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

Scientists need your help to prevent diabetes, find new treatments, improve care, and ultimately, find a cure.

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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Capturing life at school with type 1 diabetes

Subtitle:
The INSCHOOL project
Institution:
University of Leeds
Location:
Online
Tags:
Survey
Dates:
July 2025
December 2025

Researchers at University of Leeds would like to recruit people aged 11-18, with type 1 diabetes, who are enrolled at a mainstream secondary school, to take part in a study that aims to understand the school lives of young people with long-term health conditions. 

They want to hear from as many young people as possible so they can understand what life is like for young people with type 1 diabetes. This will help them to work on plans to make things better in the future. 

Examining links between nutrition knowledge & diet in type 2

Subtitle:
Nutrition Knowledge in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes and its relationship with dietary intake
Institution:
Ulster University
Location:
Online
Tags:
Questionnaire
Dates:
July 2025
July 2026

Researchers at Ulster University would like to recruit people:

  • living in Northern Ireland
  • aged 18 years or older
  • living with type 2 diabetes (and diagnosed more than 6 months ago)

to take part in a study that is aiming to assess diabetes-related nutrition knowledge among individuals with type 2 diabetes in Northern Ireland and examine links with dietary intake.  

The study will be conducted remotely and will involve the following:  

Does semaglutide help prevent steroid-induced diabetes?

Subtitle:
How GLP-1 Analogues Prevent Steroid-Induced Diabetes (The GAPSID Study)
Institution:
Imperial College London
Location:
London
Tags:
Clinical trial
Dates:
May 2024
June 2027

Researchers at Imperial College London would like to recruit adults living with prediabetes, or diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with HbA1c between 48 and 52 mmol/mol, to take part in a study that is looking to see how the diabetes drug, semaglutide, may prevent steroid-induced diabetes. 

Finding out who is at increased risk of type 1 diabetes in the UK

Subtitle:
T1DRA: Type 1 Diabetes Risk in Adults
Institution:
University of Bristol
Location:
Online
Tags:
Survey
Dates:
November 2024

More than half of type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in adults but very little is known about how the condition develops. Researchers at the University of Bristol are conducting a study testing blood samples in the UK general population to assess people's risk of developing type 1 diabetes.


To take part people must: 
•    be living in the United Kingdom
•    be aged between 18 and 70 years.

Understanding when it's best to target immune cells in type 1

Subtitle:
Type 1 Grand Challenge: Improving Treg immunotherapy success by administering therapy at different times of day (Dr James Pearson’s Root Causes Programme Grant project)
Institution:
University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff
Location:
Cardiff
Tags:
Clinical trial
Dates:
January 2025

Who: Individuals aged 18-40 living with type 1 diabetes who can attend the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

What: Giving two blood samples, one in the morning between 7-9am and another 10-14 hours later, at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. Eligible participants who successfully donate both samples will be provided with a £300 voucher from Lovetoshop.

Navigating perimenopause and menopause

Subtitle:
Comparison of peri/menopause experiences of female adults WITH AND WITHOUT diabetes: a cross-sectional survey
Institution:
Ulster University
Location:
Online
Tags:
Survey
Dates:
October 2025
November 2025

Are you a midlife female living with diabetes? Have you reached that stage of life when you could be peri or menopausal? We would like to learn from your experience.  

Most women don’t know this, but there’s very little research into how menopause affects diabetes - and almost none on how diabetes affects menopause.  

Perimenopause is the years before menopause, and they’re no picnic!

Identifying the best support for young people with type 1

Subtitle:
Title of research project/activity Shaped by Connections: Exploring how Social Influences Shape Illness Identity in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes - A Qualitative Study
Institution:
University of Surrey
Location:
Online
Tags:
Questionnaire Interview
Dates:
December 2025
February 2026

Researchers at the University of Surrey are looking for young people aged 13 to 17 with type 1 diabetes to take part in a study exploring how diabetes fits into their identity and daily life.

Improving strategies to support children living with diabetes

Subtitle:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy psychoeducation for carers of children with long-term health conditions
Institution:
University of East Anglia (UEA)
Location:
Online
Tags:
Questionnaire
Dates:
August 2025
February 2026

Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) would like to recruit parents/carers of children aged 5-12 living with diabetes to take part in a study designed to improve understanding and provide strategies to support your child with worries they may experience in relation to their health condition.

Understanding the impact of switching to a different insulin

Subtitle:
Exploring patient perception and experience of biosimilar insulin switches
Institution:
Liverpool John Moores University
Location:
Online
Tags:
Questionnaire Interview
Dates:
February 2026
February 2027

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University would like to recruit volunteers, aged 18 or over, to tell us about their experience of being switched to a different brand of their usual insulin (also known as a biosimilar). 

To be eligible, you will need to be a person living with diabetes who has been switched to a different brand of their insulin (for example, from NovoRapid® to Trurapi®, Humalog® to Admelog® or Lantus® to Semglee®/Abasaglar®).

We are conducting this study to understand how people have experienced switches and to inform future practice.

Can a daily supplement improve the health of people at risk of type 2?

Subtitle:
Probiotic Impact on Cognitive Performance and Metabolic Outcomes in Overweight Young Adults with Impaired Glucose Regulation (Pro-Cog Trial)
Institution:
Leeds Beckett University
Location:
In-person
Tags:
Clinical trial Questionnaire
Dates:
August 2025
June 2026

Researchers at Leeds Beckett University would like to recruit adults:

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