Introducing Jess Dicken - Net+ Public Engagement Research Fellow

  • Posted on: 13 May 2025
Introducing Jess Dicken - Net+ Public Engagement Research Fellow

As the new Public Engagement Research Fellow my role at the centre is two-fold: As an expert advisor to the centre; championing best practice and innovation and as a researcher, conducting my own research using publicly engaged research principles.  

Public engagement in research is the concept that research is co-produced with the public for the benefit of both parties.  Rather than a one-way exchange where a researcher ‘studies’ a community and draws conclusions, publicly engaged research is more equitable. It works in collaboration with the public from the beginning of a research process, working in partnership on the design of the research through to co-producing recommendations or solutions.  

This approach respects and values the lived experience of the public and gives a platform for them to influence research, policy and practice as well as gain new knowledge. This is a fairer and more enriching way of ‘doing’ research. A deeper insight into diverse experiences and beliefs means that both the research design and resulting recommendations will be more effective.  

This philosophy is particularly important when working on climate change and health because the climate change story is a story of inequality. While everyone is affected by climate change, communities experiencing socio-economic, health and environmental inequalities feel those impacts far more. They are also the least likely to have contributed to climate change in the first place.  

When conducting research in this space, publicly engaged research offers a just approach.  That means it maximises opportunities to raise awareness of that lived experience while offering safe and respectful spaces where vulnerable and diverse communities can have genuine influence and impact.  

This approach is not limited to working with the public and can be really effective when working with professional communities such as decision-makers or people who make public policy. Using creative methods of engagement and making space for a deeper exploration of a topic can help overcome common barriers that stifle innovation. The Local Climate Adaptation Tool is a good example of this work as it was co-designed with over 100 local decision-makers across the UK to offer a resource where local areas could gather data on how climate change impacts the health of local communities and offer solutions for action.  

The Net + Centre is a really exciting place to work on climate change and health because of its commitment to embedding principles of equity within everything we do.  As a long-standing champion for health equity, creative and equitable collaboration, I cannot wait to build our collective knowledge and experience with, and for, the benefit of public and professional communities. However, even more exciting is the potential to affect meaningful change. Despite the very real threat of a changing climate, we have the potential to adapt the way we do things to create a healthier, more sustainable and fairer world.  

To read more about public engagement, here are some useful links: