The NIHR coordinating centre NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) is looking for members of the public to join one of the following national and regional committees.

• NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research Programme

Click on the link above to find out more information about each research programme.

What is the role of a public committee member?

Public committee members bring a different but equally important viewpoint to the NIHR committees. They bring the viewpoint of those who research aims to help most (patients, service users, carers, anyone affected by the research topics).

The key responsibilities are:

• Prepare for committee meetings by reading and assessing meeting papers that are routinely lengthy and complex.
• Attending committee meetings and taking part in discussions to make recommendations on which research should be funded and/or prioritised
• Providing feedback on documents between meetings

Format of Meetings

During Covid-19 restrictions all committee meetings have been held online. Once restrictions are lifted we intend to hold two out of three committees virtually and the third face to face (or a similar proportion if meetings are a different frequency). This will be reviewed at some time in the future and the balance of virtual and face to face meetings could change. We understand the importance of relationship building and networking at committees and will ensure that annual face to face meetings provide plenty of opportunity for this. We do not want to hold meetings with a mixture of online and face to face attendance and therefore, other than in very exceptional circumstances, members will be required to attend the face to face meeting and plenty of notice for this will be given.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for people who have a broad range of interests, current knowledge around health and social care and research, and those who are able to build on their own experience as patients, service users and/or carers.

NIHR is committed to a supportive, inclusive, caring, and positive community. We warmly welcome those of different cultures, ages, ethnicities, and beliefs. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our values and vital to our success. We are currently looking to diversify and enrich our committees. We particularly welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates from an ethnic minority background as they are currently under-represented.

How to apply?

If you are interested in applying, please read the Information Pack and complete the Application Form for more details about the role, eligibility criteria and how to apply.

We strive to host inclusive and accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. We will do everything we can to meet individual committee member’s needs. To make a request or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Caroline.Hillier, email: publicrecruitment@nihr.ac.uk.

The deadline for for applications is 9am Friday 20 August 2021.

If you have any questions about these opportunities please contact us by email: publicrecruitment@nihr.ac.uk.”