This action plan supports the Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Partnerships Strategy and outlines the key actions for year three from July 2026 to June 2027.
Priority 1: make sure public partnerships are a key aspect of research culture throughout the MRC research community
MRC will:
- work with the Embedding Public Partnerships Group to develop practical recommendations for involving public partners in application assessment and review
- develop an Academy of Experts in Public Partnerships who can provide expert peer review for MRC funding opportunities
- ensure UKRI’s Funding Service supports the inclusion of public partnerships in MRC funding applications
- influence UKRI funding policy to ensure our funding systems and processes support public partnerships
- progress evaluation of the six awarded schemes supporting pre-application public involvement in MRC research
- continue to talk to the MRC research and public involvement and engagement community about our aims and why public partnerships are important
- include a public partnerships poster session at the 2027 MRC Biomedicine Science Conference
- review MRC research outputs data and share reported outputs and outcomes of public partnerships
Priority 2: integrate public partnerships into leadership throughout the MRC research community
We will:
- conduct workshops with the Embedding Public Partnerships Group to co-develop practical recommendations for implementing MRC strategic priorities
- develop, provide and evaluate support and training for public partners who are involved in MRC head office activities
- evaluate the MRC Institute review process for public partnerships and apply any improvements to future reviews
Priority 3: improve understanding of the differences that public partnerships make to non-clinical research
We will:
- engage with the biomedical community to understand the difference that public partnerships make in non-clinical research
- produce case studies of good practice in public involvement in non-clinical research
- continue the MRC Public Partnerships in Research webinar series, with a focus on non-clinical research
- introduce a buddying opportunity for public partners and MRC head office staff to share experiences and learning
Priority 4: diversify the range of people the MRC research community partners with
We will:
- establish systems for collecting and reporting information on the diversity of public partners contributing to MRC activities
- influence and define the public partnership diversity data to be collected for reporting purposes
Priority 5: make health and biomedical research accessible to all and engage the next generation
We will:
- source and share examples of sustainable co-development with public partners
- work with MRC head office colleagues to agree and implement mechanisms for public involvement in MRC priority setting opportunities
Priority 6: support and develop everyone working in public partnerships to promote continuous learning and sustainability
We will:
- continue to support MRC programme managers to increase their awareness and understanding of how to involve public partners in their work
- contribute to the UKRI staff development programme for public engagement by co-developing and piloting resources
- form a peer learning group with members of the public involvement and engagement community to develop understanding of public involvement practice in non-clinical research
- plan and a run a public partnerships session at the 2027 MRC Biomedicine Science Conference
- introduce buddying and mentoring opportunities as part of the Embedding Public Partnerships Group support for public partner members and MRC staff
Evaluation
We will involve the Embedding Public Partnerships Group in co-developing an evaluation of the MRC public partnerships strategy to inform future goals and activities.