UNDERSTANDING
IMPACT
What is non academic impact?
If your research has been used by policymakers, users
or practitioners, or has led to improvements in services
or business, then your research has had impact.
What does it mean for me?
You will probably fall into one of two camps
1. High Impact research that is probably going to be used in a REF case study
and/or
2. Research that could be seen to have less obvious impact but that still needs
evidencing for your future career and the funder, whether individually or in a
team
Evidencing impact will make you a more appealing prospect for funders
Today
We will hear from
• Support Services – what help do you need, where is it and what is there
available?
• Successful case studies – hear from those who have completed the full cycle
• YOU! – Break out groups
Understanding Impact –
Pop quiz!!
1. Non academic impact is classed by RCUK as
(a)The demonstrable contribution that excellent
research makes to society
(b)The demonstrable contribution that excellent
research makes to the economy
(c)Both of the above
2. Which of these would be classed as non
academic impact?
(a)A journal article in a highly rated
publication
(b)A roundtable event for stakeholders and
academics
(c)A curriculum change in schools
3. In which order should the impact lifecycle
run?
(a)Engage, Evidence and Capture, Maximise
(b)Develop, Engage, Maximise and Evidence
and Capture
(c)Maximise, Develop and Capture, Engage
4. Which of these could be the most important
audience for impact?
(a)The general public
(b)Business and Industry
(c)Policy Makers
(d)Environmentalists
(e)All of the above
5. What is the best way to be certain you are
capturing and evidencing impact?
(a)Keep a list in a word file with electronic links
(b)Keep electronic links on a flash drive and
scan non electronic documents
(c)Keep screen shots and scans of evidence in
hard copy and on a shared drive
(d)Make sure you forward all relevant
electronic copies to a colleague to keep as an
impartial person
Answers
1. (c) Both of the above
2. (c) A curriculum change in schools ( Journal and
roundtable is dissemination not impact
3. (b) Develop, Engage, Maximise and
Evidence and Capture
4. (e) All of the above
5. (c) Keep screen shots and scans in hard
copy and on a local drive ( link can break, flash drives can
corrupt or be lost and colleagues can move on)
Understanding Impact –
Pre-award
Ruth Sandland – UK research Funding Manager
Lucy Gonzalez – EU & International Funding Manager
How will it affect me?
• Nearly all external funders expect researchers to identify
the project’s potential impact at application stage
• Even if there is no specific box you should be identifying it
in the sections on the importance and timeliness of the
research
• Applications vary from funder to funder
• Impact statement requested by funder
• Pathways to impact (Research Council)
• Impact Section for EU funding, worth 30% of the score
Funders are looking for a clear understanding of what
impact is and how you plan to maximise it
Remember : non- academic impact
Plan how to…
1. Develop – think about WHO
1. Who is your audience? (interested
parties)
2. Who are your beneficiaries? (will feel
a real impact from the outcomes –
try to involve them from the start)
2. Engage – think about HOW
1. How will those you have identified
benefit?
2. And how can you ensure they
benefit?
Develop
AUDIENCE – interested parties
Think beyond the obvious
•
•
•
•
The public (including media)
Business and industry
Policy makers and public authorities
Those concerned with the preservation of the
environment
• Society as a whole
Develop
BENEFICIARIES
Institutes / Companies / Students / Children/Patients / Schools / Communities /
NHS / Teachers / Women/ Families / Governments / Workers / Clinicians /
Businesses/ Clients / Manufacturers / Ministers / Parents / Pupils/ Policymakers /
Museums / Engineers / Consultants /Journalists / Writers / Citizens / Consumers /
Volunteers/ Councils / Charities / Curators / Designers / Farmers/ Lawyers /
Animals / Banks / Unions
1. Can you name any individuals or groups that can directly or indirectly
benefit? (i.e. a doctor indirectly benefits and patients directly benefit)
2. Are there specific users?
3. Could there be users that benefit from parts of the research?
4. Is there a potential commercial application?
Engage
How will your research make an impact?
• improve social welfare or public services
BENEFIT = Quality of life, skills or health for the public – be specific!
