Print This Post
VoiceIn is a free mobile app and digital research platform designed to help more people take part in health research.
Led by the University of Manchester and funded by the UKRI Medical Research Council and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester, the platform aims to strengthen public involvement while making engagement simpler for researchers.
Public involvement is a vital part of health research. It helps ensure studies reflect real world priorities and improves the relevance and quality of research outcomes. VoiceIn has been created to make this process faster, more inclusive, and easier to manage.
What is VoiceIn?
VoiceIn is a digital platform that allows members of the public to share their views on research ideas quickly using their mobile phone. It also provides researchers with a straightforward way to gather feedback from diverse communities across the United Kingdom.
The VoiceIn mobile app is available through the Apple Store and Google Play and is open to anyone aged 16 or over living in the UK.
By using mobile technology, VoiceIn supports flexible participation and helps people contribute in ways that fit around daily life.
How VoiceIn Supports Public Contributors
VoiceIn allows people to engage with research in a simple and accessible way. The platform helps contributors find opportunities that match their interests and encourages involvement at different stages of the research process.
Public contributors can:
- Discover health research studies that match their interests
- Provide quick feedback on research ideas using their phone
- Contribute anonymously whenever it suits them
- Stay informed about research topics that matter to them
This approach helps widen participation and supports researchers to hear from people whose views may not always be represented in research.
How VoiceIn Helps Researchers
VoiceIn offers researchers a practical way to strengthen patient and public involvement in their projects. The platform supports engagement from early concept development through to later stages of research delivery.
Researchers can:
- Upload project details and create targeted questions for specific audiences
- Connect with diverse contributors across the UK
- Receive rapid feedback and access contributor demographic information
- Keep contributors informed throughout the research journey
Using VoiceIn can help researchers shape studies with public input earlier in the process, improving research design and impact.
Why VoiceIn Matters for Early Career Researchers
Early career researchers are often encouraged to demonstrate meaningful patient and public involvement within funding applications and study design. VoiceIn provides a simple way to build these skills while strengthening research proposals and engagement activity.
Using VoiceIn can help early career researchers:
- Gain experience working with public contributors
- Test research ideas and refine study questions
- Strengthen funding applications by demonstrating involvement activity
- Build confidence communicating research to wider audiences
- Develop inclusive research practices from the start of their careers
Call to Action for Early Career Researchers
If you are developing a research idea, preparing a funding application, or planning a new study, VoiceIn offers an accessible starting point for public involvement.
Exploring platforms such as VoiceIn can help you strengthen your research design, improve relevance to real world needs, and build valuable engagement experience that funders increasingly expect.
You can learn more about how VoiceIn works, explore the app, or request a demonstration by visiting:
Researchers can also contact the team directly to arrange a short demo by emailing:
