What KT did next
Knowledge Exchange and the Creative Economy
AHRC Events for Research/KE Managers
February/March 2013
Robert Keegan, KE Portfolio Manager
Why do we do it?
• To strengthen the impact of arts and
humanities research by encouraging researchers
to disseminate and transfer knowledge to other
contexts where it makes a difference
• To raise the profile of arts and humanities
research and be an effective advocate for its
social, cultural and economic significance
AHRC Vision and Strategy 2007-2012
Strategic Aims 3 & 4
Why do we do it?
‘To deliver maximum benefits for society & the
economy by leading the strategic stimulus of research
& knowledge exchange, supporting the creative
economy to stimulate growth and by contributing to
the improvement of well-being & public services,
especially in relation to communities’
AHRC Delivery Plan 2011-2015
We have moved……
• From KT
• To KE
What is Knowledge Exchange?
The processes by which new knowledge is coproduced through interactions between academic
and non-academic individuals and communities
• Includes innovation through applying existing
knowledge to new contexts
• Assumes added value to both partners
• Transformative effect on project partners
What are we doing?
• Ending small, dedicated KE schemes
• Embedding KE throughout AHRC schemes
• Focusing the KE budget on:
– a small number of longer and larger grants for
Knowledge Exchange Hubs
- the contribution of research to the creative economy
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What are we doing?
- the contribution of research to the creative economy
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CEKE Projects
KTP sponsorship – renewed criteria
Strategic partnerships – BBC, BT, SFC, Nesta, ACE,
Design Council, Creative Scotland, Brighton Fuse
CREATe
- Public Policy
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Highlight call in Research Networking
Policy Seminars & Commissioned Research
Fellowship opportunities
Training (e.g. IfG ‘Engaging with Government’)
Policy Roadshows (in development)
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KE & Impact across the AHRC
• Impact is the demonstrable contribution that
excellent research makes to society & the economy...
it embraces all the extremely diverse ways in which
research-related knowledge and skills benefit
individuals, organisations and nations by:
• fostering global economic performance & economic
competitiveness of the UK
• increasing effectiveness of public services & policy
• enhancing quality of life, health & creative output
• To deliver impact need to engage and collaborate
KE is all around us
• Research Networking
• Research Grants
• Fellowships
• Follow-on Funding
• BGP2 & CDA/CDP
• Strategic Themes
Image copyright of Birmingham Archives and Heritage
KE and the PRC
• Academic vs. Knowledge Exchange
- ability to recognise & appraise KE activities both large & small
scale, wherever they occur
-partnerships/collaboration/co-production
-appropriateness
-added value/impact
• Strategic KE Reviewers
- ad-hoc requirement for more experienced KE
practitioners
• Encourage PRC members to identify their own
experience/capabilities in KE
KE and the PRC
Challenges
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to widen understanding of KE
to ‘normalise’ KE
recognise the added value
effective reviewing of KE
recognise creativity & innovation
Follow-on Funding for
Impact & Engagement scheme
• Re-launched 31 Jan 2013 following a 2 year pilot
• Innovation, Creativity and relevance to target
audiences are key
• Must be based on AHRC/RC funded research
• Open deadlines via JeS
• Up to 12 months and £100k fEC
• Encourage smaller awards up to £30k
e.g. feasibility testing/exploring new partnerships for KE, testing
the market or investigating a new business model
Follow-on Funding for
Impact & Engagement scheme
to support innovative & creative engagements
with new audiences & user communities
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Knowledge Exchange
Public Engagement
Active Dissemination
Policy
Commercialisation
Follow-on Funding for
Impact & Engagement scheme
• Deliver impact not new research
• FoF should be contextualised
• Well-defined non-academic need and engagement
with user communities
• Reach and sustainability
• So what ? – how will it make a difference?
• Ensure applicants & reviewers work to the scheme
criteria.
• Don’t get carried away with the topic!
Contacts
• Ellie Ricketts-Jones
KE Co-ordinator
e.ricketts-jones@ahrc.ac.uk
• Robert Keegan
KE Portfolio Manager
r.keegan@ahrc.ac.uk