Sharing perspectives and expertise is a key part of the role our Public Involvement in Education and Research (PIER) Partnership plays in BU’s health and social care courses.
We are linked with 103 organisations locally and nationally and the BU PIER Partnership members, who contribute across the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences. Because of this, we take a keen interest in the stories and initiatives that affect those organisations, our affiliates, and members.
We will use this page to regularly highlight important news and views from our region.
The Public Involvement in Education and Research (PIER) Partnership has published its 2023/24 Annual Report
10 January 2025
The PIER Partnership works with people who have used a wide range of health and social care services, or who are carers for family members or friends, who can share their first-hand experiences and perspectives to support education, research and professional practice activities.
The report highlights examples, testimonies and case studies from across the past year, showcasing how the PIER partnership has embedded lived experience expertise across all aspects of health and social sciences education and research.
Over the past year, PIER collaborating with 50 external organisations; supporting 59 researchers, involving 61 individual PIER members, engaging with 1,881 students in education and collaborating on 12 successful research funding bids generating over £1,223,268 in income to advance health and social care research at BU.
Activities PIER members have undertaken this year include designing and delivering a poverty workshop, reviewing research funding applications, meeting regulatory body inspectors, reviewing research funding applications, co-desgning and delivering public involvement research courses and community placements.
The Annual Report is available as a PDF download, and has received positive feedback from partners and other institutions, including: "A great resource which will assist us all in going forward with our plans for further developing our work" and "It is an inspiration to the rest of us in the field."