The National Prevention Research Initiative – a study of successful lay involvement in strategic funding of research

2006 Conference

The National Prevention Research Initiative is a partnership of eleven major research funders brought together by the National Cancer Research Institute. The objective is to develop cost effective interventions which encourage healthy behaviour or which discourage unhealthy behaviours. The focus is on smoking, obesity, nutrition and exercise. The initial funding call in 2005 resulted in 248 initial applications. At the final stage 45 full proposals were refined down to 26 funded projects, with £7m being committed over five years. A further call is in preparation for autumn 2006.

Roger Wilson was part of the NCRI Strategic Planning Group which founded NPRI and now serves on its Programme Board. Patient/consumer involvement has been central throughout the development of the initiative and there is representation on all decision-making groups. The Scientific Committee which reviewed both initial and full applications had six lay members, 25% of the panel. Their contribution was significant and had a number of effects on the way the programme has developed.

This presentation looks at the NPRI and its structure to see what influences helped make the involvement a success, considers the attributes the lay members involved contributed to the NPRI, and draws out some important lessons for consumer involvement in research.