Submissions invited for the Early Career Researcher Award in Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) – calling PhD students and post-docs!
This award, now in its third year, aims to encourage and recognise the efforts of early career researchers in adopting effective and inclusive PPIE approaches. New this year is our inclusion of PhD students as eligible applicants. The award is open to any early career researcher in rare disease in the UK, along with a key PPIE contributor, not just those associated with Rare Disease Research UK (RDR UK).
We are looking for PPIE that exemplifies partnership working between researchers and PPIE contributors, beyond the old model of one-way communication of findings to patients and support groups. Please take a look at our blogs from previous years’ winners and runners-up here.
The winning researcher and PPIE contributor will receive funding to attend the annual RDR UK conference (April 2027, Location TBC). The pair will be celebrated at the conference at a prize-giving, and invited to co-write a blog for the websites of RDR UK and Genetic Alliance UK.
Applications are invited from pairs consisting of a researcher and a key PPIE contributor they have worked with. Each member of the pair will need to contribute to the application form.
Applications will be accepted for PPIE work that has reached a point of having impact. The research and involvement activities do not need to be fully complete. Projects that are complete should have ended within the last two years.
We define early career researchers as PhD students or post-doctoral researchers, including clinician scientists, who have not yet applied for grants or fellowships as an independent PI. Rare diseases are defined as those that affect fewer than 1 in 2,000 people. The award is not limited to particular disciplines and all UK-based early career researchers are encouraged to apply, whether their research is in, for example, basic science, therapeutic development, applied/translational or psychosocial research.
Deadline to apply is Sunday 15 November 2026.
Download this PDF to preview the application questions offline.
The judging panel consists of:
Jillian Hastings Ward (Chair; PPI Contributor)
David Church (Oncology Researcher, Basic Science)
Sadia Haqnawaz (PPIE Contributor)
Amy Hunter (PPIE Facilitator)
Kerry Leeson-Beevers (PPIE Facilitator and Contributor)
Ameeta Retzer (Researcher and Inclusion Lead)
Amanda Stranks (PPI Lead)
The application form questions are inspired by and adapted from the HDRUK’s PPIE award scheme.
Please direct any queries to amy.hunter@geneticalliance.org.uk
