Research Impact Toolkit : Research Development and Innovation : The University of Western Australia

Why does research impact matter?

Accountability for public spending on research is a key driver behind the impact agenda.

Demonstrating the impact of your research can raise your profile locally, nationally, and internationally.

The UWA Research Impact Toolkit

This Toolkit is designed to help you start planning an impact strategy for your research. Impact plans differ between disciplines, individuals and between projects.

This plan is designed to help enhance your research opportunities; leading to meaningful economic, environmental or social impacts.

The following tips and tools will help you begin planning your own knowledge exchange and impact strategy.

Plan
Identify potential impacts, stakeholders and goals.
Fund
Anticipated impact of research OR verified outcomes and reputation from previous research.
Engage
Plan impact activities and set up evidence capture.
Measure
Implement plans and capture impact evidence.
Evaluate
Evaluate research outputs, outcomes and benefits.
Communicate
Communicate impact evidence (benefits).
Reputation
Enhance researcher profile and build reputation and networks.
Plan for next idea
Use impact reports, enhanced reputation and networks to win grants.

Impact in Brief

Research impact is positive change that has come about as a result of research

Research impact is the contribution that research makes to the economy, society and environment and culture, beyond the contribution to academic research.

Australian Research Council: Engagement and Impact Assessment

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.

Higher Education Funding Council for England: Research Excellence Framework

Research impact is the verifiable outcomes that research makes to knowledge, health, the economy and/or society. Impact is the effect of research after it has been adopted, adapted for use, or used to inform further research.

National Health and Medical Research Council: Investigator and Synergy grants

Impact is the good that researchers can do in the world.

Mark Reed, Research Impact Handbook

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Academics are now being asked to demonstrate the societal consequence of their research, outside of academia. Without peer review publications, can you demonstrate what change your research program has brought to Australia or globally?

Excellent research usually underpins excellent impact. However, a systematic approach to planning and executing a research impact pathway will help you to provide evidence of return on investment in your research and will help raise your research profile.

What are the different types of impact?

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Browse the impact types
View the table of impact types
Download the list of impact types

What next?

How to plan your impact pathway

Resources

Ask us

Your research may give rise to one type of impact or it may result in multiple impact types. Across and within the different disciplines and research sectors there will be considerable diversity in the types of impacts that can be achieved.

Browse impact types

Understanding and awareness

Definition	People understand an issue better than they did before, based on your research. Often lead (in time) to other types of impact.
Examples	Community knowledge about something that was previously unknown or poorly understood Raised awareness of an important issue that gets limited media coverage Uncovered the scale or urgency of an issue Evidence of the negative unintended consequences of a policy of product

Attitudinal

Definition	A change in attitudes, typically of a group of people who share similar views, towards a new attitude that brings them or others benefits.
Examples	Public engagement might lead to a new appreciation for alternative views and more positive perceptions of people who hold differing views. A change in attitudes of white male business executives towards female or non-white employees seeking board level positions in corporations.

Economic

Definition	Monetary benefits arising from research, either in terms of money saved, costs avoided or increases in turnover, profit, funding or benefits to groups of people or the environment measured in monetary terms.
Examples	Your research ... may have led to a reduction in the number of people visiting their local doctor, saving the health service, insurance providers or patients money. might have led to a new product or service that has made/saved a company money. might have demonstrated that a new or existing policy is not achieving its goal thus wasting money, leading to the withdrawal of that policy (saving money) or its replacement with something that works (providing better value for taxpayers? money). may have quantified the economic benefit to society of a new policy or estimated the benefits of an intervention based on your work for the natural environment using monetary valuation techniques.

Definition

Monetary benefits arising from research, either in terms of money saved, costs avoided or increases in turnover, profit, funding or benefits to groups of people or the environment measured in monetary terms.

Examples

Your research ...

may have led to a reduction in the number of people visiting their local doctor, saving the health service, insurance providers or patients money.
might have led to a new product or service that has made/saved a company money.
might have demonstrated that a new or existing policy is not achieving its goal thus wasting money, leading to the withdrawal of that policy (saving money) or its replacement with something that works (providing better value for taxpayers? money).
may have quantified the economic benefit to society of a new policy or estimated the benefits of an intervention based on your work for the natural environment using monetary valuation techniques.

Environmental

Definition	Benefits from research to genetic diversity, species or habitat conservation, and ecosystems, including the benefits that humans derive from a healthy environment.
Examples	Environmental benefits for nature alone (with no tangible benefit for people), or research that only benefits nature (e.g. saving a species from extinction) Research that also then benefits people as a result of the benefits for nature (e.g. via health benefits from reduced pollution or increased well-being from access to green space). Research that may lead to human behaviour changes that benefit nature (e.g. reducing consumption or using less plastic).

Definition

Benefits from research to genetic diversity, species or habitat conservation, and ecosystems, including the benefits that humans derive from a healthy environment.

Examples

Environmental benefits for nature alone (with no tangible benefit for people), or research that only benefits nature (e.g. saving a species from extinction)
Research that also then benefits people as a result of the benefits for nature (e.g. via health benefits from reduced pollution or increased well-being from access to green space).
Research that may lead to human behaviour changes that benefit nature (e.g. reducing consumption or using less plastic).

Health and well-being

Definition	Research that leads to better outcomes for the health of individuals, social groups or public health, including saving lives and improving people?s quality of life, and wider benefits for the well-being of individuals or social groups, including both physical and social aspects such as emotional, psychological and economic well-being, and measures of life satisfaction.
Examples	Research from disciplines such as clinical medicine, allied health, public health and biomedical sciences may reduce mortality and morbidity via interventions such as new drugs and treatments for diseases /conditions or public health interventions to shift individual behaviours towards more healthy outcomes. Research that engages women affected by domestic violence in reading groups based on research into 19th-century feminist literature as a way of supporting and empowering this group. Research on the impact of students on communities around universities has led to many institutions investing in purpose-built student accommodation in different areas, enhancing the well-being of their local communities through reductions in things like late-night noise and litter.

Definition

Research that leads to better outcomes for the health of individuals, social groups or public health, including saving lives and improving people?s quality of life, and wider benefits for the well-being of individuals or social groups, including both physical and social aspects such as emotional, psychological and economic well-being, and measures of life satisfaction.

Examples

Research from disciplines such as clinical medicine, allied health, public health and biomedical sciences may reduce mortality and morbidity via interventions such as new drugs and treatments for diseases /conditions or public health interventions to shift individual behaviours towards more healthy outcomes.
Research that engages women affected by domestic violence in reading groups based on research into 19th-century feminist literature as a way of supporting and empowering this group.
Research on the impact of students on communities around universities has led to many institutions investing in purpose-built student accommodation in different areas, enhancing the well-being of their local communities through reductions in things like late-night noise and litter.

Policy

Definition	The contribution that research makes to new or amended laws, regulations or other policy mechanisms that enable them to meet a defined need or objective that delivers public benefit. Crucial to this definition is the fact that you are assessing the extent to which your research made a contribution, recognising that it is likely to be one of many factors influencing policy.
Examples	Your research may have been one of hundreds of studies in a particular area, but your work provided a missing link or some other crucial piece of evidence that made a policy possible. You may simply have been the person who was able to advise those developing the policy. You may have signposted your work alongside other key pieces of evidence and your evidence-based advice became crucial to the development of that policy. This would be research impact as long as your advice was based on research and informed and shaped policy in ways that enhanced the policy, enabling it to deliver benefits more effectively. Your research may have been heard in committees and cited in policy documents, but if it wasn?t, you should be able to collect testimonials from members of the policy community explaining your role in the process, and the significance of your research.

Definition

The contribution that research makes to new or amended laws, regulations or other policy mechanisms that enable them to meet a defined need or objective that delivers public benefit. Crucial to this definition is the fact that you are assessing the extent to which your research made a contribution, recognising that it is likely to be one of many factors influencing policy.

Examples

Your research may have been one of hundreds of studies in a particular area, but your work provided a missing link or some other crucial piece of evidence that made a policy possible.
You may simply have been the person who was able to advise those developing the policy.
You may have signposted your work alongside other key pieces of evidence and your evidence-based advice became crucial to the development of that policy. This would be research impact as long as your advice was based on research and informed and shaped policy in ways that enhanced the policy, enabling it to deliver benefits more effectively.
Your research may have been heard in committees and cited in policy documents, but if it wasn?t, you should be able to collect testimonials from members of the policy community explaining your role in the process, and the significance of your research.

