Pathways to Impact & Funders

Jude HillResearch Development Manager, RED

ESRC Strategic Plan, 2009-14 ‘The ESRC expects that all the Academic research

it funds will be high quality and of scholarly distinction, but we are also committed to increasing its non academic impact…… The concept of

'impact' in the social sciences applies to all sectors: public, private and third. It embraces

economic and societal impact in the sense of direct and often quantifiable economic benefits; wider social impacts that will benefit society more generally such as effects on the environment, public health or

quality of life; and impacts on government policy, the third sector and professional

practice.

‘Strategic Plan’ can be downloaded from here. Includes impact case studies

http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/strategicplan/

Practicalities

Pre-awardSince Feb 2009

• 1. Two mandatory sections on JeS form:

Academic beneficiaries – academic (4000 characters)

UK or beyond; within or beyond your discipline…

Impact Summary - broadly non academic (4000 characters)

e.g. private, public, or third sector, the wider public…

• 2. Case for support attachment, also mandatory:

‘Pathways to Impact’ (since 20 April 2010) Was `Impact Plan`

3. Can ask for resources if well justified DETAILED GUIDANCE ON WEB

What’s the Difference….• between the summaries and the plan?

The summaries may well appear in the public domain focus WHO will benefit (UK and beyond), HOW they will be

impacted, e.g. methodological or theoretical advances or production of data etc, e.g. potential to benefit nation’s health, wealth, culture

also indicate WHAT will be done to ensure these people benefit, inc whether other researchers will collaborate on project

The ‘Pathways to Impact’ document expands on the information in the summaries WHAT you are actually going to do? More of an emphasis on this

than in summaries networking events, workshops, publications, public engagement,

training….

What is the “Pathways to Impact” document?

•2 page (max) attachment. Addresses:• Who will benefit from this research?• How will they benefit from this research?• What will be done to ensure that they have the opportunity to

benefit from this research?

•Need to consider:

• How will the proposed research project will be managed to engage users/beneficiaries & increase the likelihood of impacts?

• Track record• Timescales (consider what is achievable and expected for research

of this nature- be realistic) • Costs (for activities to be undertaken as part of the project)

Academic vs Economic/Societal

• Ideally “Pathways to Impact” is specific to users and beneficiaries of the research outside academic research community, but

Since change from Impact Plan, the academic impact may be discussed where this forms part of the critical pathway towards economic and societal impact

• Expectation that everyone will be able to write something, but

• If you feel you can’t, then you need to explain your reasoning in both the Pathways to Impact and the Impact Summary

• Your arguments will be reviewed with the rest of the proposal

Communications & engagement

• How have beneficiaries been engaged to date, & how will they be engaged moving forward? • How will the work build on existing or create new

links? • Outline plans to work with intermediary

organisations or networks.• What activities will be undertaken to ensure good

engagement & communication?

Collaboration

• How will collaborations & partnerships within the proposed project or research be managed?• Roles & responsibilities of all parties in relation to

impact..• Nature of the relationships – e.g. established or newly

formed.• Nature, value & significance of any contributions to

the proposed project.• Details of any formal collaboration agreements or

future plans for collaboration agreements.

Capability

• Who is likely to be undertaking the impact activities?• For example:

• PI or Co-I(s).• PhD students & post-doctoral researchers.• Specialised staff employed to undertake communication &

exploitation activities.

• What previous & relevant experience do they have in achieving successful knowledge exchange & impact?

• How will they acquire the skills?

Resources PROJECT-SPECIFIC

Ask for and justify what you need:

Investigator time allocated to impact activities for the project

Specific training e.g. for RAs

Employment of specialist staff

Marketing assessments

Workshops, seminars and networking events

Publicity/dissemination

Consider timescales of project

Observations No need to expand to fill two pages if not needed

Avoid simply cutting and pasting the summaries

please say what you will DO!

`Usual journals and conferences`

please think about what these are!

Impact through people

poorly addressed on the whole

`Not applicable`

Impact is very broad so please explain why!

Implications for Peer Review (ESRC)

•

Reviewers’ form• Explicit questions about excellence and impact

•Potential for high scientific and user impact; costs for user engagement, other activities for maximising impact

http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/Assessors%27%20guidance%20April%202009_tcm6-27292.pdf

Assessment process• Impact as secondary criterion, but of growing importance

(from Summer 2010) Any feedback from PRC briefings?

Internal restructuring• From this summer, new Peer Review College,

Committees and Panels in effect. • Seven members of GSOE on new ESRC PRC

• To embed user perspective throughout ESRC’s decision-making processes, at every level. Users from business, third and public sectors

• List of User’s on new Peer Review College (pp24-28)

http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/PR%20Full%20Member%20List_tcm6-36461.pdf

Monitoring & Evaluation

•

Training and communication issues

• We will update all as and when new developments emerge

Successful applications including ‘Impact’ sections are trickling in

• Will continue to collect, and circulate where possible• Key messages/trends and improved advice

Collecting data on outputs, outcomes and impacts of projects (ESRC or otherwise)

• Current activities within GSOE?

