NIHR UPDATE: Evolving the Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES); Launch of ‘My Research Experience’
Date: 24 April 2026
As you may be aware, the NIHR undertakes a national survey that asks adults and children what they think and feel about taking part in research supported by the NIHR. This has been known as the Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES).
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is implementing significant updates to the Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES), effective from April 1st, 2026, renaming the survey to ‘My Research Experience‘. This will help to enhance public awareness, research team engagement and will align the survey with the digital platform myresearchexperience.com.
Alongside the change in name, an updated adult question set will be launched following a collaborative review. As part of the updates, there will be a national communications campaign called, ‘Every Contact Counts‘ launching on 1 April until early summer 2026, informing staff of the key updates. An emphasis on being able to offer the survey more than once during a study’s lifetime and the eligibility of all NIHR portfolio studies for My Research Experience will be a key feature of this campaign.
We are pleased to share these important updates with you as key stakeholders and partners and we want to reassure you that the aim of the survey, the core delivery processes, accessibility options and data reporting timelines, will remain unchanged.
We would be more than welcome to discuss any questions you may have about My Research Experience. Please consult the FAQ guidance or alternatively, you can reach out to our Regional Research Engagement and Inclusion Teams or the national Public Partnerships team at rdncc.ppt@leeds.ac.uk or visit the RDN website.