Other forms of decision-making and behaviour change impacts

Definition	Whether directly or indirectly (via changes in understanding/awareness and attitudes), research can inform a wide range of individual, group and organisational behaviours and decisions leading to impacts that go beyond the economy, environment, health and well-being or policy.
Examples	Your research may change the attitude of a particular group towards others (e.g. attitudes towards non-white footballers or board members of companies), leading to changes in behaviour in sports training and selection resulting in more non-white footballers, or the promotion of more non-white employees to board positions. Many other organisations who seek to base decisions on evidence from research, ranging from charities and non-governmental organisations to farmer co-operatives and arts organisations.

Definition

Whether directly or indirectly (via changes in understanding/awareness and attitudes), research can inform a wide range of individual, group and organisational behaviours and decisions leading to impacts that go beyond the economy, environment, health and well-being or policy.

Examples

Your research may change the attitude of a particular group towards others (e.g. attitudes towards non-white footballers or board members of companies), leading to changes in behaviour in sports training and selection resulting in more non-white footballers, or the promotion of more non-white employees to board positions.
Many other organisations who seek to base decisions on evidence from research, ranging from charities and non-governmental organisations to farmer co-operatives and arts organisations.

Cultural

Definition	Changes in the prevailing values, attitudes, beliefs, discourse and patterns of behaviour, whether explicit ?(e.g. codified in rules or law) or implicit (e.g. rules of thumb or accepted practices) in organisations, social groups or society that deliver benefits to the members of those groups or those they interact with.
Examples	Research on a classical composer may provide cultural impacts by opening up that composer?s work to new audiences through interpretation (via public lectures, media work or pre-concert talks) and influence how performers interpret, perform and record the composer?s work, leading to critical acclaim and enriching the cultural experience of the music-loving public. Research on working-class entertainment might lead to changes in attitudes towards historic entertainment venues that had been left to fall into disrepair, leading to them being valued more greatly by members of the public. This might then lead to other forms of impact, for example, economic impacts based on restoring historic entertainment venues that bring in visitors and revenue to previously overlooked locations.

Definition

Changes in the prevailing values, attitudes, beliefs, discourse and patterns of behaviour, whether explicit ?(e.g. codified in rules or law) or implicit (e.g. rules of thumb or accepted practices) in organisations, social groups or society that deliver benefits to the members of those groups or those they interact with.

Examples

Research on a classical composer may provide cultural impacts by opening up that composer?s work to new audiences through interpretation (via public lectures, media work or pre-concert talks) and influence how performers interpret, perform and record the composer?s work, leading to critical acclaim and enriching the cultural experience of the music-loving public.
Research on working-class entertainment might lead to changes in attitudes towards historic entertainment venues that had been left to fall into disrepair, leading to them being valued more greatly by members of the public. This might then lead to other forms of impact, for example, economic impacts based on restoring historic entertainment venues that bring in visitors and revenue to previously overlooked locations.

Other social

Definition	Benefits to specific social groups or society not covered by other types of impact, including, for example, access to education or improvements in human rights.
Examples	Your research on micro-grids for solar energy might enable communities living in remote parts of Africa to access electricity, enabling school children to have access to artificial light so they can do homework. Your research on education in collaboration with researchers working on low-cost internet-connected devices might lead to the development of self-taught courses that give millions of children access to education that would otherwise not have been possible. Your research on the relationship between Islamic law and international human rights might lead to legislative reform that leads in turn to the empowerment of groups that had previously been discriminated against.

Definition

Benefits to specific social groups or society not covered by other types of impact, including, for example, access to education or improvements in human rights.

Examples

Your research on micro-grids for solar energy might enable communities living in remote parts of Africa to access electricity, enabling school children to have access to artificial light so they can do homework.
Your research on education in collaboration with researchers working on low-cost internet-connected devices might lead to the development of self-taught courses that give millions of children access to education that would otherwise not have been possible.
Your research on the relationship between Islamic law and international human rights might lead to legislative reform that leads in turn to the empowerment of groups that had previously been discriminated against.

Capacity or preparedness

Definition	Research that leads to new or enhanced capacity (physical, financial, natural, human resources or social capital and connectivity) that is likely to lead to future benefits, or that makes individuals, groups or organisations more prepared and better able to cope with changes that might otherwise impact negatively on them.
Examples	Your research might lead to the development of new infrastructure or equipment that will provide benefits to future users. Your evidence may have enabled a charity to gain significant new funding for its future work. Your research may have led to the creation of new habitats that will protect critical infrastructure from future flooding. Key people may have new knowledge and skills that will enable them to generate impacts for their business or adapt to a change in the law. As a result of collaborating in your research project, people may be connected to a more diverse group of people or organisations who they now know and trust, and as a result they know who to contact and what capabilities they can deploy to respond faster and more effectively to a natural disaster.

Definition

Research that leads to new or enhanced capacity (physical, financial, natural, human resources or social capital and connectivity) that is likely to lead to future benefits, or that makes individuals, groups or organisations more prepared and better able to cope with changes that might otherwise impact negatively on them.

Examples

Your research might lead to the development of new infrastructure or equipment that will provide benefits to future users.
Your evidence may have enabled a charity to gain significant new funding for its future work.
Your research may have led to the creation of new habitats that will protect critical infrastructure from future flooding.
Key people may have new knowledge and skills that will enable them to generate impacts for their business or adapt to a change in the law.
As a result of collaborating in your research project, people may be connected to a more diverse group of people or organisations who they now know and trust, and as a result they know who to contact and what capabilities they can deploy to respond faster and more effectively to a natural disaster.

Table of impacts

Type of impact	Definition	Examples
Understanding and awareness	People understand an issue better than they did before, based on your research Often lead (in time) to other types of impact	Community knowledge about something that was previously unknown or poorly understood Raised awareness of an important issue that gets limited media coverage Uncovered the scale or urgency of an issue Evidence of the negative unintended consequences of a policy of product
Attitudinal	A change in attitudes, typically of a group of people who share similar views, towards a new attitude that brings them or others benefits.	Public engagement might lead to a new appreciation for alternative views and more positive perceptions of people who hold differing views. A change in attitudes of white male business executives towards female or non-white employees seeking board level positions in corporations.
Economic	Monetary benefits arising from research, either in terms of money saved, costs avoided or increases in turnover, profit, funding or benefits to groups of people or the environment measured in monetary terms.	Your research ... may have led to a reduction in the number of people visiting their local doctor, saving the health service, insurance providers or patients money. might have led to a new product or service that has made/saved a company money. might have demonstrated that a new or existing policy is not achieving its goal thus wasting money, leading to the withdrawal of that policy (saving money) or its replacement with something that works (providing better value for taxpayers? money). may have quantified the economic benefit to society of a new policy or estimated the benefits of an intervention based on your work for the natural environment using monetary valuation techniques.
Environmental	Benefits from research to genetic diversity, species or habitat conservation, and ecosystems, including the benefits that humans derive from a healthy environment.	Environmental benefits for nature alone (with no tangible benefit for people), or research that only benefits nature (e.g. saving a species from extinction) Research that also then benefits people as a result of the benefits for nature (e.g. via health benefits from reduced pollution or increased well-being from access to green space). Research that may lead to human behaviour changes that benefit nature (e.g. reducing consumption or using less plastic).
Health and well-being	Research that leads to better outcomes for the health of individuals, social groups or public health, including saving lives and improving people?s quality of life, and wider benefits for the well-being of individuals or social groups, including both physical and social aspects such as emotional, psychological and economic well-being, and measures of life satisfaction.	Research from disciplines such as clinical medicine, allied health, public health and biomedical sciences may reduce mortality and morbidity via interventions such as new drugs and treatments for diseases /conditions or public health interventions to shift individual behaviours towards more healthy outcomes. Research that engages women affected by domestic violence in reading groups based on research into 19th-century feminist literature as a way of supporting and empowering this group. Research on the impact of students on communities around universities has led to many institutions investing in purpose-built student accommodation in different areas, enhancing the well-being of their local communities through reductions in things like late-night noise and litter.
Policy	The contribution that research makes to new or amended laws, regulations or other policy mechanisms that enable them to meet a defined need or objective that delivers public benefit. Crucial to this definition is the fact that you are assessing the extent to which your research made a contribution, recognising that it is likely to be one of many factors influencing policy.	Your research may have been one of hundreds of studies in a particular area, but your work provided a missing link or some other crucial piece of evidence that made a policy possible. You may simply have been the person who was able to advise those developing the policy. You may have signposted your work alongside other key pieces of evidence and your evidence-based advice became crucial to the development of that policy. This would be research impact as long as your advice was based on research and informed and shaped policy in ways that enhanced the policy, enabling it to deliver benefits more effectively. Your research may have been heard in committees and cited in policy documents, but if it wasn?t, you should be able to collect testimonials from members of the policy community explaining your role in the process, and the significance of your research.
Other forms of decision-making and behaviour change impacts	Whether directly or indirectly (via changes in understanding/awareness and attitudes), research can inform a wide range of individual, group and organisational behaviours and decisions leading to impacts that go beyond the economy, environment, health and well-being or policy.	Your research may change the attitude of a particular group towards others (e.g. attitudes towards non-white footballers or board members of companies), leading to changes in behaviour in sports training and selection resulting in more non-white footballers, or the promotion of more non-white employees to board positions. Many other organisations who seek to base decisions on evidence from research, ranging from charities and non-governmental organisations to farmer co-operatives and arts organisations.
Cultural	Changes in the prevailing values, attitudes, beliefs, discourse and patterns of behaviour, whether explicit ?(e.g. codified in rules or law) or implicit (e.g. rules of thumb or accepted practices) in organisations, social groups or society that deliver benefits to the members of those groups or those they interact with.	Research on a classical composer may provide cultural impacts by opening up that composer?s work to new audiences through interpretation (via public lectures, media work or pre-concert talks) and influence how performers interpret, perform and record the composer?s work, leading to critical acclaim and enriching the cultural experience of the music-loving public. Research on working-class entertainment might lead to changes in attitudes towards historic entertainment venues that had been left to fall into disrepair, leading to them being valued more greatly by members of the public. This might then lead to other forms of impact, for example, economic impacts based on restoring historic entertainment venues that bring in visitors and revenue to previously overlooked locations.
Other social	Benefits to specific social groups or society not covered by other types of impact, including, for example, access to education or improvements in human rights.	Your research on micro-grids for solar energy might enable communities living in remote parts of Africa to access electricity, enabling school children to have access to artificial light so they can do homework. Your research on education in collaboration with researchers working on low-cost internet-connected devices might lead to the development of self-taught courses that give millions of children access to education that would otherwise not have been possible. Your research on the relationship between Islamic law and international human rights might lead to legislative reform that leads in turn to the empowerment of groups that had previously been discriminated against.
Capacity or preparedness	Research that leads to new or enhanced capacity (physical, financial, natural, human resources or social capital and connectivity) that is likely to lead to future benefits, or that makes individuals, groups or organisations more prepared and better able to cope with changes that might otherwise impact negatively on them.	Your research might lead to the development of new infrastructure or equipment that will provide benefits to future users. Your evidence may have enabled a charity to gain significant new funding for its future work. Your research may have led to the creation of new habitats that will protect critical infrastructure from future flooding. Key people may have new knowledge and skills that will enable them to generate impacts for their business or adapt to a change in the law. As a result of research collaborations, you may be connected to a more diverse group of people or organisations who you trust. These connections and their capabilities can be deployed to respond faster and more effectively to a natural disaster.

