Bringing lived experience and practitioner expertise into funding decision-making
Between October 2025 and March 2026, Vocal Collective CIC partnered with the Medical Research Foundation to test how lived experience and public engagement expertise can shape research funding decisions.
We worked across two funding calls: Suicide and Self-Harm Fellowships, and the Impact of Cancer and Cancer Care on Human Biology and Health Research Grants. Vocal Collective designed and delivered a values-led model that brought Lived Experience Experts (LEEs) and Public Engagement and Involvement Practitioners (PEPs) into the heart of grant review and decision-making.
“It genuinely felt like lived experience was trusted, supported, and treated as expertise, which isn't always the case in funding spaces." LEE reviewer
Feedback was striking. Our Lived experience experts described it as 'more than stellar' and ‘a gold standard approach’.
When lived experience is properly resourced, supported and respected, it does more than add a different perspective. It changes the quality of decisions. It surfaces things that would otherwise be missed, tests assumptions, and brings accountability to the people who research is ultimately meant to serve.
What we found
“It felt like a more inclusive space and helped shift the power dynamic somewhat. It also made me feel as though there would be someone on the panel who definitely 'got' my research.” Researcher (applicant)
Bringing lived experience and public engagement expertise togetherLEEs and PEPs offered distinct but complementary forms of expertise. LEEs assessed applications through the lens of relevance, real-world impact, ethics and what participation might actually feel like. PEPs brought a focus on feasibility, resourcing and whether involvement plans were realistic. Together, they gave the Foundation a much fuller picture than either could provide alone.
Ethical practice and a culture of careThis work asks people to share their expertise in spaces that have not always been designed with them in mind. Prioritising ethical practice and trauma-informed support within culture of care was central to how the project was delivered, and how it was experienced.
Building lasting capability, not creating dependency From the start, the aim was to build the Foundation's confidence and infrastructure so they can take this work forward across other funding schemes. The pilot has left the Foundation well placed to keep developing this practice, and Vocal Collective with deeper insight to share across the sector.
Our approach
"It's the best lived experience project I've been involved with." Chair, Suicide and Self-Harm funding panel
Research funding decisions shape what gets studied, who benefits, and how. For too long, people with lived experience of the conditions being researched have been at the edges of those decisions, if they have been in the room at all. This work shows that by working more inclusively, funding is more rigorous, equitable, and grounded in what matters to people and communities.
Why it matters
We are planning a knowledge exchange event to bring together funders, public engagement professionals, lived experience experts and others working in this space. The event will be an opportunity to share learning and think collectively about how funding organisations can progress this practice together. Details will be shared here in due course.
Sharing the learning
Closing the loop
This summary was written for the lived experience experts and public engagement professionals who were part of the pilot, and for anyone considering similar work in the future. It covers what the project involved, what it felt like to take part, what we learned together, and what makes this kind of involvement work well.
Click the cover to download the summary.
About this work
This project was delivered by Vocal Collective CIC, commissioned by the Medical Research Foundation. The project team was Vanessa Bennett, Farrah Nazir and Leah Holmes, with clinical psychology support, specialist lived experience advice and communications expertise from our associates.
Vocal Collective is a social enterprise that brings together diverse groups to understand and act on the health and social issues that matter to them. We work with funders, researchers and communities to develop processes where lived experience is treated as the expertise it is, and where organisations are equipped to sustain that work themselves.
If you're interested in how this approach could work in your organisation, get in touch at hello@vocalcollective.org.uk.