Impact on the research dance floor

Line dance, tango or ceilidh?

Drs. Astrid Wissenburg

Economic and Social Research Council / Research Councils UK

Research Councils UK

• Partnership of the UK’s seven Research Councils.• Annually invest around £3 billion in research.• Support research that contributes to a productive

economy, healthy society and a sustainable world.• Work with a range of partners to support exchange of

knowledge from the research base into the private, public and third sectors

• Establishing an ongoing dialogue between the research community and the public, to ensure society can benefit more fully from the outputs of research

Research Councils UK & Impact

• Committed to excellence with impact: this means continuing to invest in the best research, people and infrastructure, whilst aiming to enhance the impact of that funding on society.

• Recognise that the research we fund has both academic and economic and societal impacts, i.e.The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy by:– Fostering global economic performance, and specifically the

economic competitiveness of the UK– Increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy– Enhancing quality of life, health and creative output

Conceptual Shifts our understanding of policy/practiceReframing debates

Capacity-buildingTechnical / professional skills development

Instrumental Influencing the development of policy / practice Shaping behaviour Altering legislation

Cultural change•Increased willingness to engage in knowledge exchange activities•Changed mindsets

Enduring connectivity

•Establishment of enduring relationships – indicator future impacts

Pathways to impact vary

Impacts range from instrumental to more

subtle

Pathways to Impact

What steps lead to impact?Example Birth Cohort Study

Scoping and specifying the research agenda

Commissioning the research

Managing the research

Research use and impact

Social scientistsMedical researchersGovernment depts.Business sectorThird sectorTeachers etcData and privacy activistsParents‘General’ public

Social scientistsMedical researchersGovernment depts.

Participants Social scientistsMedical researchersGovernment depts.Business& third sectorTeachers etcData and privacy activistsParents‘General’ publicMedia

Who is who?

Configurations of engagement: Line dance

– Show and follow

– One size fits all

– Imitation

– Not connecting

Tango

• Close 1-1 relationship• Trust• Party for 2• Precision

Ceilidh

• Complex• Extendable • Flexible• Varying configurations

Engagement in practice – what works?

• Established networks & relationships with research users• Awareness of the policy & practice context• Users involved at the outset and throughout (Co-

Production)• Early and well-planned user engagement and knowledge

exchange strategy• Accessible findings (language, format)• Credibility - portfolios of research activity that build

reputations with research users• Good infrastructure and management support• Role for intermediaries & brokers as translators, amplifiers,

network providers

Research councils expectations

• RCUK Expectations for Societal and Economic Impact– demonstrate an awareness of the social and ethical implications of

their research, beyond usual research conduct considerations, and take account of public attitudes towards those issues

– publish results widely – considering the academics, user and public audiences for research outcomes

• Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research – ensuring that you have thought through how and why public

engagement is relevant to your area of research, and the benefits it can bring.

• Access to research outputs• RCUK Common Principles on Data Policy

……..

Research Councils support

• Funding– ESRC Knowledge exchange opportunities scheme

– Festival of Social Science

• Training– Media training

• Guidance– ESRC Impact toolkit

– www.socialscienceforschools.org.uk

• Infrastructure– ESRC Research Catalogue

– RCUK Gateway to Research

astrid.wissenburg@esrc.ac.uk

www.esrc.ac.uk

www.rcuk.ac.uk