Impact in Australia

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The Australian government and its research funding bodies, the ARC and NHMRC now require researchers to characterise the reach and significance of their research impact.

Timeline: Research Impact in Australia

Dec 2015
May 2016
Nov 2017
Jul 2018
Mar 2019

National Innovation and Science Agenda
Dec 2015
The National Innovation and Science Agenda set a focus on science, research and innovation as long-term drivers of economic prosperity, jobs and growth.

The National Innovation and Science Agenda directed the Australian Research Council to develop and implement an assessment of the engagement and impact of Australian university research.

Further, the National Innovation and Science Agenda directed the Australian Research Council to implement a continuous Linkage Projects scheme to facilitate successful collaboration between industry and higher education institution.
Research Impact Principles and Framework
May 2016
The Australian Research Council, along with the Australian Institute for Marine Science, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the National Measurement Institute developed a set of research impact principles and a framework to underpin a national assessment. This defined research impact and the research impact pathway.
Pilot Engagement and Impact Assessment
Nov 2017
Australian Universities were invited to take part in a voluntary pilot submission which tested the methods of assessment of engagement and impact in 10 broad discipline groups:
- Chemical Sciences
- Medical and Health Sciences
- History and Archaeology
- Philosophy and Religious Studies
- Environmental Sciences
- Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
- Engineering
- Education
- Studies in Creative Arts and Writing
- Language Communication and Culture
- Indigenous research
Research impact case studies, engagement narratives and engagement metrics were assessed by panels comprised of academics and research end-users.

As a result of this pilot, the Australian Research Council modified its methodology for the Engagement and Impact Assessment in 2018.
Engagement and Impact 2018
Jul 2018
All Australian Universities submitted an impact case study, engagement narrative and engagement metrics for each 2-digit field of research that had more than 150 publications in the 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia assessment. Impact case study submissions were voluntary for Indigenous research and multidisciplinary research.

Universities were rated high, medium or low for impact, approach to impact and engagement by panels of academics and research end users.

UWA submitted case studies in 22 disciplines and was rated high for impact in 14, medium for impact in seven, low in one. Approach to impact was rated high in 5 disciplines, medium in 13, and low in 4. UWA submitted 21 disciplines for engagement and was rated high in 9 disciplines, medium in 11, and low in one.

All case studies rated high for impact can be accessed from the ARC data portal.
Investigator and Synergy grants
Mar 2019
The NHMRC introduced the requirement to detail previously achieved research impact as a case study in the track record section of Investigator and Synergy grants. Investigator grants were required to include an impact pathway.

NHMRC specified four impact types:
- Knowledge: the adoption, adaption or use of new knowledge
- Health: new therapeutics, diagnostics, disease prevention, health policy or systems change
- Economic: the creation of new industries, jobs, products or commercial outcomes
- Social: improvements in the health of society, access to services, social equity, inclusion or cohesion [link to fund or RDAs?]

Reach and significance

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Browse the UWA case studies rated high for impact

What next?

How to plan your impact pathway
Browse impact case studies

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Both the NHMRC and ARC evaluate research impact using the criteria for reach and significance together.

What does good impact look like?

Browse the UWA case studies rated high for impact

Impact pipeline

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The impact pipeline template

What next?

How to plan your impact pathway

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Impact has only been achieved once you can identify a benefit. Usually there is a pipeline that is part of the research program and provides evidence of the engagement that links the research to the impact.

Engagement	Impact
Time and resource materials	Engagement activities you undertake	Products your engagement produce	Changes that happen because of your research	The overall measurable benefit your research has achieved
Examples: Research income Staff Background IP Infrastructure Data Collections Researchers employed or placed outside academia	Examples: Presentations to practitioner communities Connections to cultural institutions, seminars/workshops, internships and engagement with the public Public lectures, seminars, open days, school visits Consultation with/advice to Government Contributions/submissions to public enquiries Translational research designs: working with user stakeholder and participatory groups Mentoring external research partners Serving on external advisory boards	Examples: Event participation statistics (public lectures, cultural events, exhibitions, etc.) Metrics which capture social media activity Media coverage of exhibitions and new works Patents granted, PCT applications, triadic patents Number of contracts for research, consulting, expert witness and testing Licensing agreements Confidentiality agreements HDR students in internships/placements Authorship on public reports	Examples: Repeat business with industry Start-up/spin-out companies HDR student employment destinations Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)/Agreements Expert witness in court cases Expert consultancy Co-funding of research outputs with research end-users Book sales Philanthropy linked to research support and in-kind support Number of different clients with contracts worth greater than a threshold value Citations in patents to traditional research outputs	Examples: Established networks and relationships with research users In-kind support from end-users Meaningful change in society Equity Equality Quality of life Educational change Community knowledge Cultural investment Employment Technological advance Industrial leveraging of academic knowledge Significant institutional partnerships?e.g. Sydney Health Partners; various global research consortia, OECD, World Bank, World Health Organisation, UN, UNESCO

Engagement

Impact

Inputs

Activities

Outputs

Outcomes

Benefits

Time and resource materials

Engagement activities you undertake

Products your engagement produce

Changes that happen because of your research

The overall measurable benefit your research has achieved

Examples:

Research income
Staff
Background IP
Infrastructure
Data
Collections
Researchers employed or placed outside academia

Examples:

Presentations to practitioner communities
Connections to cultural institutions, seminars/workshops, internships and engagement with the public
Public lectures, seminars, open days, school visits
Consultation with/advice to Government
Contributions/submissions to public enquiries
Translational research designs: working with user stakeholder and participatory groups
Mentoring external research partners
Serving on external advisory boards

Examples:

Event participation statistics (public lectures, cultural events, exhibitions, etc.)
Metrics which capture social media activity
Media coverage of exhibitions and new works
Patents granted, PCT applications, triadic patents
Number of contracts for research, consulting, expert witness and testing
Licensing agreements
Confidentiality agreements
HDR students in internships/placements
Authorship on public reports

Examples:

Repeat business with industry
Start-up/spin-out companies
HDR student employment destinations
Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)/Agreements
Expert witness in court cases
Expert consultancy
Co-funding of research outputs with research end-users
Book sales
Philanthropy linked to research support and in-kind support
Number of different clients with contracts worth greater than a threshold value
Citations in patents to traditional research outputs

Examples:

Established networks and relationships with research users
In-kind support from end-users
Meaningful change in society
Equity
Equality
Quality of life
Educational change
Community knowledge
Cultural investment
Employment
Technological advance
Industrial leveraging of academic knowledge
Significant institutional partnerships?e.g. Sydney Health Partners; various global research consortia, OECD, World Bank, World Health Organisation, UN, UNESCO

The benefits of research impact

What next?