•
change or influence public policy
BENEFIT = for local or national government, are there potential policy
changes?
•
contribute to operational or organisational change
BENEFIT = Can your research be quantified? Could it improve care or the
economy and for whom?
•
make huge cost savings
BENEFIT = Could the new practice save the NHS money?
•
improve quality of life by introducing new measures
BENEFIT = Could it create a safer more sustainable environment?
Engage
HOW will you engage with users, beneficiaries,
audiences?
• Stakeholder conferences and
workshops (attending or organising)
• Educational outreach
• Public engagement
• Exhibitions, festivals and public
events
• Personal contacts and networks
• Directly working with practitioner
• Expert advisory/witness roles
• Consultancy
• Through existing contacts
Engage
HOW will you engage with users, beneficiaries,
audiences?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Newspaper articles
Broadcast media (‘talking heads’)
Trade or professional publications
Books and academic publications
Position or working papers
Think tanks
Apps
Web pages
Social media
Blogs and vlogs
Professional associations
Training and professional development
provision
For example…
Professor A is investigating how dementia in cats can be detected and whether current medical
treatments are adequate and whether they could be improved using lifestyle recommendations
1. Who is your audience?
The general public, business and industry, professionals, society
2. Who are your beneficiaries?
Vets? Cat owners? Pharmaceutical Companies? Breeders? Insurance companies? General
media? Others involved in dementia care or research? Catteries? Schools that train vets and vet
nurses? (will feel a real impact from the outcomes )
Engage with audience and beneficiaries
• Identify the potential benefits
• Improved survival rates, better drugs, less cost to the owner, healthier cats, lower
premiums, wellbeing for the cats and their owners, transfer of knowledge, higher quality
of care in catteries
• Reach your audience and beneficiaries
• Use media – social and otherwise – get on “cat” facebook or twitter
• Briefing papers
• Events and seminars for a non academic audience
• Cat food tins to advertise or local vets
• Educational outreach in training venues
• Speak to local businesses that could benefit
And finally… Budget!
Many funders will cover the costs
of developing and maximising nonacademic impact. Check guidelines
and make sure you include:
Designing and printing costs
Events and conferences
Workshops or talks
Websites
Support staff
Etc.
Let us help you!
• Talk through the project and think about who the
audience and beneficiaries are and how you can engage
them
• Help you to write the Pathways to Impact or other section
• Help you to write the EU statements in the Impact
section
• Cost any activities and put them in the budget
Thank you – any questions?
Reporting Impact
Writing up your impact as a case study for the
Research Excellence Framework
Dr Tim Brooks, RDCS
November 2015
About the REF
• A periodic national
assessment of research
activity in universities – last
time in 2014
• Provides benchmarking
data, enables allocation of
the research grant and
ensures public
accountability for
investment in research
Impact and the REF
• Introduced into planning for
the REF in 2009 following the
financial crash
• Worth 20% of the final
score (balance coming from
research outputs (65%) and
research environment (15%))
• Will likely be worth more in
the next REF exercise (2540%?)
Defining Impact
for REF
• “an effect on, change or
benefit to the economy,
society, culture, public policy
or services, health, the
environment or quality of
life, beyond academia”
• Must be based on research
carried out in the
submitting institution.
• Research must be
≥2*quality.
Case Studies (1)
• Summary: a brief introduction
to the specific impact(s) being
described
• Underpinning research:
Details of the key research
insights or findings, and
details of what research was
undertaken, when and by
whom
• References to the research,
demonstrating ≥ 2* quality
Case Studies (2)
• Details of the impact: and
explanation of how the
research made a distinct,
material contribution to the
impact; and the nature and
extent of that impact.
• Sources to corroborate the
impact: details of reports,
reviews, individual users or
other beneficiaries supporting
the claims made
Evidence & Assessment
• Absolutely crucial
• Collect everything that has any
kind of link, both to the impact
itself and to the process of
achieving it
• Store in both electronic and hard
copy formats so you have back
ups.
• Impact case studies assessed on
significance and reach – but the
context all important.
