Consumer & Community Involvement in Research
About CCI
Consumer & Community Involvement in Research
Involving consumers and community members in your research projects bridges the gap between research and practice, and ensures your projects address the needs and priorities of the community or the beneficiaries of your research.
Health Translation SA advocates for the importance of partnering with the community on research projects. We provide a central support for South Australian researchers and health professionals to establish new partnerships with community members.
Why partner with the community on your research projects?
Community members have valuable contributions to make to research, and as the ultimate funders and beneficiaries of health and medical research, they have an ethical right to be involved.
Additionally, many funding bodies are now requesting demonstration of meaningful engagement or partnership with community members on research funding proposals.
Research projects are enriched through partnering with the community in many ways:
- Ensuring your research addresses the needs of the community and valuable gaps in knowledge or practice
- Improving study design or clinical trial protocols through co-design or feedback from those with lived-experience
- Optimising knowledge translation through communicating messages that connect with the community or a non-scientific audience
Ways you may involve consumers and the community in your research
Every research project, team and budget are unique. As such, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to working with members of the community. Some ways you may partner include:
- Co-designing new research projects or prioritisation of current research ideas
- Establishment of a Consumer Advisory Committee; providing research updates and seeking advice
- Receiving feedback on grant applications and publications
- Co-designing clinical trial protocols and advertisements to ensure optimal uptake by community members
- Dissemination of research findings through media releases, information sheets or co-presenting findings at conferences and public forums
How HTSA can assist
Health Translation SA’s Community Interest Register is a state-wide service for our research partners. Staff who work at our partner organisations can submit opportunities for members of the community to partner on their projects.
The register is a database of community members who are interested in being involved in health and medical research and may have:
- Lived-experience of a specific health condition (either personally or caring for others)
- Been a ‘consumer’ of a health service
- Have a general interest in a health or medical research topic
To circulate an expression of interest, research teams complete the Community Engagement Request form detailing the opportunity. An expression of interest will be emailed to members on the Community Interest Register. Community Members who are interested in partnering on your project will contact the nominated person on your team.
HTSA offers introductory in-house presentations and training on how to partner with the community on research projects.
For tailored advice or to discuss the best approach for working with the community, you can request a meeting with HTSA.
Staff who work at HTSA’s Partner Organisations, and who work with the community on research projects, can apply to join the CCI Action Group. The purpose of the Action Group is to increase the active involvement of consumers and community members in health and medical research in SA, and to build state-wide capacity amongst the research community and within our partner organisations.
Health Translation SA facilitates the CCI Online Forum for those who work collaboratively with community members (or are interested in doing so). The forum enables individuals to post questions or seek resolution to issues they have, taking advantage of collective expertise. Once you have joined the CCI Online Forum, you can post, join in on the conversation, or simply learn from the online discussion. The forum is hosted on MS Teams.
Join the CCI Online Forum or contact Sarah Eley if you are having issues joining the Teams channel.
HTSA’s CCI Toolkit provides community members and researchers with practical resources to support community partnership in health and medical research projects.
About The CCI Toolkit
HTSA’s CCI Toolkit provides community members and researchers with practical resources to support community partnership in health and medical research projects.
Simply select ‘For Community’ or ‘For Researchers’ to access the relevant resources.
The Toolkit
FormAustralian Taxation Office: Statement by a supplier
This form is to be used the first time a Community Engagement Expense Claim form is submitted for an individual community member seeking reimbursement of sitting fees and/or out-of-pocket expenses. It is a requirement of the Australian Taxation Office
TemplateCall for expressions of interest
This template is for researchers to use when recruiting community members for their research activities. Within this template is also draft form for community members to complete.
FactsheetChecklist for engaging consumers and community members
To assist researchers who are new to engaging the community in their research projects, this checklist provides an overview of useful steps to set your partnerships up for success.-
Form
Community engagement expense claim
This form is to be used to arrange reimbursement of sitting fees and/or out-of-pocket expenses for community members. This form accompanies the Statement by a Supplier Form for individuals who have not been paid by your organisation before. -
Form
Community engagement request
This form is for researchers, clinicians or HTSA partners to request support in engaging community members in their research projects. -
Template
Consumer and Community Involvement Agreement
Research teams may wish to have their community partners sign this agreement which seeks to protect consumer privacy, IP and set the expectations of all on the research team. -
Factsheet
Embedding community and consumer engagement activities in grant applications
This factsheet provides researchers with general advice about what grant reviewers are looking for in the community engagement section of applications 
ResourceMRFF Principles for Consumer Involvement in Research Community
Specific guidance for how to promote, strengthen and write about consumer involvement for MRFF grant applications.-
Resource
SA Health reimbursement policy
Most research groups in South Australia follow the SA Health Reimbursement policy (see page 8 for reimbursement amounts). -
Template
Terms of reference for consumer advisory groups
This template is for researchers to use when establishing a consumer advisory group. This can be adapted to meet the needs of an individual research group or project.
Acknowledgement: No Australians Dying of Bowel Cancel Initiative -
Resource
VIDEO: Evaluating Community Partnerships Panel Session
Recording of a panel session held at HTSA's Consumer Engagement Summit in October 2023.
Other Useful Links
- NHMRC Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research
- Australian Health Research Alliance’s Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) Initiative
- NHMRC Toolkit for Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research
- Involving Consumers in Health and Medical Research: A practical handbook for organisations, researchers, consumers and funders
- Australian Clinical Trials Alliance/CTIQ Consumer Involvement Toolkit