Planning your impact pathway
Who are your stakeholders?

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Embarking on a research impact pathway will benefit both you and your prospective stakeholders.

Benefits for you (the researcher)

Building strong and trusted relationships outside of academia
Enhanced credibility within industry, government, community or groups
Enhanced reputation as an expert in your field
Greater awareness of, contribution to and membership of advisory committees
Opening up opportunities for undertaking new and relevant research by engaging more closely with the beneficiaries of your research
A focus or a diversification of your research program as a result of stakeholder feedback
Increased opportunity for testing or translation of your research in a practical or real life setting
Awareness of and access to different funding sources or in-kind support
Capacity building through shared resources and expertise
Developing new ways of communicating your research to the community
Wider socialisation of your research and outcomes
Articulating the benefits that have been realised as a result of your research
Raising awareness of the importance of committing public funds to support research

Benefits for your prospective stakeholders

Accessing future funding and new business opportunities
Developing new solutions to old problems
Increasing personal impact/influence through collaboration with researchers
Intrinsic motivation to "make the world a better place" or a desire to learn about the issues being researched

Taken from Reed, Mark. The Research Impact Handbook (2nd Edition)

Your impact

Planning your impact pathway

Understanding what research impact is and its purpose can help you to define and demonstrate the impact of your research, in order to secure funding.

The following step-by-step approach aims to help you think about how to plan, monitor and improve the impact your research will have on policy and practice.

Plan

The first step to achieving impact is to identify the impacts you want to achieve and incorporate them into your research from the beginning. Having a clear idea of what change could result from your research, and the stakeholders you will need along the way, will place you in a better position to achieve impact.

Even if you are half way through your project, it is never too late to set goals, identify stakeholders and make impact plans.

Identify your potential impacts

It can be difficult to identify the impacts that your research might generate. As a starting point, work through the following thinking prompts about stakeholders, your research, the environment and your potential impact:

Stakeholders	Who, outside of academia, might be interested in some aspects of your work? Why are they interested? Are they aware of your work? Who has the influence to progress your work outside of academia? Who could benefit as a result of your research?
Your research	What aspects of your research might be useful to someone? Could you or someone else develop your work or apply it further? Who would you need help from to make your work more relevant to outside academia?
The environment	What are the issues, policy areas, sectors of economy, practices, behaviours or societal trends that link to your research? Could your research improve, inform, change or disrupt current policy, practice, standards or business? Where are the problems, inefficiencies or out-dated thinking? What are the barriers to change?
Potential impact	What can your research change for the better? Who benefits, by how much, and in what way?

Stakeholders, beneficiaries and end users

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Checklist (view all)

identify potential impacts
consider your stakeholders, beneficiaries and end users
- know the difference
- identify potential stakeholders
develop an impact pathway plan

What next?

Resources

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Your plan should identify anyone who might be interested in, could benefit from, or could influence the progress of your research.

The terms stakeholder, beneficiary, and research end user all describe individuals or groups who are external to academia and who interact with your research. They are distinct from one another in terms of their proximity to the benefit or change achieved by your research.

Stakeholder	A, company, community or industry with some interest (realised or not) in the research intervention
Beneficiary	individuals, groups or organisations, whether targeted or not, that benefit directly or indirectly from the research
End user	person(s) or organisation(s) that will use or benefit from the product or service arising from the research

Potential stakeholders

The following are a broad list of stakeholder groups. Consider which ones of these might apply to your research and try to narrow them down.

The public	Both individually and collectively, there are many ways to characterise target demographics like patients, readers, children, museum-goers, victims of crime, etc.
Investors in economic growth	Individual companies, large corporations, industry sectors, intermediary organisations like contract research organisations, divisions in charge of industry social responsibility programs
R&D entities	Individuals, businesses or industries looking to be technologically or methodologically distinct or to increase efficiency, safety, and/or efficacy
Public Sector Organisations	Central government departments, local councils, clinicians; healthcare organisations/workers, service organisations like the police force, ambulance service, defence, education departments, health services, planning and policy divisions
Third Sector Organisations	Charities, not-for-profits, and voluntary groups, policymakers
Governments and policy makers	Members of parliament, peers, policy advisory bodies, think tanks, advisory boards, government policy-makers/regulators, national representative groups
Special interest groups	National representative groups, professional and community advocacy organisations, trade organisations, trade unions, pressure groups, lobbyists or campaign groups, church groups, interest groups
Custodians	Custodians of the land, groups who curate the physical environment ? natural or man-made, land owners, land managers, historians, archivists
Media	Media outlets who can distribute, explain or popularise your research: TV, radio, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, social media

It is important to embed stakeholder engagement within your research framework. This includes considering impact activities within your project plan and fostering commitment to the value and objectives of your stakeholder engagement within your project team. Consider inclusion as a way to empower your stakeholders and improve or focus your research design.

The Interested, Influential, and the Beneficiaries

The list of who might or should care about your research could be quite large. You may not have the capacity to engage with all your stakeholders at once. This may also not be strategic as there will be a continuum amongst these groups in terms of their interest, their level of influence and the benefit they will derive.

Beneficiaries	People or organisations whose lives or practises have been improved by your research
Influencers	Decision makers, like: politicians, directors,gatekeepers, heads of departments or projects and policy influencers
Interested	Allies who may already have established relationships with beneficiaries and influencers. Often cultural groups,charities, not-for-profits

You should consider which category your potential stakeholders could fall into, bearing in mind that these categories are not mutually exclusive. Your pathway will be most effective when you tailor your engagement activities to include a role for each stakeholder.

Stakeholders may require your support, knowledge and resources to exert power and influence within their organisation or network, so it is worth considering whether you can value add to their role.

Does your collaboration with a stakeholder give them additional expertise or the ability to access funding opportunities?
Can you deliver training workshops and events designed for specific user groups?
What influence do you have within their end-user market or hard to reach stakeholders?

Create your impact pathway plan

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

identify potential impacts
consider your stakeholders, beneficiaries and end users
develop an impact pathway plan

What next?

Funding and impact

Resources

Ask us

There are four steps in an impact pathway plan: conducting a stakeholder analysis, formulating key messages, writing SMART impact goals and making a plan.

Conduct a stakeholder analysis

From here, it is worth taking the time to list each stakeholder and contextualise what makes them important.

Begin by plotting your stakeholders within an Interest-benefit matrix and an interest-influence matrix. This process will prioritise which stakeholders you need to engage with:

Taken from Reed, Mark. The Research Impact Handbook (2nd Edition)

Formulate your key messages

Think about the key messages that you want to have for each stakeholder. Common impact goals are to:

Build awareness of your project or expertise amongst a target audience
Secure the commitment of a target group of stakeholders to the project aims
Influence specific policies or policymakers on key aspects
Encourage participation from research end users with the research
Grow your network
Commercialise an aspect of your research

Determine what it is you want to do and broadly how would you engage with stakeholders to make this happen. Be aware that industry moves quickly and therefore may value preliminary results and updates. Be open to new mediums of communication and communicate often. Think about the channels that your audience will prefer.

Write SMART impact goals

Applying the SMART acronym when developing goals is an easy way to take your key messages and focus them into achievable goals. By building in some simple evaluation measures at the start you'll know whether you have succeeded in meeting your objectives.

	Stands for	How do you address it within your goal?
S	specific	What exactly should be realised? Are all your acronyms defined? Would your goal be clear to anyone with a basic knowledge of your work?
M	measurable	Have you defined how you would know if the goal was achieved? How would you measure or evaluate that?
A	agreed upon	Is there agreement with all the stakeholders of what they goal should be? Are they represented within the goal?
R	realistic	Can you do this with the resources, knowledge and time available?
T	time-based	Have you specified a reasonable time frame in which to achieve the goal?

Make a plan

Formalise your thinking by completing the Plan Your Impact Pathway template:

UWA impact pathway template

Adapted from Reed, Mark. The Research Impact Handbook (2nd Edition)

This will allow you to consider all the activities you want to undertake and how frequently you will undertake them, what you are aiming to achieve, the necessary resources required (budget, time, skills, competencies) and will highlight any risks or steps you need to take to mitigate potential risks.

