Impact on the research
dance floor
Line dance, tango or ceilidh?
Drs. Astrid Wissenburg
Economic and Social Research Council /
Research Councils UK
Research Councils UK
• Partnership of the UK’s seven Research Councils.
• Annually invest around £3 billion in research.
• Support research that contributes to a productive
economy, healthy society and a sustainable world.
• Work with a range of partners to support exchange of
knowledge from the research base into the private, public
and third sectors
• Establishing an ongoing dialogue between the research
community and the public, to ensure society can benefit
more fully from the outputs of research
Research Councils UK & Impact
• Committed to excellence with impact: this means
continuing to invest in the best research, people and
infrastructure, whilst aiming to enhance the impact of that
funding on society.
• Recognise that the research we fund has both academic
and economic and societal impacts, i.e.
The demonstrable contribution that excellent research
makes to society and the economy by:
– Fostering global economic performance, and specifically the
economic competitiveness of the UK
– Increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy
– Enhancing quality of life, health and creative output
Pathways to Impact
Instrumental
Influencing the development of policy / practice
Shaping behaviour
Altering legislation
Conceptual
Shifts our understanding of
policy/practice
Reframing debates
Pathways to impact
vary
Impacts range from
instrumental to more
subtle
Capacity-building
Technical / professional skills
development
Cultural change
•Increased willingness to engage in knowledge exchange activities
•Changed mindsets
Enduring connectivity
•Establishment of enduring relationships – indicator future impacts
What steps lead to impact?
Example Birth Cohort Study
Scoping and
specifying the
research
agenda
Social scientists
Medical researchers
Government depts.
Business sector
Third sector
Teachers etc
Data and privacy
activists
Parents
‘General’ public
Commissioning
the research
Social scientists
Medical researchers
Government depts.
Managing
the
research
Research
use and
impact
Participants
Social scientists
Medical researchers
Government depts.
Business& third sector
Teachers etc
Data and privacy
activists
Parents
‘General’ public
Media
Who is who?
Configurations of engagement:
Line dance
–
–
–
–
Show and follow
One size fits all
Imitation
Not connecting
Tango
•
•
•
•
Close 1-1 relationship
Trust
Party for 2
Precision
Ceilidh
•
•
•
•
Complex
Extendable
Flexible
Varying configurations
Engagement in practice – what
works?
• Established networks & relationships with research users
• Awareness of the policy & practice context
• Users involved at the outset and throughout (CoProduction)
• Early and well-planned user engagement and knowledge
exchange strategy
• Accessible findings (language, format)
• Credibility - portfolios of research activity that build
reputations with research users
• Good infrastructure and management support
• Role for intermediaries & brokers as translators, amplifiers,
network providers
Research councils expectations
• RCUK Expectations for Societal and Economic Impact
– demonstrate an awareness of the social and ethical implications of
their research, beyond usual research conduct considerations, and
take account of public attitudes towards those issues
– publish results widely – considering the academics, user and public
audiences for research outcomes
• Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research
– ensuring that you have thought through how and why public
engagement is relevant to your area of research, and the benefits it
can bring.
• Access to research outputs
• RCUK Common Principles on Data Policy
……..
Research Councils support
• Funding
– ESRC Knowledge exchange opportunities scheme
– Festival of Social Science
• Training
– Media training
• Guidance
– ESRC Impact toolkit
– www.socialscienceforschools.org.uk
• Infrastructure
– ESRC Research Catalogue
– RCUK Gateway to Research
astrid.wissenburg@esrc.ac.uk
www.esrc.ac.uk
www.rcuk.ac.uk