We're the UK's leading bowel cancer charity

Involving patients

Are you a bowel cancer researcher looking for patient input into a proposed funding application, or a current project? Learn more about the support available from our Research Network below. 

Why involve patients in research? 

Engaging people with lived experience of bowel cancer can help you improve your projects by ensuring they focus on the outcomes and issues that truly matter to patients.  

We strongly encourage involving patients as early as possible and considering their role as the research progresses. Whether it’s setting priorities, reviewing materials, or co-designing projects, patient input is invaluable. 

Research Network 

A major aim of our research strategy is to enable patients to shape bowel cancer research. To fulfil this commitment, we've established lay review in our own research-funding decisions and established our Research Network. 

The Research Network is a group of people affected by bowel cancer who wish to get involved in, and influence, the bowel cancer research carried out by non-commercial organisations. This ensures research focuses on the most important outcomes for patients, while addressing and removing barriers that would prevent patients from taking part.  

How can the Research Network help? 

Members of our Research Network can support your research in various ways, including: 

  • reviewing plain English summaries from grant applications or research communications 
  • participating in priority-setting exercises 
  • joining research project steering groups 
  • providing feedback on grant proposals and clinical trial protocols 
  • reviewing participant information materials 
  • co-designing research projects 

Who can request Research Network support? 

While we expect researchers applying for our grants to involve patients in the design and delivery of their project, the Research Network is available to support all bowel cancer researchers, regardless of where they are seeking funding. Please note, we're unable to accept requests from commercial organisations. 

How do I get in touch with the Network? 

If you have questions about involving patients in your research, or would like to request the involvement of a Network member(s) in your research, please complete our request form and email it to research@bowelcanceruk.org.uk.  

All information you provide will be treated in confidence by the Charity and by Research Network Members.

In some instances, we may redirect your support request to the Research and Involvement Opportunities area of our online forum, particularly if your research isn’t specific to bowel cancer. 

Get in touch

Useful resources for researchers 

  • Cancer Research UK have created a toolkit for researchers with lots of resources to help you involve patients in your work 
  • Sense About Science have put together a booklet with lots of tips to help with communicating your work to patients and the public
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