Fund

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

discuss funding with your research development adviser

What next?

Engage stakeholders within your research

Resources

Ask us

Both the ARC and the NHMRC require researchers to articulate how their research has generated or will possibly generate impact, as a prerequisite for the distribution of funding. With a limited amount of money, and a choice between a number of proposals that may all have similar attributes, the impact section of your research funding proposal can make the difference between whether your project is chosen to be funded or not.

Should you be successful in receiving funding, it is important that you refer back to your original proposal, updating and expanding your original ideas into a fully-fledged impact plan. This will help you to organise, implement and track your engagement activities and impacts throughout the research process.

Who to speak to about funding

M082

Industry Engagement Team

Industry

Collings, Paul

Acting Associate Director

+61 8 6488 2623

[email protected]

M082

Arts, Business, Law & Education

Gee, Ms Anna

Industry Engagement Manager

+61 8 6488 2338

[email protected]

M213

Engineering & Mathematical Sciences

Robson, Susan

Industry Engagement Manager

+61 8 6488 7423

[email protected]

M475

Health & Medical Sciences

Kumar, Rolee

Industry Engagement Manager

+61 8 6457 2714

[email protected]

M475

Science

Collings, Paul

Industry Engagement Manager

+61 8 6488 2623

[email protected]

M082

Engage

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

identify engagement activities

What next?

Measuring impact

Resources

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Your research will only have real world impact if it reaches the right people. Engaging stakeholders within your research can improve the quality of your outputs and impact, raise your profile and develop your skills. Communication activities are an important action you can take to increase the impact of your research.

Communication is often left to the end of the research process, but it plays a critical role throughout the project's lifetime. Engaging audiences early in the research process can help ensure relationships have developed by the time you come to publish your findings.

The key to a good stakeholder communications strategy is to know: who you want to reach; what you want to communicate; and how you want to reach them. This means thinking about the channels and tools you will use and the messages they will relate to. You will also need to develop a process for capturing evidence of your engagement.

Engagement activities and mediums

M082

Measure

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access the UWA Research Repository

What next?

Evaluation of impact

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Identify areas of your research where data collection is possible. Having baseline data to compare to along the way will help you monitor the performance of your research.

You should record information that will help you to:

evidence your impact pathway
demonstrate the significance and reach of your impact

Decide what information is required, who will use this information, where can it be found and how often. Some data may be collected at regular intervals, such as at the end of a research phase through a six-monthly download or through citation figures; others may be collected on an ad hoc basis.

Recording as you go is far easier than retrospectively gathering information or using secondary sources to evidence your impact.

Recording Engagement and Impact in the UWA Research Repository

Impact and engagement activities can be recorded within the UWA Research Repository using the Engagement/activities and Impacts tab.

Library FAQ guide to adding your research engagement activities

Your Faculty Librarians can assist you with this process:

Arts, Business, Law and Education: [email protected]
Engineering and Mathematical Sciences: [email protected]
Health and Medical Sciences: [email protected]
Science: [email protected]
School of Indigenous Studies: [email protected]

Other mechanisms to evidence your work

Analysis & Policy Observatory ? an online knowledge hub that makes public policy research visible and browsable by policy area, research topic, author, institution and research type
Australian new Zealand Clinical Trials Registry - register your clinical trials

Evaluate

During the lifecycle of your research you will need to monitor the impacts your research is having. Know who is aware of your research, what the outputs are, and whether there have been any significant outcomes or benefits.

Evaluation of impact is often required by funders and governments who want to demonstrate the value of funding. Evaluating impact will also help you to: achieve your own personal goals, give you the potential to achieve high scores in impact evaluations which feed into rankings, enhance your reputation and attain financial reward.

Importance and benefits of evaluating impact

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

planned to monitor impact
- identified benefit
- timing of evaluating
- metrics and methods
- developed an evaluation framework

What next?

Communicating impact

Resources

Ask us

Impact can be evaluated for two important purposes:

evaluation of progress
evaluation of significance and reach

Evaluation of Progress: a diagnosis of whether your impact pathway plan is on track

This evaluation will help you know what is going well and what isn't. Evaluation will tell you whether the time you spent on engagement has been effective and allow you to switch your approach when things don?t go according to plan.

Evaluation of Reach and Significance: evidencing that you?ve achieved change

This evaluation will allow you to quantify the reach and significance of your research impact. Australian funders now require evaluation of the positive impacts arising from research within grant applications. The Australian Research Council Engagement and Impact Assessment requires all universities to demonstrate research impact.

Impact often occurs when multiple factors converge to produce change. i.e. impact from research is seldom linear. Your research may be one of many factors that produce a change in society. Evaluation helps to define your role in an outcome that may be indirectly achieved as a result of your research and engagement.

When to evaluate impact

Resources (view all)

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planned to monitor impact
- identified benefit
- timing of evaluating
- metrics and methods
- developed an evaluation framework

What next?

Communicating impact

Resources

Ask us

Evaluation should take place at:

the initial stages of the project to establish baseline metrics in your impact pathway plan
throughout the lifecycle of the project as metrics change and the pathway to impacts begins to develop
the conclusion of the work to establish casuality between research, engagement activities and impact
beyond the project end to determine external impacts as a result of the research

What to evaluate

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

planned to monitor impact
- identified benefit
- timing of evaluating
- metrics and methods
- developed an evaluation framework

What next?

Communicating impact

Resources

Ask us

There are many different ways to evaluate your impact. The methods you choose depend upon the context of your research, your engagement activities and your ability to collect information about the impact. Methods may be quantitative or qualitative.

Below are some simple examples you may consider:

Activities	Evaluate using:
Brand development and communication	Brand awareness survey
Stakeholder events	Number of attendees Stakeholder characteristics: industry, government, community Which stakeholders were influencers? Which were beneficiaries of the research? Which were both? Event feedback survey Record the dialogue(s) created as a result of the event.
Webinars	Number of webinars Number of attendees Stakeholder characteristics: industry, government, community Number of downloads
Networking	Event types Contacts created during networking Opportunities arising
Seminars/conferences to professionally develop non-academics (e.g. Ted Talks, Pint of Science, Raising the Bar)	Number of attendees Stakeholder characteristics: demographics; special interest group or community membership Event feedback survey
Website development & updates	Number of visitors Number of clicks Last update of content Volume of out of date content on website
Social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)	Subscribers / followers / friends Clicks Shares
Infographic	Track views and downloads through social media
Blogs, Vlogs & Podcasts	Track downloads and clicks through social media
The Conversation	Number of times article read or cited
Crowd Research @UWA	% Income created Participants recruited Number of data points collected
Research Impact Stories	Number of times read or viewed
UWA News and media	Number of press releases Number of articles arising Number of media interviews as a result of press release
Policy and evidence briefings	Steering group positions held Mentions of work in Handsard Testimonials from industry and government Citation of work within policy Meeting minutes referencing research Submissions to consultations
Contribution to stakeholder publications	Number of documents Where published Readership
Open access data sharing	Downloads Influence ? data citations and publications arising from work
Infrastructure	Details of partnerships with stakeholders, equipment used Number and type of repeat projects $ Income in kind (time using equipment)
Expert consulting	Consultancy types Repeat business $ income $ income in kind
Commercialisation	$ Research commercialisation income Patents Jobs created Press releases Share price Industry practice change
Advisory group membership	Testimonials Influence upon guidelines, policy or position statements

How to evaluate: Use an evaluation framework

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

planned to monitor impact
- identified benefit
- timing of evaluating
- metrics and methods
- developed an evaluation framework

What next?

Communicating impact

Resources

Ask us

Evaluating your research impact is best done by taking the impact indicators you developed in your impact pathway plan; assessing their progress using a traffic light system and planning your next steps.

Collectively, your impact indicators together should give you a good overall picture of the impact your research has had.

Surveys

Qualtrics

Qualtrics is a simple to use web-survey tool to conduct surveys and evaluations.

https://uwa.qualtrics.com

Testimonials

Sometimes testimonials are the best way to evidence direct causation between research and its impact.

Testimonials can also be a powerful way to build your relationship with the end users of your research. It is often useful to obtain testimonials early in the relationship, especially where key staff are expected to turn over during the life cycle of the project.

When requesting a testimonial, treat it as an opportunity to interact with end users and clients and ascertain how they feel the research is progressing. Encourage end users to take the opportunity to write a testimonial to provide you with feedback, both good and constructive so that you don't feel as though you are asking for compliments.

