Holly Schofield

Profile

• My academic background is in environmental science, sustainability, and development and I undertook both my BSc and MSc in the School of Earth and Environment at University of Leeds
• I have been a member of staff at Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research (LICTR) since 2016, initially in an administrative support role, then leading a team of portfolio coordinators within Business Management (2019-23). After helping organise and support PPI meetings and events in the Diet & Obesity portfolio, I took on more responsibility in PPIE, with a significant increase in 2021 due to maternity cover.
• I started in the role of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Officer in 2022.
• From 2020 – 2023 I was a Public Involvement Adviser for the National Institute for Health (NIHR) Research Design Service (RDS) and was Co-Lead for Public Involvement in the NIHR RDS Yorkshire & Humber Region from 2022-23. This included chairing both the regional Public Involvement Forum and the Public Involvement Fund Review Committee.
• The adviser role included:
  - Providing bespoke advice to researchers on public involvement in grant application development
  - Reviewing applications for PPI funding awards
  - Delivering trainings session on public involvement, writing plain English, funding application review and PPI in grant writing
  - Working with colleagues and public contributors to develop regional PPI strategy and reporting on milestones
  - Attending national NIHR RDS Public Involvement Community meetings; updating on regional activity and participating in national discussions on PPI and the RDS service.
   
• Since October 2023 I have been Public Involvement Adviser for the NIHR Research Support Service (RSS).
• At LICTR, I have chaired our PPIE Working Group since 2021, supported clinical trial teams with PPI planning and facilitation, been involved in the development of PPI strategy and objective setting and delivery, developed guidance and training around good practice PPIE, led on PPIE evaluation activities and organised and facilitated annual networking events for public contributors working on LICTR clinical trials.
• I was PPIE Lead for NIHR HTA Application Acceleration Award - Developing a national platform for delivering efficient trials for people living with stroke from 2023-24.

Responsibilities

• Public Involvement Adviser for NIHR Research Support Service

Research interests

• Patient and public involvement in health research
• Life after stroke – https://dev.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR15661
• HENRY Feasibility Study (2017-2020) A NIHR funded, multicentre, two-arm, cluster RCT –  data collection and analysis for a process evaluation employing qualitative research methods including interviews, focus groups and thematic analysis – https://pilotfeasibilitystudies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40814-021-00805-

Qualifications

• MSc Sustainability (Environment & Development) - Merit (2013)
• BSc Environmental Biogeoscience - First Class Honours (2008)

Professional memberships

• Cancer Research UK - PPI Task and Finish Group (2021 - present)
• NIHR Research Design Service Yorkshire and Humber Public Involvement Forum (chair) (2022 - 2023)
• NIHR Research Design Service National Public Involvement Community (2021 - 2023)
• NIHR Research Support Service delivered by University of York and Partners Public Involvement Cluster
• Yorkshire and Humber Voices PPI Network

Student education

• I deliver tutorials and seminars on patient and public involvement in health research, stakeholder engagement and writing in plain English to undergraduate and postgraduate students. I am responsible for student assignment marking (lay research summaries) for an MSc module in the Faculty of Biological Sciences 

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research