Changes to post-award reporting• Since November 2009• To better capture both academic and non-academic

outputs and impacts

ESRC new final reporting process3 months after end of award:• Grant holder submits (revised) End of Award Report• Some reference to impact• ESRC makes final payment12 months after end of award:• Grant holder submits Impact Report (summarising details of scientific, economic

or societal impact resulting from the project) • A revised grading scale will continue to recognise projects of high scientific

quality, as well as their demonstrable impacts on the academic community, society or the economy.

Any time during or after award:• Grant holder submits Impact Record• Grant holder submits Outputs (including full text)• ESRC case studies on web, and regular updates of ESRC impact now featured

on twitter• Send updates to Saskia.walcott@esrc.ac.uk

End of award report- ESRC (3 months after project end) a) Summary of Impacts to date Please summarise any impacts of the project to date, referring where appropriate to associated outputs recorded on ESRC Society Today. This should include both scientific impacts (relevant to the academic community) and economic and societal impacts (relevant to broader society). The impact can be relevant to any organisation, community or individual. [Max. 400 words] b) Anticipated/Potential Future ImpactsPlease outline any anticipated or potential impacts (scientific or economic and societal) that you believe your project might have in future. [Max. 200 words]

IMPACT REPORT - ESRC (12 months after project end)1. SCIENTIFIC IMPACTA Please summarise below the scientific impact(s) your project has had. [Max 250 words]B Please outline the findings and outputs from your project which have had the scientific impact(s) outlined in 1A. [Max 250

words] C Please outline how these impacts were achieved. [Max 250 words]D Please outline who the findings and outputs outlined above had an impact upon. This can include specific

academics/researchers through to broader academic groups. [Max 250 words] 2. ECONOMIC AND SOCIETAL IMPACT A Please summarise below the economic and societal impact(s) your project has had. [Max 250 words] B Please outline the findings and outputs from your project which have had the economic and societal impact(s) outlined in

2A. [Max 250 words] C Please outline how these impacts were achieved. [Max 250 words] D Please outline who the findings and outputs outlined above had an impact upon. This can be at a broad societal level

through to specific individuals or groups. [Max 250 words] • UNEXPECTED AND POTENTIAL FUTURE IMPACTS A Unexpected Impacts Please note which, if any, of the impacts that your research has had were unexpected at the outset of the research, explaining

where possible why you think this was the case. [Max 250 words]B Potential Future Impacts If you have a clear idea of the impact your research is likely to have in the future please detail these below. [Max 250 words] 2. IMPACT LIMITATIONS A Limited scientific impact Please state below any major scientific difficulties that have limited the scientific impact of your research. The statement should

refer to an effect on impact rather than simply detail research difficulties. [Max 250 words]B Limited economic and societal impact ESRC recognises that some of the research it funds will not have an economic or societal impact in the short term. Please

explain briefly below if this is the case for your project, and refer to your grant application where relevant. [Max 250 words] C No impact to date Please note that ESRC projects are evaluated on the basis of their scientific and/or economic and societal impact. Grant

holders are expected to report any future impacts as they occur using the Impact Record, downloadable from the ESRC Society Today website.

If you have no impacts at this stage, please give reasons below. [Max 250 words]

New project grading scaleThe new grading scale allows ESRC researchers to achieve the highest evaluation grade through either outstanding academic OR practical impact, or a combination of both:

1. Outstanding – research of the highest international quality, with publications submitted to (or published in) leading journals or other academic outlets; and/or evidence of major impact on policy and practice.

2. Very Good – research of strong international quality and impact within its subfield and publications submitted to (or published in) leading journals or other academic outlets; and/or evidence of substantial impact on policy and practice.

3. Good – research of international quality with publications submitted to (or published in) wellregarded journals or other academic outlets; and/or some evidence of impact on policy and practice

4. Satisfactory – research of good national standard with publications submitted to (or published in) good research outlets; and/or likely future impact on policy and practice. This category would include problematic outcomes outside of the awardholder’s control.

5. Weak – research of subnational standard with no publications submitted to (or published in) good research outlets; and no evidence of likely impact on policy and practice. Or work that has fails to address some of the objectives agreed with the ESRC. This category would include problematic outcomes resulting from poor project management.

6. Unacceptable – research of poor standard and no publications submitted to (or published in) good research outlets; and no evidence of likely impact on policy and practice. Or work that has failed to address most of the objectives agreed with the ESRC.

Useful linksRCUK

http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/cmsweb/downloads/rcuk/innovation/expectationssei.pdf

ESRC

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Support/esrcexpectations/faq.aspx#0

Strategic Plan’ can be downloaded from here. Includes impact case studieshttp://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/strategicplan/

Taking Stock report

http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/taking_stock_tcm6-30940.pdf

Also a lot of guidance on Je-S

End