Beneficiary analysis templates

You can use the following templates to find out how your beneficiaries feel about your research and to provide you with a testimonial: (click to download)

Consider:

framing the request in relation to your career or institution?s goals
ask the endorser to reflect on how you have helped them achieve their strategic goals, and offer to help them further
ask for both positive and negative feedback

Testimonials should:

be provided by a valid end-user/ stakeholder. e.g. company director, clinical staff using a product/ service, government minister (policy), influential cultural figure
richly describe and explain the reach and significance of your impact
be robust and credible
contextualise change by linking to clear targets or baselines
contain a concise, quotable summary of the key points that can be used as endorsement
preferably be written on company letterhead and include the endorser's position title to ensure legitimacy of what has been said (unless it is a personal endorsement)
include company signature and details where the endorser sends the testimony via email
include informed consent as well as permission sought to publish part/ all of the testimonial in future
contain positive, constructive feedback so practices can improve

Communicate

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

identify communication activities

What next?

Consider reputation
What does good impact look like?

Resources

Ask us

At some point you are likely to need to present the benefits of your research findings ? either formally or informally.

Communication uses essentially the same tools and channels as engagement, however your relationship with your stakeholder is now at a more mature stage.

Your key objectives are to:

maintain a positive connection with your stakeholders
produce evidence of your engagement and impact outside of academia
communicate your impact
begin your next cycle of engagement

Reputation

Resources (view all)

Your impact checklist

Checklist (view all)

consider reputation

What next?

Resources

Ask us

Throughout your pathway to impact, the engagement activities you carry out - including stakeholder collaborations will enhance your researcher profile, enabling you to develop strong professional relationships and build upon your reputation.

Engaging with your stakeholders and evidencing your research findings can help to build your networks and potentially open up opportunities for further research outcomes and collaborations.

Next idea

Resources (view all)

Your impact checklist
Browse the UWA case studies rated high for impact

Checklist (view all)

consider your next idea

What next?

Resources

Ask us

At this point, you have implemented your research plan, engaged with your stakeholders, measured and evaluated your outcomes and reported your impact findings to your stakeholders.

By following this process, you will have built upon your knowledge of impact, grown your networks and opened up new opportunities to further your research ideas.

Now, you can reflect on your previous pathways to impact, determine what went well, how your impact plan might have been improved and establish new ways to engage with your stakeholders to ensure you build long-term, two-way and trusting relationships with those who will use your research.

Impact case studies

As you write an impact case study, you will have to decide what impacts you are able to present. Mature impact (with evidence) may not yet have occurred and the relationship between your research and its impact may be influenced by factors outside your control. Within grant applications, character counts restrict the depth and breadth of the case study.

You may be faced with the strategic decision to discard multifactorial impacts in order to have a narrative that directly shows the relationship between you, your research and its impacts within the character limit of your application.

Analysis of UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) Impact Case Studies showed that high-scoring impact case studies described on average 2.8 impacts. In comparison, low scoring case studies described an average of 1.8 impacts. So, case studies with a range of different impacts were more common in high scoring submissions.

However, when looking at only the high scoring impact case studies single and multiple impact case studies were present in similar proportions. Therefore, case studies clearly demonstrating a single, highly impressive impact can be equally as competitive.

When character counts limit your ability to say `everything?, the characters that should be sacrificed are those that describe your pathway to impact in intricate depth and detail. It can be hard to let this text go, especially when the impact achieved may not reflect the iceberg of effort underneath, however, 68% of low-scoring case studies forgot to articulate benefit and focussed instead on pathway to impact.

Information Source: Fast Track Impact ?What made a 4* impact case study in the REF2014??

Australian Research Council Engagement and Impact Assessment

Resources (view all)

ARC Data Portal

The ARC Data Portal contains:

The EI 2018 National Report
Impact Studies?impact studies that received a `high? rating
Outcomes?the EI ratings for Fields of Research at each institution
High rated Engagement narratives
High rated Approach to Impact narratives with corresponding high rated Impact narratives

UWA Research Impact Case Studies

The University of Western Australia were highly recognised in the Engagement and Impact Assessment 2018-19 National Report. This assessment was designed to provide clarity to the Government and Australian public about how our investment in university research has translated into meaningful benefits beyond academia.

Fourteen disciplines were recognised for the translation of their research beyond academia into the beneficial impact upon society, the economy and/or the environment.

You can explore the highly rated UWA research Impact case studies, ranging from impact on culture, business and policy to environment and health:

The UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) Impact Case Studies

Resources (view all)

Resources

Ask us

What is the REF?

The REF is the UK's system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It first took place in 2014 and is conducted every 6-7 years.

Each university makes an institutional submission to REF which is broken down into disciplinary units, known as Units of Assessment (UoAs). REF assessments are a process of peer review, carried out by an expert sub-panel in each UoA.

Historically REF has had three main purposes:

providing accountability for public investment in research
providing benchmarking information
informing the selective allocation of funding, known as QR Funding

The REF is undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies: Research England, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE).

The shared research assessment aim for these funding bodies is to secure the continuation of a world-class, dynamic and responsive research base across the full academic spectrum within UK higher education.

REF Impact Case Studies

You can browse all of the REF case studies, or search for specific case studies using the REF case studies using the Research Excellence Framework website's search function. :

https://impact.ref.ac.uk/casestudies/Results.aspx?val=Show%20All
- NB: The rating applied to each case study is not published

Listed here are a selection of highly rated REF case studies from the 2014 REF:

https://www.fasttrackimpact.com/top-rated-impact-case-studies

Your resources

From the toolkit

Workshops

Tue 13 Aug 2019 : Fast Track Your Research Impact

Prof Mark Reed

Slides from the event

Fast track your research impact slides [PDF, 772.1 KB]
Updated 22 Aug 2019

The Digital Academic slides [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Updated 22 Aug 2019

Search

Search the toolkit

Scroll down to browse all of the toolkit content or use the keyword search and filters to refine the results.Each search result has colored filter buttons. Clicking these will show you ALL similar toolkit content.

Ask a question

Contact the Research Impact and Assessment team

Frequently asked questions

What is impact?

Research impact is positive change that has come about as a result of research.

Impact in brief

Why should I care about impact?

Both the ARC and the NHMRC require researchers to articulate how their research has generated or will possibly generate impact, as a prerequisite for the distribution of funding.
Throughout your pathway to impact, the engagement activities you carry out - including stakeholder collaborations will enhance your researcher profile, enabling you to develop strong professional relationships and build upon your reputation.

Fund
Reputation

What are the benefits of including impact in my research?

Embarking on a research impact pathway will benefit both you and your prospective stakeholders.

The benefits of research impact

How do I start planning for Impact?

The first step to achieving impact is to identify the impacts you want to achieve and incorporate them into your research from the beginning. Having a clear idea of what change could result from your research, and the stakeholders you will need along the way, will place you in a better position to achieve impact.

Planning your impact pathway
Identify your potential impacts
Stakeholders, beneficiaries and end users
Create your impact pathway plan

How do I obtain advice on Impact?

We're here to help, contact the Research Impact and Assessment team.
Attend a Research Impact workshop or browse the archive.

Submit your question
Attend a workshop or browse recordings and resources

What are the different types of Impact?

Your research may give rise to one type of impact or it may result in multiple impact types. Across and within the different disciplines and research sectors there will be considerable diversity in the types of impacts that can be achieved.

Does impact affect research funding?

Both the ARC and the NHMRC require researchers to articulate how their research has generated or will possibly generate impact, as a prerequisite for the distribution of funding. With a limited amount of money, and a choice between a number of proposals that may all have similar attributes, the impact section of your research funding proposal can make the difference between whether your project is chosen to be funded or not.

How do I determine the impact my research will have?

The first step to achieving impact is to identify the impacts you want to achieve and incorporate them into your research from the beginning.
Impact has only been achieved once you can identify a benefit. Usually there is a pipeline that is part of the research program and provides evidence of the pathway that links the research to the impact.

How do I identify the stakeholders of my research?

Your plan should identify anyone who might be interested in, could benefit from, or could influence the progress of your research.
The terms stakeholder, beneficiary, and research end user all describe individuals or groups who are external to academia and who interact with your research. They are distinct from one another in terms of their proximity to the benefit or change achieved by your research.

Consider your stakeholders, beneficiaries and end users

How do I engage with those who are affected by my research?

The key to a good stakeholder communications strategy is to know: who you want to reach; what you want to communicate; and how you want to reach them.

Engagement activities and mediums

How do I measure impact?

Identify areas of your research where data collection is possible. Having baseline data to compare to along the way will help you monitor the performance of your research.

Measure

What tools are available to help me record impact?

Impact and engagement activities can be recorded within the UWA Research Repository using the Engagement/activities and Impacts tab.

UWA Research Repository

How do I evaluate the impact my research is having?

Evaluating your research impact is best done by taking the impact indicators you developed in your impact pathway plan; assessing their progress using a traffic light system and planning your next steps.

