 has been awarded to TU Dublin and partners, bringing the total project value to €750,655.14.
Dr Dympna O'Sullivan, Vice President, TU Dublin Research and Innovation said:
We are delighted that TU Dublin has been selected as a lead site in Phase II of the PPI Ignite Network. This investment builds on our strong track record in engaged, community-connected research and our growing expertise in meaningful Public and Patient Involvement across health and social care. Over many years, our researchers have worked closely with patients, service users and community partners to co-design research that responds to real-world needs and delivers tangible impact and this funding will allow us to further strengthen that work. We look forward to contributing our expertise to the national network and to learning from colleagues across the island to collectively advance inclusive, impactful research.
The project will be delivered by TU Dublin researchers; Professor Fiona Lyng (Lead Co-applicant), Dr Catherine Bates (Research Support Co-applicant), Dr Emma Muphy (Academic Co-applicant) and from St John of God Research Foundation and St John of God Research Services; Mr Patrick Fitzgerald (PPI Co-applicant). Their aim is to make public involvement a normal and expected part of health and social care research on the island of Ireland, so research becomes more relevant, more trusted, and more likely to make a real impact in people’s lives.
TU Dublin will also jointly coordinate one of the five Network wide themes with colleagues from Trinity College Dublin, the University of Limerick and TUSLA. This theme, ‘Strengthening and Expanding a More Inclusive and Internationally Connected Network’, focuses on removing barriers to involvement, developing inclusive approaches, and building international collaborations so that more diverse voices can shape research that matters to them.
The PPI Ignite Network is an all-island partnership bringing together researchers, universities, organisations, charities and members of the public to improve how health and social care research is designed and delivered. Building on the achievements of the first phase, the Network will now grow its reach, strengthen connections with underrepresented communities and deepen a culture of public involvement across the research system.
HRB’s PPI Lead, Dr Anne Cody added:
This next stage of funding is particularly exciting as for the first time there is formal co-leadership by members of the public, embedded across all levels of decision making and governance. We are also addressing a recognised barrier to PPI, the limited availability of seed funding, with a ring-fenced budget of €500,000 for this purpose. This will enable researchers and PPI partners to support new and existing partnerships and to strengthen PPI approaches in the development of future research.
Local PPI partner organisations working with TU Dublin include: Men’s Health Forum in Ireland; St John of God Research Foundation; Enable Ireland; Irish Platform for Patients’ Organisations, Science & Industry (IPPOSI); The Liberties Community Project; Dementia Research Network Ireland; Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC); Fighting Blindness; St John of God Community Services; and the Coeliac Society of Ireland.