The second NIHR Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) Showcase 2026 is a virtual event designed to inspire, share learning, and celebrate CEI across the NIHR Global Health Research (GHR) portfolio. This event provides a platform to demonstrate how people, communities — including patients, carers, community groups and organisations, service providers, commissioners, and policymakers — and research teams can come together using CEI approaches that make a real difference to research and beyond.

CEI is a core principle of NIHR GHR. It is the active involvement of communities throughout the research process, using participatory approaches and working in partnership with key stakeholders to improve the relevance, value, and conduct of health research. When done effectively, CEI enhances research relevance, improves study design, and delivers tangible benefits to communities and health systems.

What’s on offer?

Carefully curated sessions will spotlight diverse case studies from across the NIHR GHR portfolio. Twenty NIHR GHR Award holders will present their CEI and illustrate its influence on research, local communities, and the broader health landscape. Presentations will be followed by Q&A sessions and cover the following themes:

• Sustainability through community capacity strengthening and strategies to bridge the gap between research and policy
• Techniques for tracking and evidencing CEI change pathways

The event will be in English, with closed captions available in multiple languages.

Who should attend?

The event is open to anyone with an interest in CEI and global health research.

You could be:

• Early career CEI practitioners who want to learn about the theory and practice of CEI
• Experienced CEI practitioners who want to affirm good practice
• Researchers with an interest in CEI
• Research funders and managers
• Members of non-governmental and civil society organisations
• Policymakers and law administrators