How can I get involved?
Have you ever wondered what it's like to participate in a research study?
Perhaps you have been informed about some research which you could be eligible to participate in and you want to find out more about what to expect before you decide.
The NIHR YouTube channel NIHRtv has a selection of videos about clinical research which you might find interesting.
Will you be paid for taking part in a research study?
Often you will be compensated for any travel expenses arising from your participation in a clinical trial so that you aren't out of pocket if you decide to take part.
Sometimes a small payment for inconvenience can be made to you. Full details of any payments made are explained in the study information provided to you, to read before you decide whether to participate in the trial or not. If you have any questions, you can ask the person who is explaining the study to you.
How can you find out what research studies are taking place near to you?
The NIHR Be Part of Research website has details on how you can find out where health and social care research is taking place across the UK. It is searchable by keywords such as 'diabetes', 'blood' or 'Sheffield'. From lifestyle surveys to clinical trials - taking place at local hospitals, GP surgeries, in care or community settings or at home. There’s a study to suit you.
The NIHR volunteer registry service delivers research study opportunities straight to your inbox, making it even easier to support research. 500,000 volunteers have already signed up and you can join too. Simply register your details and tell us the health conditions you’re interested in. You’ll then be ‘matched’ to studies, so you can decide if you want to take part.
Public involvement panels
You can get involved in clinical research in a variety of ways, not just as a trial participant.
Some people decide to continue to be involved with research after they have taken part in a research project. Some people might not have taken part in a project, before but want to be involved in a different way.
Public involvement panels have been set up to ensure that research carried out at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is patient-focused. To find out more about patient panels and opportunities to get involved please visit the Clinical Research & Innovation Office website.
Learning for Involvement
An interactive course for new and experienced patient/public reviewers of health and social care research has been produced by a team of public reviewers and patient and public involvement professionals within the NIHR.
The course covers reviewing in all contexts for NIHR research funding programmes, plus skills and activities required at different levels and stages of research. It is designed for public contributors who are committee members as well as public reviewers.
You can access this course on the NIHR Learning for Involvement website.
Study results
Results from studies that have been supported by the NIHR Sheffield Clinical Research Facility (CRF) can be found on our study results page.
If you have taken part in research which isn't referenced on our publications page and are interested in finding out more about the results of the research, please contact us. If you have the study title or Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH) reference number of the study that you participated in, it would be helpful if you could mention this to us.
