For the second edition of our blog-series, we are discussing all things stakeholder engagement.
By bringing together the perspectives of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and people with lived experience, we can ensure that research projects are not only informed by evidence but also underpinned by real-world perspectives.
At DeNPRU Exeter, our Knowledge Exchange Community is fundamental to our work. Integrating a diverse set of experiences and expertise, enables us to present the strongest evidence to improve the lives of people living with neurodegenerative conditions and all those who support them.
The diagram below shows the three distinct knowledge user networks that form the Knowledge Exchange Community.
The FRIEND Network is at the heart of DeNPRU Exeter and is our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) group. You can read more about this Network in our previous blog post.
The Stakeholder Engagement Network represents commissioners, health and social care practitioners and voluntary sector organisations across dementia and neurodegenerative conditions.
The Expert Collaborator Network comprises of professionals with specialist knowledge such as senior researchers and clinical academics.
We actively engage with a wide range of stakeholders from the Knowledge Exchange Community across all our projects. To date, this has included:
- Project shaping and initiation conversations
- Project-specific consultation workshops
- Interpretation of project findings
- Dissemination webinars and roundtables
- Opportunities for co-produced outputs
These activities not only strengthen the relevance and impact of our work but create opportunities for partnership, co-production and shared learning.
We are always keen to build on this by working with partners to co-produce engaging outputs – here are a few highlights:
- A news media post with Huntington’s Disease Association
- Supporting the development of Alzheimer’s Society’s Local Dementia Strategy Toolkit
- Contributing to the Motor Neurone Disease Association’s resource for people living alone.
If you are interested in joining any of the above-mentioned networks or to discuss opportunities for collaboration, please do reach out to us at denpru@exeter.ac.uk.
You can also stay connected with DeNPRU Exeter by subscribing to our monthly newsletter!
By Emily Adams, Stakeholder Engagement and Impact Manager.