Other reporting
ResearchFish
End of project reports
• Details of activities, outputs
and outcomes of research,
including impact
• May continue long beyond
the formal end of project
• CARE – impact may be
defined slightly differently.
Take away message
• Start an impact case
study to capture impact
details for all your
research projects
• Collect any and all
evidence that supports it
• Revisit it periodically to
keep it up to date
More information
• REF 2014 rules & regulations:
www.ref.ac.uk/pubs/
• REF 2014 results &
submissions: results.ref.ac.uk
• REF impact case study
database: impact.ref.ac.uk
Thank you for your attention
Any questions?
Dr Tim Brooks, RDCS
tim.brooks@anglia.ac.uk
x4305
Opportunities for impact
through knowledge exchange
and business engagement
Jo Vine, Project Manager, RDCS
Over
£10
million
£2.5
million
In Top 30
Universities for working with business and
employers
£290
thousand
worth of knowledge transfer
programmes carried out as part of
the ERDF Low Carbon KEEP
programme
Is the average increase in annual
profit for a business participating
in a KTP*
(Innovate UK stat 2015)
9000
Secured to support SME Growth in
the East of England
start-ups support by our Enterprise
and Start-Up Division through
Ixion
2000
Employees sharpening their skills
through Degrees at Work
270
1st UK
companies
in the low-carbon medical
technology and assisted living
sector supported by The MedTech
Campus’ £5.2m ERDF-funded
business support programme
university enterprise
centre
(CEDAR) to be made an Institute of
Enterprise and Entrepreneurs
(IOEE) Centre of Excellent
5.5%
of our graduates start their own
business
50
internships
carried out each year with local
businesses
600
jobs safeguarded
And 250 jobs created via our
business support programmes
600
active
members
Are part of our MedTech Campus Meet-Up
Networking Group ranging from
Entrepreneurs, clinicians and consultants to
academics, Industry leaders and business
sector experts
How to maximise impact
According to ESRC there are a number of key factors that are vital for
generating impact:
• established networks and relationships with research users
• involving users at all stages of the research
• well-planned public engagement and knowledge exchange
strategies,
• good understanding of policy/practice contexts
• understand and target barriers to and enablers of change
• portfolios of research that build up reputations with research users
• where appropriate, the involvement of intermediaries and knowledge
brokers as translators, amplifiers, network providers.
How RDCS can help
Support to
Build
Relationships
Leveraging
additional
value and
impact
Support to
Plan and
Deliver
Communication
Opportunities
Support to Plan and Deliver
Support and Advice on Knowledge Exchange Funding
- Innovate UK
- KTP and ERDF
- Regional
Support to plan and deliver stakeholder and impact
communications
Stakeholder mapping support
- Market research
- Showcase opportunities and marketing support
- Project management and delivery support
Communication Opportunities
Case study
Impact via Collaborative Research
REF Case Study - Alison Northrop - Biomechanical and mechanical
assessment of equestrian arena surfaces for the London 2012 Olympic
Games - the need for new industry standards
“The research led to the development of a suite of tests to ensure appropriate
assessment of biomechanical, mechanical and physical properties of
equestrian arena surfaces. Test arenas were assessed in preparation for the
London 2012 Olympic Games, generating data which contributed to changes in
the design, construction and management of the Olympic equestrian arenas at
Greenwich Park………
Part of our research work informed decisions made by the surface
providers (Andrews Bowen Ltd, EPG Ltd and SEL Environmental Ltd) [4,
5] for the construction and preparation of the equestrian surfaces at Greenwich
Park for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The RACES team was
subsequently awarded a Research Council UK bronze Podium Award”
Impact via KTPs
REF Case Study – Hassan Shirvani - Novel Offset Deformable
Barrier leading to changes in European Standards and improved
vehicular safety
Research into variable mechanical energy absorption, using Finite
Element (FE) modelling and analysis, funded by Cellbond Ltd… led to
a design specification for an Offset Deformable Barrier (ODB). ….The
work, involving identifying the material from which the ODB must be
manufactured, its crush strength, foil thickness and honeycomb cell
size, began in 1996, led by Professor Hassan Shirvani along with
collaborators at Cellbond through a Teaching Company Scheme
Programme. This was followed up in 1998 through a KTP
programme..….The barriers were modelled at Anglia Ruskin
University and Cellbond in collaboration with ARUP and JaguarLandrover.
