Patient and Public Involvement

We have a simple ambition - to fund the research that will one day stop men dying from prostate cancer.

We believe that the involvement of people who have been directly affected by prostate cancer significantly improves the quality and outcomes of all types of research. Because of their personal experiences of prostate cancer, men who have been diagnosed with the disease, as well as their close family and friends, are uniquely placed to help shape and deliver your research, adding value at all stages of the research pipeline. 

We encourage all proposals submitted to us to actively involve patient representatives, and this will be taken into consideration by our committees and reviewers.

We can provide support to involve patient representatives in your research grant applications, both at the pre-application and post-award stages, including applications to other funders.

What are the benefits?

Involving patients or their families can keep your research focused on what matters most, and can strengthen your research project and funding applications in a number of ways:

  • Helping your research maintain a clear focus of benefiting those affected by prostate cancer.

  • Defining and contextualising your research question

  • Increase the likelihood of men enrolling onto your study by making the patient experience a core part of your trial from the planning through to the dissemination of results

  • Monitoring and disseminating progress

  • Help you design and deliver your engagement or involvement activities

Our Patient Representative Network

Our Patient Representative Network have personal experience of prostate cancer and can offer lay input into the planning and delivery of your research and related grant funding, both pre-application and post-award. This includes applications to other funders.

Our Patient Representative Network can help your research by:

  • Providing a review of the lay sections of your grant application

  • Participating in your grant application as a patient representative

  • Providing comments of different aspects of your clinical trial such as the protocol, practicalities for participants, lay summaries and the patient burden in data collection

  • Participating in your project group or any relevant committees to shape your project

Request input from a Patient Representative Network member by:

Downloading and completing the short form sharing details of your research project and/or grant application as well as the type of input you would like from our Patient Representative Network. Please return completed forms to [email protected].

Our top tip: consider reasonable timelines for requesting input from our Patient Representative Network to make the most of the opportunity and to increase your chance of receiving high quality input from our members.

Once we have received your completed form, we will review your request and aim to get back to you within three working days. If your request is suitable for our Patient Representative Network members, we will then put you in touch with them to arrange carrying out the work required.

To help us continually improve this service for the research community, please make sure you share with us your feedback on the input you received from our Patient Representative Network by emailing [email protected]

Find out more about our Patient Representative Network

Request a patient representative from the Representative Network