We connect research and commercial partners with consumers and communities – bringing specialist expertise, an established consumer network, and a diversity-first approach to help you design digital health innovations that are relevant, equitable, and built to last.
Our consumer and community involvement (CCI) service provides specialist advice, practical tools, and hands-on support – delivered by an experienced team with expertise in digital health research.
Our approach is co-developed with consumers and grounded in global best practice. We bring a dedicated consumer network, a diversity-first philosophy, and specialist expertise spanning the full research lifecycle – from grant development and study design through to implementation and dissemination. Many of our tools and frameworks can also be applied across broader healthcare and research contexts.
Whether you are just starting to think about consumer involvement or looking to strengthen an existing approach, we can help you embed meaningful consumer and community partnerships into your work.
How can our CCI team support your work?
Embed consumer involvement across your research lifecycle
From grant development and ethics submissions through to implementation and dissemination, we can help you integrate meaningful consumer and community involvement at every stage of your project. Our team provides tailored advice, practical resources, and hands-on support to ensure consumer perspectives shape your research from the outset.
Connect with consumers through our established network
Finding the right consumers for your project is one of the most common barriers researchers face. We can connect you with consumers and community members relevant to your work, advise on recruitment approaches, and guide you through appropriate reimbursement processes – so you can build genuine, reciprocal partnerships with confidence.
Co-design digital health innovations with your community
We provide facilitation, practical co-design tools, and training to help you work collaboratively with consumers and communities. Whether you are developing a digital health tool, a clinical survey, or an education resource, we can help ensure the people it is intended to benefit have a genuine role in shaping it.
Embed diversity and equity into your CCI approach
We believe diversity should be the first consideration in any consumer involvement activity, not an afterthought. Our diversity-first tools and frameworks help you recruit intersectionally, identify and address equity gaps, and ensure your research reflects the needs of priority and underserved populations.
Our consumer and community engagement principles
Co-developed with consumers and researchers, and informed by global best practice. We defend these principles through CCI best practice and encourage change when needed.
| Deliberate and authentic engagement | We intentionally co-create tailored and authentic community engagement activities. |
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| Inclusive and safe spaces | We facilitate culturally, socially, and psychologically safe spaces through mutually agreed ground rules of engagement. |
| Diverse perspectives | We thoughtfully involve a diverse range of consumers to meet specific project and community needs. |
| Adaptability | We acknowledge our dynamic environment, learn from experience, and adapt to evolving contexts. |
| Shared leadership | We value all perspectives, making decisions through shared understanding and respect. |
| Reciprocity | We seek mutual benefit through transparent communication. |
CCI tools and resources
Our tools and resources are freely available to support you in embedding consumer and community involvement across your research and education activities.
CCI toolkit
A step-by-step guide to consumer and community involvement — covering everything you need to know before, during, and after consumer engagement.
DownloadRecruiting for intersectionality
Evidence-based guidance for embedding diversity and equity into your research through maximum variation sampling and intersectionality.
DownloadConsumer check-in tool
A co-designed anonymous survey tool for consumers and students to provide feedback on how well diversity, inclusion, and equity principles are being applied in practice.
DownloadReflective tool for inclusive learning design
A structured checklist for educators and course designers to evaluate and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in digital health education.
DownloadCCI in action
How to get started →
Our CCI service is tailored to each project – whether you need consumer recruitment support, co-design facilitation, or advice on embedding CCI into a grant application.
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Complete our short intake form to tell us about your project, your timeline, and the consumer involvement support you need.
Submit a service request (link to form)
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We will set up a conversation to discuss your project in more detail and identify the right support for your needs.
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We will provide practical guidance and support structured around the full arc of your consumer engagement – before, during, and after.
Research and publications
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Embedding patient and public involvement in health professions education: bridging novelty and normalisation
Paxino et al., The Clinical Teacher, 2025
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Co-creating a better research environment for co-design: what Australian health researchers say needs to change
FACETS, 2025
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Responsibilities and capabilities of health engagement professionals: perspectives from HEPs and health consumers in Australia
Tam et al., Health Expectations, 2021
FAQs
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Consumer and community involvement is when consumers and communities actively work with researchers and research institutions to shape decisions about priorities, policy, and practice in health and medical research. It helps ensure research is aligned with the needs of the people it is intended to benefit – resulting in higher quality, more relevant research with greater real-world impact. It also strengthens trust, improves health outcomes, and supports the translation of research into practice.
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Involving priority populations helps address barriers that have historically excluded diverse voices and ensures research is equitable, accessible, and representative of the communities it aims to benefit. Meaningful involvement improves the relevance, acceptability, and impact of research while reducing the risk of reinforcing existing health inequities.
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Consumer and community involvement is everyone's responsibility. The NHMRC Statement identifies shared roles for consumers, researchers, research institutions, consumer organisations, and research funders – with involvement embedded across all stages and types of health and medical research.
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We can help identify and connect you with consumers through our established consumer network, and by linking you with relevant consumer organisations and community groups. We can also advise on recruitment approaches, reimbursement, and matching consumers to the needs of your project.
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Submit a service request form and our team will be in touch to discuss your project and identify the right support for your needs.
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The NHMRC Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research provides national guidance, practical examples, and links to further resources. You can also contact the Centre's CCI team for tailored advice and support.
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Some of our services are available at no cost, while others are priced based on the scope and requirements of your project.
- A 30-minute consultation, including access to our resources, is free
- A two-hour training session is available for $600
- Consumer recruitment and community engagement activities are costed based on project requirements using the University of Melbourne's Research Costing and Pricing tool
To discuss costs for your specific project, submit a service request and our team will be in touch.