Aimed at researchers planning grant applications and wishing guidance on impact statements

1. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Rose-Marie Barbeau
Research Impact Manager
University of Glasgow
Rose-marie.barbeau@glasgow.ac.uk
@rmbarbeau
Impact statements
in grant
applications

2. Research Strategy &
Innovation
 Funder expectations
 Where to start
 What to include
 What to remember
 Where to go for help
 Q&A
What will we cover?

3. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Impact is defined as ‘an effect on,
change or benefit to the
economy, society, culture, public
policy or services, health, the
environment or quality of life,
beyond academia’.
• It’s about making a difference.
• And we don’t do it…
What is the ‘impact agenda’?
Key points about impact

4. Research Strategy &
Innovation
 Knowledge exchange (KE): the transfer of
knowledge, expertise and skilled people
between the research environment and user
communities, including the general public.
 You may be doing this already.
 KE encompasses a multitude of activities
but should always be a two-way process.
 Engaging in KE activity doesn’t cancel out
the importance of traditional dissemination
routes…
How do we get there?
Public
engagement
Key points about impact

5. Research Strategy &
Innovation
“Our primary criterion is research excellence.”
(RCUK)
“RCUK introduced Pathways to Impact to encourage you to
think about what can be done to ensure your research makes
a difference. Through Pathways to Impact we want to
encourage you to explore, from the outset and throughout the
life of your project and beyond, who could potentially benefit
from your research and what you can do to help make this
happen.
Funder expectations

6. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Funder expectations
“Thinking about the [potential] impact of research is
integral to an application, and not an afterthought.”
(BBSRC)
“Opportunities for making an impact may arise, and should be
taken, at any stage during or after the lifecourse of your research. It
is important that you have in place a robust plan for maximising the
likelihood of such opportunities arising and your capacity for taking
advantage of these.”

7. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Impacts described in UoG case studies in REF2014
What is impact?

8. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Research
focus
Who might
benefit
from or
deliver the
change?
How can
you
engage
effectively
with
them?
What will
they
potentially
gain?
How
might you
document
any
change?
Audiences, beneficiaries,
stakeholders, etc…..whoever
externally you can identify who will
be interested in, profit from or
deliver the change your research
will contribute to…
KE mechanisms of
collaboration, communication,
consultation…
Potential social, economic,
commercial, policy, cultural
impacts
Evidence: the breadcrumb
trail from research findings &
expertise to the ultimate
influence, change, benefit to
the wider world…
Arriving at an impact plan
Planning for impact

9. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Your impact statement
Your main priorities should be:
 Excellent research
 Addressing needs of funding call and wider strategy of
funder
 A clearly thought through and acceptable Pathways to
Impact, which should be:
• project-specific and not generalised;
• flexible and focused on potential outcomes.

10. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Identifying your beneficiaries
Who might:
• be interested in
• profit from
• be affected by
• benefit from or
• be involved in delivering the
change that may happen as a
result of your research?
What about…
Third sector organisations (e.g. for people with certain conditions)?
Carers or parents of key beneficiaries?
Regulatory bodies covering the care or treatment of these groups?

11. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Engaging with your beneficiaries
Think about the most effective – and most appropriate –
ways to reach each group of research users, and bear in
mind why they might be interested.
Always build in mechanisms for people to engage at a
deeper level, whether to provide views, ask questions or
supply additional information. Communication should be
two-way!
Making sure that interactions are two-way can be
beneficial to your research as well as increasing potential
for impact.

12. Research Strategy &
Innovation
You cannot guarantee impact. What reviewers will expect to see is that
you are aware of the potential impact of what you do and who it might
affect or interest – and that you know how to communicate with those
people.
Think about the interests of your identified stakeholder groups and what the
nature of your communication will be – check for opportunities that may be in
place in your College, Institute or University.
Engaging with your beneficiaries

13. Research Strategy &
Innovation
The type of engagement activity depends on the research, the users and
the potential impacts:
People-based: inward or outward secondment/placement, delivering
employee training, network or practitioner forum participation, co-authorship
Problem-solving: contract research, facilities use, personal and informal
advice.
Commercialisation interactions: patent, licensing research output, forming a
spin-out company or consultancy.
Community-based Interactions: public exhibitions, community lectures,
public information or engagement through e.g. Science Festivals or other
events.
Engaging with your beneficiaries

14. Research Strategy &
Innovation
What do you want? What do they want?
Find the middle ground
Top Tip: bridge the gap

15. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Top Tip: be creative

16. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Top Tip: dissemination is not impact
Public engagement is valued by the Research Councils
and is an important part of our mission as an institution of
higher education. It builds a useful skillset, and may be a
relevant choice of activity for your particular project. It
should not be looked on as the ‘easy option’, however…

17. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Questions?
What if I’m a ‘fundamentalist’?
There’s no reason why good fundamental research can't address a wider
applied question. The value is in the process as much as the outputs.
DNA-based tests to determine bird
gender are now used worldwide but
originated to facilitate research.
Sequencing and characterisation of a virus
(cytomegalovirus strain Merlin) has become
WHO’s diagnostic standard.
Basic research into physiology of
nephrops (lobsters) led to a Knowledge
Transfer Partnership with Scotprime.
Nutritionally balanced pizza came out of a
conversation with a local entrepreneur.
• Traditional dissemination and public engagement
• Secondary researchers with links to external partners
• Forward planning in industry R&D can be decades, so they will still be
interested
• Mechanisms and opportunities available through your College (e.g. Industry
Day) or University (European Researchers Night, etc)

18. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Your plan will be credible if:
 It is relevant and appropriate to the research.
 Your activities are clearly defined, with reasonable
timescales that relate to the life course of the project
and evaluation mechanisms included.
 You are aware of and link to institutional
mechanisms, resources, opportunities (public or
industry engagement events, press office, business
development managers, etc) where relevant.
 You mention any relevant KE/public engagement
experience that you can draw on.
 You have included realistic costings!
Planning for impact

19. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Resources
• Impact champions in your School/Institute/College
• Public engagement advice (www.gla.ac.uk/services/publicengagement) Jamie Gallagher
• Research and Business development managers in your College (Caroline Woodside; Jonathan
Scott)
• Researcher Development impact-related modules (e.g. Knowledge Exchange and Public
Engagement; Planning for Impact) (see ‘Domain D’)
• KE & Impact conferences and themed workshops for University staff
(www.gla.ac.uk/services/rsio/knowledgeexchange/knowledgeexchangeevents)
• KE funding schemes aimed at driving impact
• BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC Impact Acceleration Accounts
• Proximity to Discovery fund (MVLS)
• Glasgow KE Fund (rolling application mode)
• Research Impact Manager: rose-marie.barbeau@glasgow.ac.uk

20. Research Strategy &
Innovation
Resources
• RCUK guidance on Pathways to Impact: www.rcuk.ac.uk/innovation/impacts
• RCUK case studies of effective knowledge exchange:
www.rcuk.ac.uk/media/brief/impactcase
• BBSRC guidance on Pathways to Impact:
www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/apply/impact/about-pathways-to-impact