The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Consumers Health Forum are undertaking a national stakeholder engagement process to review the 2016 Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research (the Statement).

The Statement was originally developed in 2006 and last updated in 2016. Its aim is to guide research institutions, researchers, consumers, and community members in the active involvement of consumers and community members in all aspects of health and medical research.

Consumers and the community offer unique and valuable insights on how research is framed, conducted and translated, helping to ensure research quality and relevance. The review will ensure that the Statement remains a trusted resource providing national leadership and overarching guidance to support consumer and community involvement in health and medical research.

How you can have your say

Stakeholders will be involved throughout the review process. Stakeholders include consumers and community representatives, researchers and research administrators, peak bodies, advocates, funders, and government.

NHMRC has developed a position paper with advice from CHF and the Consumer Statement Advisory Committee (CSAC) to guide your input on what should be included in the revised Statement. The position paper provides examples of information that could be included in the revised Statement and poses some discussion questions. It also provides further information on the intentions and scope of the review. You can view the Consumer Statement Review Paper on the NHMRC Consultation Hub.

You're invited to share your views on the Statement through the consultation process via the following opportunities:

Attend a workshop - the Australian Health Research Alliance (AHRA) will be running in-person and online workshops around Australia during April 2024. View the workshop schedule and register here.

Complete the survey – you share your views via an online survey at NHMRC’s Consultation Hub. The survey is open until 31 May 2024.

For more information, visit the NHMRC Consultation Hub.