UK Biobank Participant Advisory Group
Please note applications are now closed for the UK Biobank Participant Advisory Group.
Would you like to make a difference at UK Biobank? Join our Participant Advisory Group!
Our participants are at the heart of everything we do, which is why we want to give you a say in how we do things here at UK Biobank.
We are looking for around 10 new members to join the UK Biobank Participant Advisory Group. The Group advises us on a wide range of topics and activities.
The deadline for applications is 23rd August 2024.
Who can join the Participant Advisory Group?
If you are a UK Biobank participant, you can apply!
We are looking for participants who are willing to take part in constructive discussion and are able to commit to the time involved.
You do not need any previous committee experience or special training. It is your unique perspective as a UK Biobank participant that we are interested in.
We are looking for participants of different ages, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds.
We are particularly interested in talking to participants with personal experience of dementia or Parkinson’s disease to advise us on a new Brain Health Study (but you don’t need this to join the group).
What’s involved?
Members of the Participant Advisory Group will have the opportunity to shape and influence UK Biobank’s work, take part in interesting discussions, and meet other participants.
The Group will meet at least twice a year at different locations around the UK. Other meetings will take place online. How often we have online meetings will depend on the workload of the Group. We have a busy year coming up so there will be at least five online meetings in 2024-2025.
Usually there will be some documents to read before meetings and some follow-up work afterwards.
We expect members to take an active part in meetings and treat others with respect.
Sometimes members will be invited to take part in other UK Biobank meetings, for example conferences or staff meetings. These are optional.
Members will be appointed for an initial 1 year term. They may be invited to serve a longer term and can serve for a maximum of 5 years.
What does the Participant Advisory Group discuss?
Members of the Participant Advisory Group will be asked to provide their views on all kinds of aspects of UK Biobank’s work. These might include:
- How we communicate with participants and keep them informed.
- How we gather health data from participants and make it available to researchers.
- How we tackle the ethical issues that arise in our work.
You do not need any previous knowledge of UK Biobank or health research to take part. We will provide you with all the information you need to be able to contribute to the discussions.
Expenses
Travel, accommodation and carer costs incurred by members attending meetings will be reimbursed.
Members will also be offered a thank you payment of £25.00 per hour spent preparing for and attending UK Biobank meetings.
How will we select the new members?
The new members will be selected by a panel of UK Biobank staff. We will be looking for:
- An understanding of the role
- A willingness to take part in constructive discussion
- An ability to listen to the views of others
- A commitment to the time involved
We may ask you to supply character references.
We want to create a diverse group. As part of the selection process, we will access demographic information that you have already provided to UK Biobank, including your sex, year of birth, ethnicity, and educational and occupational background.
We expect to receive a large number of applications and you may not be selected to join this time. We will let you know within 3 weeks of the deadline if we would like to meet you for an informal chat about the role. After that, we will let you know as soon as possible if we would like to offer you a place on the Group.
How can I apply?
Please complete the application form on the UK Biobank participant website.
The deadline for applications is 23rd August 2024.
You will be asked to log in using your Participant ID (PID). You can find your PID at the top of any emails you have received from UK Biobank. You can request a PID reminder if you can't find it.
To request a paper copy of the application form, please contact the Participant Resource Centre on 0800 0 276 276 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, or email us on ukbiobank@ukbiobank.ac.uk.
Completing the application form is voluntary and will not affect your status as a UK Biobank participant.
Your data
Your data will be processed in accordance with UK Biobank's privacy policy: https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/privacy-policy
The information you provide on the application form will be kept for no longer than three years and will not be shared with researchers.
Contact
If you have any questions about the Participant Advisory Group, please contact The Participant Resource Centre Mon-Fri 9am-5pm:
Tel: 0800 0 276 276 (freephone)
Email: ukbiobank@ukbiobank.ac.uk
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