How to evaluate: Use an evaluation framework

What is the Impact & Engagement Assessment?

The inaugural Engagement and Impact Assessment took place in 2018 (EI 2018) to assess how well researchers are engaging with end-users of research and shows how universities are translating their research into economic, social, environmental, cultural and other impacts.

Australian Research Council Engagement and Impact Assessment

What are research impact case studies?

As an academic, you may have to construct an impact case study in order to be competitive within your grant application to the ARC and/or NHMRC. Alternatively your research may be part of the Australian Research Council?s Engagement and Impact Assessment, either for the University of Western Australia or as part of another university?s submission.

Features of a good impact case study
Examples of good impact case studies

What is the REF?

The REF is the UK's system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It first took place in 2014 and is conducted every 6-7 years.
Each university makes an institutional submission to REF which is broken down into disciplinary units, known as Units of Assessment (UoAs). REF assessments are a process of peer review, carried out by an expert sub-panel in each UoA.

The UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) Impact Case Studies

What is the National Innovation and Science Agenda?

On 7 December 2015 the Australian Government launched its National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA). One of the measures under the agenda was for Australia to introduce a national assessment of the engagement and impact of university research.

National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA)

What are reach and significance?

Both the NHMRC and ARC evaluate research impact using the criteria for reach and significance together.

Reach and significance

Submit a question or provide feedback

Our team of Research Impact experts are happy to answer any questions or suggestions you have regarding Research Impact at UWA.

PhD industry placements

Details	Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern) connects PhD students with industry through short-term internships. These internships provide pathways for PhD students to expand research collaborations with industry. APR.Intern is Australia?s only not-for-profit PhD internship program that spans across all sectors, disciplines and universities. Providing hands-on experience in an industry setting, these 3 to 5-month internships open up opportunity for PhD students to: fast-track their careers ensure greater research linkage create long term professional relationships Bridging the gap between industry and academia, these industry internships create a level playing field for all PhD students ? in particular, women and other underrepresented groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) including regional and Indigenous and disadvantages students.
More information	aprintern.org.au

Details

Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern) connects PhD students with industry through short-term internships. These internships provide pathways for PhD students to expand research collaborations with industry.

APR.Intern is Australia?s only not-for-profit PhD internship program that spans across all sectors, disciplines and universities. Providing hands-on experience in an industry setting, these 3 to 5-month internships open up opportunity for PhD students to:

fast-track their careers
ensure greater research linkage
create long term professional relationships

Bridging the gap between industry and academia, these industry internships create a level playing field for all PhD students ? in particular, women and other underrepresented groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) including regional and Indigenous and disadvantages students.

More information

aprintern.org.au

Brand development and communication

Details	Having a strong brand as an academic engenders credibility and trust. Your academic brand is one which you construct for yourself as a researcher. It creates an image of yourself which includes who you are, what you do and how you represent what you do to the rest of the world.
More information	www.brand.uwa.edu.au

Stakeholder events

Details	Attending events, or even managing and hosting an event of your own enables you to engage directly with your stakeholders and local communities as well as provide an opportunity to invite potential industry partners. UWA's conferences team are available to assist and support staff and students to run conferences on campus. Providing management support, planning and logistical expertise to assist with your conference, their services include facilitating and advising on: Conference Registration Financial Management Venue Management Speaker Coordination Assisting with Sponsorship Conference Collateral Website Design and Development Design and Print Management There are also a vast number of venues and meeting spaces which can accommodate conferences of up to 250 delegates.
More information	www.ias.uwa.edu.au/conferences

Details

Attending events, or even managing and hosting an event of your own enables you to engage directly with your stakeholders and local communities as well as provide an opportunity to invite potential industry partners.

UWA's conferences team are available to assist and support staff and students to run conferences on campus. Providing management support, planning and logistical expertise to assist with your conference, their services include facilitating and advising on:

Conference Registration
Financial Management
Venue Management
Speaker Coordination
Assisting with Sponsorship
Conference Collateral
Website Design and Development
Design and Print Management

There are also a vast number of venues and meeting spaces which can accommodate conferences of up to 250 delegates.

More information

www.ias.uwa.edu.au/conferences

Webinars

Details	Running a webinar (web-based seminar) is a more cost-effective solution to hosting an event. Saving travel costs and time, both for yourself and attendees, webinars enable you to run a presentation, lecture or workshop to one or even hundreds of people. You can consider running your own webinar or perhaps tagging on to a webinar which you know is relevant to your research. UWA offers researchers the ability to run webinars using Zoom software. Easy to set up and providing high quality video, audio and web streaming, you can book a webinar at UWA for up to 45 mins.
More information	uwa.zoom.us

Details

Running a webinar (web-based seminar) is a more cost-effective solution to hosting an event. Saving travel costs and time, both for yourself and attendees, webinars enable you to run a presentation, lecture or workshop to one or even hundreds of people. You can consider running your own webinar or perhaps tagging on to a webinar which you know is relevant to your research.

UWA offers researchers the ability to run webinars using Zoom software. Easy to set up and providing high quality video, audio and web streaming, you can book a webinar at UWA for up to 45 mins.

More information

uwa.zoom.us

Networking

Details	In the academic sector, the increasing value placed on collaborative partnerships and the emergence of the research impact and engagement agenda have heightened the need to have a broad professional network. Networking will help you to meet other stakeholders in your research so you can explain what you are doing. You can find out what they need from you and explore whether they would be interested in working in partnership.
More information	www.innovation.uwa.edu.au https://www.rdi.uwa.edu.au/engaging-with-industry

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In the academic sector, the increasing value placed on collaborative partnerships and the emergence of the research impact and engagement agenda have heightened the need to have a broad professional network.

Networking will help you to meet other stakeholders in your research so you can explain what you are doing. You can find out what they need from you and explore whether they would be interested in working in partnership.

More information

Seminars/conferences for non-academics

Details	Ted Talks TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED talks cover almost all topics ? from science to business to global issues ? in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world. These talks give you the opportunity to reach larger audiences as well as network with industry professionals. Pint of Science Pint of Science is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers that brings together scientists to local pubs to discuss their latest research and findings with relevant audiences. You don't need any prior knowledge, and this is your chance to meet fellow researchers and discuss the future of science (and have a pint with them). Raising the Bar Raising the Bar is a worldwide initiative aimed at making education a part of a city?s popular culture. They create one of a kind, knowledge-driven events in unusual locations. Their goal is to raise the bar on the content people consume in their everyday lives. For one night, 20 researchers have the opportunity to present their research to the general public in ten different bars. The informal setting allows people to network and learn about new innovations.
More information	www.ted.com/talks pintofscience.com.au https://www.rtbevent.com

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Ted Talks
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED talks cover almost all topics ? from science to business to global issues ? in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world. These talks give you the opportunity to reach larger audiences as well as network with industry professionals.

Pint of Science
Pint of Science is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers that brings together scientists to local pubs to discuss their latest research and findings with relevant audiences. You don't need any prior knowledge, and this is your chance to meet fellow researchers and discuss the future of science (and have a pint with them).

Raising the Bar
Raising the Bar is a worldwide initiative aimed at making education a part of a city?s popular culture. They create one of a kind, knowledge-driven events in unusual locations. Their goal is to raise the bar on the content people consume in their everyday lives. For one night, 20 researchers have the opportunity to present their research to the general public in ten different bars. The informal setting allows people to network and learn about new innovations.

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Website development & updates

Details	An academic personal website takes you a step further in terms of increasing your visibility because it is an ideal place to showcase your complete research profile. You will attract attention to your publications, your name recognition will increase and you will get cited more. Moreover, a website is also useful for networking and collaborating with others, as well as for job searching and application. Creating and maintaining your website is an essential tool in disseminating your research and publications. Use your academic personal website to highlight your personality, profile, research findings, publications, achievements, affiliations and more. In addition, by using some of the many social media tools available, you can further amplify the information contained in your website. Websites are a relatively cheap way of promoting your research and are freely accessible. As a researcher at UWA there are recommendations available to help you set up your own website.
More information	www.digital.uwa.edu.au

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An academic personal website takes you a step further in terms of increasing your visibility because it is an ideal place to showcase your complete research profile. You will attract attention to your publications, your name recognition will increase and you will get cited more. Moreover, a website is also useful for networking and collaborating with others, as well as for job searching and application.

Creating and maintaining your website is an essential tool in disseminating your research and publications. Use your academic personal website to highlight your personality, profile, research findings, publications, achievements, affiliations and more. In addition, by using some of the many social media tools available, you can further amplify the information contained in your website.

