Diabetes research can’t happen without the help of people living with diabetes.

You can play a vital role by taking part in a research study or trial.

Scientists need your help to prevent diabetes, find new treatments, improve care, and ultimately, stop diabetes in its tracks.

But before new treatments can benefit people living with diabetes, they must be carefully tested to work out if they're safe, what the side effects are and whether they're better than treatments we already have. By volunteering to take part, you could play a crucial part in the fight for a world where diabetes can do no harm.

You can get involved in research at any time, but did you know many clinical trials testing new treatments to stop Type 1 diabetes in its tracks can only recruit people within the first six months of their diagnosis?

  • ADDRESS-2 is meeting the challenge and recruiting people with Type 1 diabetes to clinical trials pioneering new immunotherapies to slow or stop Type 1 in its tracks.
  • The Type 1 diabetes Immunotherapy Consortium (T1D UK) brings together researchers from across the UK to run trials that develop and test new immunotherapies.
  • TrialNet is an international network of leading academic institutions, scientists and healthcare teams dedicated to the prevention of Type 1 diabetes, by working with both people living with Type 1 diabetes and their families.

Whether it's trying a new treatment, or filling out a questionnaire, research breakthroughs can only happen with your support. 

We've answered some common questions about taking part in diabetes research - including who can get involved, the types of studies available, and what the benefits and potential risks are.

Take a look at opportunities for getting involved here. Some you can take part in from home, while others will involve visiting a research clinic. If something catches your eye, get in touch with the study team to find out more. Without you, research can't move forward.

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Type of diabetes
Type of study

A better treatment for foot pain?

Subtitle:
FREMS-PDPN trial
Institution:
University of Birmingham
Location:
UK wide
Tags:
Clinical trial
Dates:
February 2023
September 2025

Researchers at the University of Birmingham are seeking participants with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who experience peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain in the feet and hands caused by diabetes) and have tried at least two types of nerve pain medication, for a study testing a new treatment for this diabetes complication.

Testing smart devices to prevent diabetic foot ulcers

Subtitle:
REAL PRETECTION - Preventing diabetic foot ulcers using real-time foot pressure monitoring and alert technologies
Institution:
Lancaster and Keele Universities
Location:
Leeds, Manchester, Keele, Lancaster
Tags:
Clinical trial
Dates:
March 2023
February 2026

Researchers from Lancaster and Keele Universities are recruiting people aged 18 and over with any type of diabetes-related peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain in the feet and hands caused by diabetes) to participate in a research study.

Could nerve stimulation help treat diabetic neuropathy?

Subtitle:
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation For The Treatment Of Diabetic Neuropathy: A Multicentre, Double-blind, Pilot, Randomised, Sham-controlled Trial (NMES-DN)
Institution:
Imperial College London
Location:
London, Essex
Tags:
Clinical trial
Dates:
July 2023
December 2024

Researchers at Imperial College London would like to recruit people aged 18 or over with diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage in the feet and legs) to take part in a study exploring if electrical stimulation can improve neuropathy symptoms.

Your experience with eye care and health services

Subtitle:
Exploring children and adult experiences of genetic eye diseases
Institution:
University College London
Location:
UK wide
Tags:
Questionnaire
Dates:
September 2024
December 2024

Researchers at University College London would like to recruit people over the age of 18 living with diabetic eye condition to participate in a study about their experiences with eye care and health services. The aim is to better understand their needs and preferences, as well as identify inequalities. And this research hopes to contribute to improving healthcare services and outcomes for those affected.

How might heat waves impact people with diabetes?

Subtitle:
Perceived impact of heat wave events on daily health and management in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Institution:
University of Newcastle
Location:
UK wide
Tags:
Questionnaire
Dates:
March 2024
October 2024

Researchers at Newcastle University would like to recruit people aged over 18, living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and have been diagnosed for least 2 years, to take part in a study that is

'Activity snacking' for type 1 diabetes

Subtitle:
The effect of interrupting sitting with regular active breaks on glycaemia and daily insulin dose in sedentary people with type 1 diabetes (EXTActive) daily insulin dose in sedentary people with type 1 diabetes (EXTOD-Active)
Institution:
University of Birmingham
Location:
UK wide
Tags:
Clinical trial
Dates:
February 2024
August 2025

Researchers at the University of Birmingham would like to recruit people aged 18-66 who've been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for more than three years, use multiple daily injections or an insulin pump, and wear flashing glucose monitors, to take part in a new study. They're looking at if regular short breaks from sitting time, known as 'activity snacking' can help with glucose management in people living with type 1. 

Experience of South Asians living with type 1 diabetes

Subtitle:
An Interpretative Phenomenological Approach on the experiences of British South Asians living with type 1 diabetes and the impact of culture on the management of their treatment. 
Institution:
Cardiff University
Location:
UK wide
Tags:
Interview
Dates:
July 2024
December 2024

Researchers at Cardiff University would like to recruit people aged 18 and over, from a South Asian background and living with type 1 diabetes to take part in their study. They hope to explore the experiences of the South Asian voice in the diagnosis and management of type 1, to inform future research and clinical practices. 

Talking about diabetes in therapy

Subtitle:
How interactions with psychological professionals impact the experience of emotions by those living with diabetes
Institution:
University of Southampton
Location:
UK wide
Tags:
Interview
Dates:
June 2024
March 2025

Researchers at the University of Southampton would like to recruit people aged 18 and above, who're living with diabetes and have accessed psychological therapy where diabetes was discussed, to take part in a study. They hope to understand the impact of such interactions with psychological professionals.

Participation involves completing a 5-minute online screening questionnaire. If eligible, you'll be invited to a 1-hour Microsoft Teams interview and receive a £30 voucher for your time.

CoviDiab - the global registry of new-onset Covid-19 related diabetes

Institution:
King's College London and Monash University
Location:
Global

An international group of diabetes researchers and clinicians have established a global database of new cases of diabetes in patients with Covid-19 – called the CoviDiab Registry Project. It comes off the back of initial observations that Covid-19 could potentially trigger diabetes and the urgent need to know more.  

Your experience navigating menopause and perimenopause with diabetes

Subtitle:
Identifying the unique experiences of perimenopause and menopause amongst women with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes to inform future practice
Institution:
Ulster University
Location:
UK wide
Tags:
Interview
Dates:
September 2024
December 2024

Researchers at Ulster University would like to recruit women with type 1 or type 2 #diabetes, who are experiencing/have experienced menopause or perimenopause symptoms to take part. They hope to identify the gap in knowledge about how peri/menopause can affect diabetes, and vice versa. Findings from the study could help inform future services and support for women. 

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