News from the PPI Ignite Network @ UCD
Keep up to date about the work of the PPI Ignite Network @ UCD
Bursaries to attend 2025 PPI Summer School in Limerick
The PPI Summer School held by University of Limerick is now in it's 10th year. The PPI Summer School provides a co-learning environment to build capacity for high-quality PPI in health research. This will be accomplished through training, sharing and networking among researchers, patients, carers, clinicians, policy-makers and other relevant partners.
We have a number of bursaries available for early career researchers to attend the Summer School in Limerick this year.
PPI Support Funding
PPI Support Funding Available
- Theme: Supporting the expansion of public and patient involvement in research
- Funding amount: (opens in a new window)Apply for up to €500
- Application Deadline: 01 July 2025, 1pm.
- Expected notification of successful applicants: 07 July 2025
- Deadline to spend funds: 31st December 2025
This fund is to support active collaboration between UCD researchers and members of the public, patients, carers or communities.
Further details can be found on the application form (opens in a new window)here (opens new window).
If you do not find the application form accessible and require it in a different format, please do not hesitate to contact us.
2025 UCD PPI Festival Fund
The National PPI Festival will take place from 1-31 October 2025, looking towards the future and celebrating the incredible progress in public and patient involvement (PPI) in Irish research.
PPI Ignite Network @ UCD has supports of upto €350 to assist UCD staff and students in hosting a PPI Festival event that aligns to the aims of the (opens in a new window)Network's Values & Principles (opens in new window).
(opens in a new window)Apply here (opens new window)
The support funds can be used for a variety of reasons, be it to support the travel of an invited speaker, support the travel of PPI contributors to an event, or to support the creative celebration or innovation of PPI in UCD research. The support fund must clearly align with PPI rather than research outreach.
Introductory Training for PPI Contributors.
UCD’s 2025 Training for PPI Contributors is now (opens in a new window)open for applications.
This training takes place online in July. This is general PPI in research training, it is not disease nor discipline-specific. It is designed for those new to PPI.
This training is not for *researchers or *researcher students, rather it is for people with lived experience who are, or would like to be, involved in research.
The aim of this training is to help people who are not professional researchers understand both PPI and research. The goal is that this will help to build confidence and empower more effective collaborations between people with lived experience and researchers.
Trainings online on Wednesdays from 10-11am.
Dates: 9th, 16th, 23rd July.
EUPATI Modules
University College Dublin (UCD) and the European Patients' Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) have announced a partnership to bring EUPATI's open educational resources to UCD's doctoral students. This collaboration aims to enrich the public and patient involvement (PPI) experience of students in the fields of health, medicine, and patient care.
UCD, one of Europe’s leading research-intensive universities, is known for its commitment to academic excellence and innovation. With a focus on interdisciplinary learning, UCD empowers students to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving in global health contexts. The PPI Ignite Network @ UCD fosters collaboration between people with lived experiences, researchers, and research institutions.
EUPATI, a renowned European patient education initiative, specialises in providing comprehensive training on medicines research and development (R&D). It emphasises the importance of patient engagement in the entire lifecycle of drug development, promoting patient-centric approaches.
EUPATI training has been packaged into four modules specifically for doctoral students at UCD, with options including digital health, clinical development and medical devices. This partnership will allow UCD doctoral students to access EUPATI’s specialised training without charge, equipping them with a deeper understanding of patient involvement in medicines development. By integrating EUPATI's expertise, students will be better prepared to lead future research that prioritises patient needs and collaboration, ultimately advancing healthcare innovation.
This collaboration exemplifies a shared commitment to fostering knowledge, enhancing patient-centric research, and shaping the future of healthcare.
Scanning Horizons PPI Workshop: Resources
The PPI Ignite Network @ UCD delivered a workshop on 09 August 2023.
Public and Patient Involvement (PPI): Achieving Equitable Change and Collaborative Working in Research with Seldom Heard Voices was delivered as part of the programme at Scanning Horizons, Driving Change, Building a Healthier World, the inaugural international research conference hosted by the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems.
We have compiled a page of resources to help workshop attendees to put your new knowledge into action.
Get involved with ovarian cancer research this World Ovarian Cancer Day
This World Ovarian Cancer Day, May 8th, PhD researchers from the Cancer Biology and Therapeutics laboratory at University College Dublin are inviting members of the public and people who have been affected by ovarian cancer to get involved with their cancer research.
The group has established a very active patient advisory committee, and together they were awarded a prestigious Public Patient Involvement award from the Irish Cancer Society in 2022. This award is supporting their efforts to now try and broaden public and patient involvement in their research. To learn more about research in the Cancer Biology and Therapeutics laboratory, visit (opens in a new window)www.cbtlab.ie.
Lasting Impact Award
Prof Thilo Kroll, site lead for PPI Ignite Network @ UCD was awarded a ‘Lasting Impact Award’ by the Dublin Simon Community for his invaluable pro-bono work working with clients in co-designing a mental health support for young adults experiencing homelessness in Dublin.
Assoc Prof Kate Frazer (UCD SNMHS) also received a Lasting Impact Award. Together they led the PhotoVoice and Co-Design phase of the project which was the core piece of work in terms of understanding the needs of the cohort and capturing their recommendations for service provision.
The Dublin Simon Community received funding from the Kind Baudouin Foundation in Belgium for this project.
The project report can be found (opens in a new window)here.
Pictured L-R: Pat Greene (Head of Policy, Advocacy and Volunteering, Dublin Simon Community), Prof Thilo Kroll (UCD), Catherine Kenny (CEO, Dublin Simon Community).
PPI Resource Centre for Translational Researchers
The Patient Engagement Resource Centre (PERC) for translational researchers has been launched. (opens in a new window)EATRIS and the European Patients’ Forum ((opens in a new window)EPF), together with affiliated partner European AIDS Treatment Group ((opens in a new window)EATG) launched the PERC at the end of March. The PERC was developed as part of the Horizon 2020 project, (opens in a new window)EATRIS-Plus.
These PPI/patient engagement resources focus specifically on the needs of preclinical and translational researchers.
Dr. Emma Dorris (PPI Ignite Network @ UCD) and Prof. Amanda McCann (Patient Voice in Cancer Research) were part of the taskforce involved in its development.
You can visit the PERC at (opens in a new window)www.patient-engagement.eu(opens in a new window)
PPI in lab-based Vision Research
Recent UCD doctoral graduate Dr. Ailís Moran wrote a blog on her experience with PPI throughout her PhD research. Writing for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Dr. Moran highlights how she benefited from the involvement of people living with vision impairment throughout her research as part of the UCD Ocular Pharmacology and Genetics Group. You can read the blog (opens in a new window)here
New Podcast Series: Ignite Involvement
PPI Igite Network @ UCD have launched a new podcast series. Ignite Involvement is a podcast series featuring a wide variety of guests including PPI partners, researchers and community organisations. Guests chat about all things PPI. The first series has five episodes and is available for your listening pleasure now!
Find out more and listen to Ignite Involvement here.