People at the Heart of AMR: Driving Change Through Collaboration and Community

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most urgent global health challenges of our time. But the solutions don’t start in laboratories alone, they start with people. That belief underpins the PEOPLE AMR Network - Promoting Evidence-based, cO-developed, Prudent use of antimicrobiaLs in community contExts. 

Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and led by the University of Oxford with partners in Manchester, Surrey and Reading, the PEOPLE AMR Network is building a UK-wide collaboration that connects clinicians, social science, design and lived experience to transform how we use antimicrobials.

Why People-Centred Matters

Antimicrobial use is shaped by everyday decisions, from parents managing a child’s cough to farmers caring for livestock. The PEOPLE AMR Network focuses on understanding these behaviours and identifying the best ways to co-design interventions that work in communities, across primary care, dental practices, pharmacies, and veterinary settings.

Listening to Lived Experience

At the heart of this approach is People with Lived Experience (PLE). Through hybrid workshops, webinars and discussions in community spaces, we ensure that voices from local communities help shape research priorities.

This commitment to inclusion extends through our partnership with the Centre for Research Equity, supporting diverse participation across socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.

Empowering Early-Career Researchers

We invest in early-and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) through cross-disciplinary placements and skills workshops. These opportunities allow researchers to gain hands-on experience, while building networks that span medicine, veterinary science, behavioural research and industry.

Workshops on participatory design, health economics and implementation science equip EMCRs with the tools to think and work, across boundaries, ensuring the next generation of AMR leaders is ready to tackle this global challenge.

We currently announced small grants call for EMCRs, offering up to £144,000 to support innovative, transdisciplinary projects tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Researchers are able to apply for up to £36,000 to support pump-priming studies, evidence synthesis and other activities aligned with our mission to promote prudent antimicrobial use in the community. Further information can be found Here.

Looking Ahead

By connecting researchers, practitioners, policymakers and communities the PEOPLE AMR Network is proving that sustainable change in antimicrobial use starts not with prescriptions, but with people.

Join the Network: Subscribe to our newsletter, explore opportunities and update Sign-up here.