Benefits of our Knowledge
Exchange for Research
• We are already connected to many of the potential beneficiaries and
users of your research
• We have established communications channels and can help you
build relationships with beneficiaries and users
• We have dedicated teams who can help you develop knowledge
exchange projects which will maximise impact
• We can help you map and plan pathways to impact, introduce you to
potential users and stakeholders in private and public sector
“Impact works best if you can tap into pre-existing networks and
relationships with research users. Ideally this should be a two-way
process: research findings inform the development of policy and
practice, which then informs further research.” ESRC
Joanne.vine@anglia.ac.uk
0845 196 5846
Press and public engagement
Andrea Hilliard
All universities are committed to public
engagement and the dissemination of
their research
Public engagement
“Public engagement describes the myriad of
ways in which the activity and benefits of higher
education and research can be shared with the
public. Engagement is by definition a two-way
process, involving interaction and listening, with
the goal of generating mutual benefit.”
- National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement
What is news?
Noun: news
1. newly received or noteworthy information, especially
about recent events
"I've got some good news for you"
2. a broadcast or published report of news
plural noun: the news
"he was back in the news again"
3. information not previously known to (someone)
"this was hardly news to her”
We’re here to help
Press Office
•
Jon Green (ALSS, S&T and LAIBS)
•
Jamie Forsyth (Corporate, FHSCE and FMS)
Community Engagement Officers (talks, debates etc.)
•
Miriam Berg (Cambridgeshire)
•
Sian Burnett, maternity cover for Rachel Moss (Essex)
Press Office
1. Informed/find out about up-and-coming research stories
2. Agree publication date with academic
3. Draft news release for approval
•
Accessible - as we need to impart knowledge
4. Issue on date agreed (ensuring academic is available)
•
Press and broadcast (tv and radio), our website and
Twitter (sometimes Facebook)
•
Interview hints and tips
5. Provide media coverage reports to demonstrate impact
Identifying news stories
• Every story answers the questions who, what, why,
where, when and how
• Journalists use strict criteria to assess what will grab
attention of their audience/readers. They will only tell a
story if they can tell people how it will affect them
personally. The why? is vital (rather than how)
• Journalists view a ‘good’ news story as one that meets
the following conditions
1. It must be new
2. It must be relevant, affecting the audience/readers
3. It must have impact, perhaps changing or influencing
people’s lives in some way
Recognising the Media Agenda
• Drama plays a big part in the news e.g. conflict /
tension / resolution / human interest
• If an event is immediate or imminent, and it is made
important or interesting by tragedy, controversy, or irony
is more likely to make the news
• If it is the first, last, biggest, smallest, most expensive,
most unusual it is more likely to gain media coverage
• Journalists like to include an element of surprise in their
stories. Failing that they will often expand on a
story/trend already in the news
• “A picture is worth ten thousand words” - Anon
Impact – October 2015
Positive
Negative
Neutral
Volume of
articles
577
9
23
Reach
Value
522,030,947
60,897,974
181,657,760
£470,188
£25,197
£100,106
Impact in action
Between February and May, Nick Drydakis’ research stories,
including the link between sex and earnings and workplace
discrimination facing gay and lesbian employees, achieved:
Media items: 138
Total reach: 25,130,113
Total value: £461,316
OECD made contact (after seeing article in Daily Mail) –
Deputy Director , Directorate for Employment, Labour
and Social Affairs.
If you want to raise your profile
1. Get to know your Press Officer and Community Engagement
Officer
•
Talk to them, tell them about your expertise (for comments
and public events) and what you’re working on
2. Make sure your Staff Profile on the website is impressive –
journalists make assumptions like everyone else. Get on
LinkedIn, and keep it up-to-date.
3. Build your confidence – training, listen/watch others (did they
get to the point / their message across?)
4. Use the media coverage reports to demonstrate the impact
you’re making – internally, on your staff profile and with
partners
Questions?