Why join us?
By joining the BioResource, you can play an important part in making medicine better.
Everyone who volunteers contributes to the search for better diagnoses and treatment. Without willing members and research study participants, research cannot progress.
Play a vital part in making medicine better
Medical research depends on contributions by people like you. Members who give time, samples and goodwill provide the resources for medical discovery. Every sample helps fill the picture of how genetics influences disease.
Small act, big difference
Just a tablespoon of your blood (or spit!) can help our research partners to uncover the causes of disease. We need large numbers of giving participants to collect enough data to pinpoint the genetic variations that are important for our health.
Speed research, speed treatment
By contributing, you help us to build smarter data and resources for medical researchers. Together, we increase the chances of their success. And we make their research and clinical trials more efficient and faster.
You can make a difference
Serious illness sparked Michael’s act to help others; Adrian volunteered as a blood donor and was delighted by the studies and the friendliness of the team; Georgina didn’t know you could help even if you didn’t have a condition. Tell us why you want to join.
Without you, research grinds to a halt
Each and every sample from each and every participant adds to the trove of genetic variation in which medical researchers can seek the important genes in disease or in drug development. Adding more people, and so more samples, makes that trove richer in variation.
For you? A warm glow...
We don’t promise our participants anything about their wellbeing. Other than we will protect their information. And they will get a warm glow from making their contribution. Probably.
Signing up is easy
Call us on 0800 090 2233 or sign up with the recruitment team via email on nbr@bioresource.nihr.ac.uk
What happens when you join the BioResource?
If you decide to join, you will donate a blood or saliva sample and be asked to complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire.
We'll also ask you to fill in a consent form that describes how your samples might be used and enables us to match you to a specific research study.
Finally, we'll ask you to grant us access to your medical and healthcare records.
How will you be selected for a study?
Each research study sets its own criteria for its participants. You might be selected based on
- the variations in your DNA
- your health and lifestyle information
- your age, gender and/or ethnicity
The NIHR BioResource has many parts and each part, such as individual common diseases, have their own Participant Information Leaflets and Consent Forms. This enables us to cover the unique study requirements within our overall framework. Here is an example Patient Information Sheet
How will you be invited to take part?
If you match the research team’s criteria, you will get a letter with all the study information and what you would be required to do, if you chose to take part.
It is entirely up to you whether or not you take part. You are under no obligation and your decision will not affect future invitations.
How many studies could I do?
Our participants can be invited to 8 studies per year with a maximum of 4 of them being face-to-face studies.
Contribute to rare disease research
Discovering the genes which cause rare diseases allows researchers to improve future diagnoses and care.
Get involved in common disease research
In our common disease research, we focus on specific conditions where we can make a real difference.
