Supporting research
There are many ways you can get involved to make a valuable contribution to research.
If you are interested in taking part in a research study, please visit our 'Take part in research' page for information about available opportunities based on your diagnosis, situation or experience.
For other ways you can be involved in research, please see the information listed below.
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)
We recognise the importance of communicating effectively about our research and creating opportunities for those with lived experience to be involved in research alongside healthcare professionals, academics and researchers.
These approaches are collectively called Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE):
Patient: A person with lived experience of receiving support from services for a diagnosed health condition.
Public: People with lived experience relevant to understanding healthcare conditions (including carers).
Involvement: The process that allows those with lived experience of healthcare conditions to work with healthcare professionals, academics and researchers to improve healthcare research and delivery.
Engagement: The exchange of knowledge about research.
Please note the term ‘patient’ is used interchangeably with 'service user' for PPIE.
For more information about PPIE, please email awp
Join AWP Research Community (ARC)
The ARC allows our service users, carers, and staff, as well as academics and members of the general public to:
- Keep up-to-date with the latest news and events from AWP Research and Development
- Remain informed about research studies that we are supporting and how people could take part or get involved
If you are interested in joining the ARC mailing list, please email us at awp
Research and Development Committee
You can also get involved without playing a direct role in a study by becoming a member of the AWP Research and Development Committee, which meets four times a year. Your involvement will make a real contribution towards mental health and dementia research, which can help service users, their carers and the public.
We welcome expressions of interest in joining the Research and Development Committee from our service users, carers, and staff, as well as academics and other professionals. If you are interested in becoming a member of the committee, you can email:
The purpose of the R&D Committee is to:
- keep service users and their carers at the heart of what we do
- consider how our decisions might affect service users and carers
- ensure we are working towards achieving aims set out in the R&D strategy
- monitor the progress, development, governance and performance of research across AWP
- make sure we spend our money wisely
- share information about research activities, events and publications
Be Part of Research
Be Part of Research is a free online service run by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which helps people find and take part in health and care research opportunities. Click the button below to visit the Be Part of Research website.
Join Dementia Research
'Join Dementia Research’ has been developed by The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, Alzheimer's Research UK and Alzheimer's Society. This service allows people to register their interest in taking part in dementia research and be matched to suitable studies locally and nationally. The service delivers new opportunities for people to play their part in beating dementia. Find out more on the Join Dementia Research website by clicking the button below, which will link to their external website.
NIHR Associate Principal Investigator (API) Scheme
The Associate PI Scheme is a six month in-work training opportunity, providing practical experience for healthcare professionals, who would not normally have the opportunity to take part in clinical research in their day-to-day role, to start their research career.
API's would work on and deliver an NIHR portfolio trial under the mentorship of a Local Principal Investigator (PI) who would share knowlege with and train the Associate PI. This scheme is available to a wide range of applicants and across many specialties.
Find out more about the API scheme on the NIHR website by clicking the button below.