EXperts EMpowered to do public involvement in fundamental scientific research: a Participatory Learning and Action Research project (EXEMPLAR)

Context Patient and public involvement in shaping research that has practical benefits to health and healthcare (often called ‘applied health research’) has become common in recent decades. Organisations that fund applied health research expect researchers to involve the public in their research because the public should have a say in how public funds are spent and because their research directly affects patients. These organisations also fund fundamental scientific research and increasingly expect fundamental scientist-researchers to involve the public in their research. Fundamental research (also called ‘basic’ or ‘discovery science’) involves essential work that forms the foundation of new understanding and new techniques that might eventually be used in practical applications. Unlike applied health or clinical researchers, fundamental scientist-researchers are less likely to encounter patients or the public and some might not yet know how their research could have a practical application. The challenge the project addresses Public involvement in fundamental scientific research is much less common than in applied health research. Previous studies suggest that fundamental scientist-researchers think that involving the public is not feasible and/or necessary. These studies also suggest that fundamental scientist-researchers find it challenging to communicate with the public about their research because of the technical procedures and specialist terminology involved. Although resources are available to support researchers to undertake public involvement in applied health research it is unclear how relevant these are to researchers working in fundamental science. The few resources aimed at fundamental scientist-researchers tend to focus on a specific research field, again making it unclear whether they are useful to all fundamental scientist-researchers. There is also a lack of resources targeted at public contributors and public involvement experts (staff who support public involvement activities) to help them understand fundamental science research and how they can get involved. We are a team of public involvement experts, public contributors and fundamental scientist-researchers and together, we will address these challenges in this project. Aims and objectives The main objective of this project is to form a partnership between stakeholders (public involvement experts, the public and fundamental scientist-researchers) to co-produce a toolkit to equip teams with the practical resources and information needed to carry out public involvement at all stages of their research, supporting them to overcome challenges and undertake meaningful and inclusive involvement. The EXEMPLAR toolkit will be unique because it will: be developed, tested and revised by all stakeholders across a range of fundamental science settings include content aimed at the public, fundamental scientist-researchers and public involvement experts include content broadly applicable to different types of public involvement, public contributor roles and fundamental science include adaptable and optional content We will determine toolkit content based on our findings in partnership with stakeholders but is likely to include public involvement guiding principles, decision-making flowcharts, practical resources, implementation strategies, and examples of public involvement in fundamental science. Potential applications and benefits This project will advance public involvement practice by improving our understanding of which public involvement principles and approaches are applicable and useful across all settings, which principles and approaches can and should be modified (and how) for fundamental science research, and by identifying the types of factors (e.g. stage of research) requiring different approaches to public involvement. This will form the basis of an implementation and impact strategy for the transferability and scalability of the EXEMPLAR toolkit.