Websites are a relatively cheap way of promoting your research and are freely accessible. As a researcher at UWA there are recommendations available to help you set up your own website.

More information

www.digital.uwa.edu.au

Social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)

Details	Social media presence is a powerful and useful way to direct research end users to your research. UWA academics have easily verifiable credibility as authoritative voices, as well as monitored social media channels already set up to promote UWA?s research impact (tag @UWAresearch for both Twitter and Facebook) Content: how to tag UWA Research
More information	Social media strategy Twitter and LinkedIn

Infographic

Details	An infographic is an eye catching and persuasive visual representation of information and is aimed at making an otherwise complex subject matter easier to understand. It is a great tool for marketing your research as it tells a story and has the potential to reach larger audiences due to its ability to be shared and analysed digitally.
More information	Turn your paper into an infographic

Blogs, Vlogs & Podcasts

Details	A blog or vlog are great ways to promote your research via the web and educate your audience. Enabling you to express your passion for your research subject, you can share your knowledge, gain further exposure for your brand/research, and build upon your professional network. Creating a blog using Facebook, Linkedin and Google can help to reach your existing network of contacts and will also enable the blog to be found within searches. You could also gain financially from a vlog by getting sponsorship and brand deals. (link to commercialisation)? Podcasting is a great alternative to video. Helping to build better relationships with your audience, they are easy to create, convenient, highly engaging and can also help to improve your public speaking skills. UWA students and staff have access to the Creator Space ? a purpose-built media recording studio to record video and audio.
More information	UWA Creator Space Create a video

Details

A blog or vlog are great ways to promote your research via the web and educate your audience. Enabling you to express your passion for your research subject, you can share your knowledge, gain further exposure for your brand/research, and build upon your professional network.

Creating a blog using Facebook, Linkedin and Google can help to reach your existing network of contacts and will also enable the blog to be found within searches.

You could also gain financially from a vlog by getting sponsorship and brand deals. (link to commercialisation)?

Podcasting is a great alternative to video. Helping to build better relationships with your audience, they are easy to create, convenient, highly engaging and can also help to improve your public speaking skills.

UWA students and staff have access to the Creator Space ? a purpose-built media recording studio to record video and audio.

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The Conversation

Details	The Conversation is an independent, not-for-profit media outlet. Articles are authored by academics, edited by professional journalists and freely available online, and for republication through creative commons license. The Conversation offers informed commentary and debate on the issues affecting our world and offers researchers the opportunity to expose their research to a wider audience.
More information	https://theconversation.com/au

Crowd Research @UWA

Details	Crowd Research allows you to promote your research in order to gain participants for a study or to gain additional funding support. Using Crowd Research you can reach out to potential donors or volunteers in parallel with your main research, to generate a diverse and interested audience with whom you can contact with updates and events related to your research.
More information	crowdresearch.uwa.edu.au

Research Impact Stories

Details	Research Impact Stories exist within the Research Impact website and are combined with a video and social media campaign. This UWA service includes an interview with the researcher, offering you the ability to talk about your research project and the potential impact it has had. Your story will be featured on the UWA website and displayed at UWA events, it will also be shared via social media.
More information	researchimpact.uwa.edu.au

UWA News and media

Details	The University's Media Office is the central point of contact for journalists seeking expert comment, information about research developments and other story ideas. It also supports UWA staff in dealing with the media and promoting their research.
More information	www.web.uwa.edu.au/engage/media

Policy and evidence briefings

Details	Re-write your research findings into policy and evidence briefings to have impact. These short documents present the findings and recommendations of a research project to a non-specialist readership. They are often recommended as a key tool for communicating research findings to stakeholders and can be used as a vehicle for providing policy advice. UWA's Public Policy Institute (UWAPPI) works on State and national issues to collaborate with neighbouring countries and their institutions to deliver policy solutions for the Indian Ocean Rim and the broader Indo-Pacific region. The UWAPPI host regular events aimed at researchers who want to know more about how to communicate their research findings including how to effectively engage with government stakeholders in order to influence policy in your area of expertise, translate research findings to create impact, and diversify your research income. Rewrite your research into quarterly/annual reports / newsletters, Explainers, plain language summaries, briefing notes, resources such as leaflets, Information sheets & booklets. Where possible, socialise these publications on social media.
More information	How to make a policy brief that has real impact www.uwa.edu.au/institutes/public-policy/home

Details

Re-write your research findings into policy and evidence briefings to have impact. These short documents present the findings and recommendations of a research project to a non-specialist readership. They are often recommended as a key tool for communicating research findings to stakeholders and can be used as a vehicle for providing policy advice.

UWA's Public Policy Institute (UWAPPI) works on State and national issues to collaborate with neighbouring countries and their institutions to deliver policy solutions for the Indian Ocean Rim and the broader Indo-Pacific region. The UWAPPI host regular events aimed at researchers who want to know more about how to communicate their research findings including how to effectively engage with government stakeholders in order to influence policy in your area of expertise, translate research findings to create impact, and diversify your research income.

Rewrite your research into quarterly/annual reports / newsletters, Explainers, plain language summaries, briefing notes, resources such as leaflets, Information sheets & booklets. Where possible, socialise these publications on social media.

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Contribution to stakeholder publications

Details	Rewrite your research into quarterly/annual reports / newsletters, Explainers, plain language summaries, briefing notes, resources such as leaflets, Information sheets & booklets. Where possible, socialise these publications on social media.
More information	Google search: 5 essential elements to a great newsletter

Open access data sharing

Details	Best practices in research data management promote research integrity and collaborative opportunities. Additionally, data sharing makes publicly funded research available for public good, ensuring transparency in research, public trust and validation. Data sharing is a noted type of evidence of impact in NHMRC Investigator and Synergy grants.
More information	https://guides.library.uwa.edu.au/c.php?g=325342&p=2177472

Infrastructure

Details	Many opportunities exist within UWA to take advantage of collaborative research, sponsored research, consulting services and partnering opportunities to develop new and innovative technologies. When partnering with industry, UWA has facilities and world class expertise for research projects where collaborative partnerships require and benefit from the infrastructure at UWA.
More information	www.research.uwa.edu.au/research-infrastructure www.rdi.uwa.edu.au/partnering-with-uwa

Expert consulting

Details	A toolkit designed to assist academics and researchers to become successful in securing and conducting consultancies.
More information	UWA Academic consultancy toolkit

Commercialisation

Details	UWA's Research and Development Innovation will work with you to assess and protect IP, develop commercialisation strategies and source development funds and partners.
More information	www.rdi.uwa.edu.au/research-innovation

Advisory group membership

Details

Being asked to contribute to government enquiries, reports, panels and committees is an important way for you to influence policy. Projects that engage with stakeholders via advisory panels are perceived to impact positively on stakeholder knowledge, policies and practices as well as improve research quality and relevance. With help from members of advisory panels, you could find new and better pathways to impact which otherwise may not be available to you. Advisory panels can help with your research, providing you with access to data and potential funding opportunities.

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How to setup an advisory panel

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Research Development and Innovation

Research Impact Toolkit

Why does research impact matter?

Accountability for public spending on research is a key driver behind the impact agenda.Demonstrating the impact of your research can raise your profile locally, nationally, and internationally.

Your toolkit

The UWA Research Impact Toolkit

Impact in Brief

Research impact is positive change that has come about as a result of research

What are the different types of impact?

Resources (view all)

Related content

What next?

Browse impact types

Understanding and awareness

Attitudinal

Economic

Environmental

Health and well-being

Policy

Other forms of decision-making and behaviour change impacts

Cultural

Other social

Capacity or preparedness

Table of impacts

Impact in Australia

Resources (view all)

Related content

What next?

Timeline: Research Impact in Australia

National Innovation and Science Agenda

Research Impact Principles and Framework

Pilot Engagement and Impact Assessment

Engagement and Impact 2018

Investigator and Synergy grants

Reach and significance

Resources (view all)

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What next?

What does good impact look like?

Impact pipeline

Resources (view all)

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What next?

Examples:

Examples:

Examples:

Examples:

Examples:

The benefits of research impact

Related content

What next?

Benefits for you (the researcher)

Benefits for your prospective stakeholders

Your impact

Planning your impact pathway

Plan

Identify your potential impacts

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

What next?

Stakeholders, beneficiaries and end users

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

What next?

Potential stakeholders

The Interested, Influential, and the Beneficiaries

Create your impact pathway plan

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

What next?

Conduct a stakeholder analysis

Formulate your key messages

Write SMART impact goals

Make a plan

Fund

Resources (view all)

Checklist (view all)

What next?

Who to speak to about funding

Research Development Team

Accountability for public spending on research is a key driver behind the impact agenda.

Demonstrating the impact of your research can raise your profile locally, nationally, and internationally.