Working with impact every day, it can be easy for me to fall into the assumption that everyone is familiar with the basics. However, it wasn’t too long ago that I was brand new to impact and wasn’t really aware of it, never mind understanding how it works.

So what is impact?

Research Impact is “the beneficial change exhibited in society as a result of research”. It’s whatever good you are achieving in the real world because of your research.

For a lot of researchers, impact is at least part of the reason that they have pursued a career in research – even if they haven’t put that label on it. If you want to make a difference, make improvements in a given field, or change perceptions and attitudes for the better, then you are driven by impact. It can look very different across fields and even between similar projects. While one person might be improving ethical education for drone pilots, another might be supporting those who suffer with Parkinsons through music, and another still might be making adoption processes more open. 

Impactful research helps real people in the real world, and contributes to a sense of personal fulfilment and satisfaction, funding for your own projects, and raising your academic profile. 

How does impact fit into research planning?

Ideally, impact would be integrated into as many research projects as possible from the early stages of planning. Impact is about translating your research outcomes into external benefits. This is arguably what doing research is all about.

Early considerations of impact and plans to evaluate it are also essential to many funding bids. Impact is an integral part of the assessment criteria for most UKRI funding bids; it should be naturally integrated into the bid as a whole, and can be the deciding factor in bid assessment.

Where does impact fit into REF?

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the excellence of research undertaken in higher education institutions. It is managed by Research England and the outcomes determine the allocation of public funding for university research. The next assessment is expected in 2028. REF are yet to publish the criteria for the next assessment cycle, but we can confidently presume that impact will remain one of the three key elements and be assessed similarly.

In 2021, impact constituted 25% of the overall REF score. The impact submission required case studies detailing claimed impacts and underpinning research to be submitted, which were then assessed for the “reach and significance” of the impact claimed. REF case studies raise the profile of research and outcomes, and provide an evidence base for the impact of UK research as a whole.

Although the next REF assessment is a while off (expected in 2028), the reporting period has already begun. This means that it is important to start developing impact now in order to see results that can be evidenced by the time of the assessment. If you think that your research might produce some significant impact in this time frame, make sure that you are considering this carefully and get in touch with your Faculty Impact Lead.

Where should I begin?

Have a look at what you’re already doing. You might already be doing impact and just not have considered it! Any benefit of your research beyond academia could be considered as impact. Think about how this could be developed to optimise your impact. Reading some published Impact Case Studies can help you to consider different routes to achieving impact.

Set some impact goals. Think about who could benefit from your research and how they would benefit. Once you have identified beneficiaries and defined the desired impact, think about what you can do to optimise this, what you might need, and who can help you. Would your project benefit from direct engagement with research users at an early stage?

Consider how to evaluate your impact. Should you collect any baseline data prior to the impact? At what stages in your project will you be engaging with stakeholders who could provide feedback? This can help you to see what is working well, what you might improve next time, and can show a funder or REF assessment panel that your impact really is all you claim it to be.

Speak to colleagues who are engaged with impact. As impact is so diverse, the perspective of someone in a similar field, with similar impact goals, or who has previously submitted a case study can be really useful.

Check out our more extensive guidance and resources. These materials cover all stages of impact and should set you off to a strong start. Contact impact@port.ac.uk if you have any questions.

If you think that your project might have some important impacts developing or you think could be submitted as a REF case study, make sure to speak to your Faculty Impact Lead or Head of Department, or contact the Impact Team if you have any questions: impact@port.ac.uk