Better Research Together

Working in neurodiverse partnerships

"I learned so much about participatory research from being a part of The Better Research Together Project. Our group members were smart and diverse; we did not have academic research experience, but we soon learned that life experience can be just as valuable to the results as a whole. Our input strengthened the final product and made it more accessible, which was a pleasure to realise."

- Diane Porter, Neurodivergent community partner

We work in partnership with communities to bring together research and lived experience. We have many years of experiences working with community partners, such as Neurodivergent people and/or their families, in a range of research and public engagement projects. It is important to us that we reduce power imbalances and strive to support participatory and community-led projects.

Working with us as a community partner is different from being a research participant, as you get to give your views on how the research is designed, conducted, and interpreted. How we work with community partners will vary for each project, so you may join the research team and be involved throughout, or you may be invited to provide feedback on plans or materials. 

"I was really pleased to have the opportunity to work as a community partner on this project as I found it very interesting to work alongside a variety of different people and hear there thoughts and opinions on the project and be part of a team.

I've always felt a little nervous in group situations especially when technology is involved as its not something I've had a lot of experience with, but I felt supported throughout the process, learned new skills and felt my views were valued."

- Amy Henderson, Neurodivergent community partner

If you would like to hear about opportunities to join projects as a community partner, please email us: neurodev@durham.ac.uk