NHS Research Scotland (NRS) will be reaffirming its commitment to diverse voices being heard in research with a third powerful showcase of the country’s patient and public involvement initiatives.

The Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Conference 2026 will take place at Stirling Court Hotel – part of the University of Stirling Campus – on Tuesday 3 March, hosted by NRS and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of Scottish government.

PPI partners, professionals, researchers, including early career researchers, and policymakers working in the area, and with an interest around developing their PPI practice and activities, will be encouraged to attend, with expressions of interest set to be welcomed later this year.

A call for abstracts, including poster displays and contributions to sessions, is expected to be opened in September. The full programme – shaped by Scotland’s vibrant PPI community – is expected to launch early next year alongside the opportunity to register.

Following successful gatherings in 2023 and 2024, the event will bring together speakers from NHS, academia, and the third sector, as well as public contributors, and early career researchers, all united in ambitions to improve the quality of PPI in research.

NRS considers it vital that patients and the public play a prominent role in the research that affects them in order to accelerate studies and improve access, inclusivity, and diversity.

The event’s key themes will centre around ethical patient and public involvement, working with underserved groups and communities and building and supporting the patient and public involvement community.

Carol Porteous, PPI Lead at NRS, said:

“NRS is delighted to announce the return of this exciting, landmark event – effectively a very impactful, wide-ranging conversation which has served to significantly push our country’s PPI ambitions forward, and will continue vital discourse for a third year running.

“With high quality, diverse PPI now firmly recognised as an essential cornerstone of health and social care research success, it has become an integral way of progressing essential understanding and ultimately improving study approaches for more effective outcomes.

“It is fundamentally about learning for all involved – not only sharing case studies but also understanding how to break down barriers to involvement, tackling any lingering misconceptions, while encouraging knowledge exchange. 

“Tuesday 3 March will provide an excellent opportunity to bring the community together, and we look forward to sharing more information in the coming months.”

If you have any queries on the event, please contact communications@nrs.org.uk.

This article is written as part of a promotional agreement between NHS Research Scotland (NRS) and Healthcare News Scotland.

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