In conversation with the Research Impact Development team

We are proud to be the first Russell Group University to bring together Business Engagement and Research Impact functions into one dynamic team.

In 2023, a newly-established Research Impact function joined the University’s Business Engagement team to shape and deliver the institution's ambitious strategy for impact across all five Colleges. The Business Engagement and Research Impact (BERI) team facilitates research collaborations with external partners, develops pathways to impact and enables engagement and impact activity through funding and communications.??

Danielle Edwards, one of BERI’s Research Impact Development Partners, talks to Isobel Wilson-Cleary , Head of Communications and Engagement, about the role and research impact.?

Isobel: What do we mean when we talk about research impact??

Danielle: Impact has always been generated from research, but since The Research Excellence Framework (REF) incorporated the assessment of research impact in 2014, ‘impact’ is increasingly being placed front and centre of successful research.?

When we talk about impact, we are fundamentally talking about the difference that research makes to the world beyond academia – the tangible change that comes about because of that new knowledge.?

Isobel: What types of research outcomes might be classed as impact??

Danielle: There are lots of ways to think about and categorise impact! It could be the introduction of new or revised government policies; a new product that is more efficient, cost-effective or sustainable than existing options; or it could be an improved service that better meets the needs of its users.?

Importantly, impact goes beyond just this initial change – it is about the measurable downstream benefits that flow from the change. To successfully generate impact, meaningful and trusted collaborations between the University and external partners are vital.?

Isobel: How essential is impact to University research??

Danielle: The impact of our research is fundamental to how we add value to society and the economy, but it is also essential for calculating the amount of block grant funding we receive because of our REF results. The ability to demonstrate how research has changed and benefitted the wider world helps researchers access grant funding and progress with their careers.??

The ways in which our research impact and knowledge exchange activities are measured, through REF and the more recent Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF), are driving changes to how we fund, facilitate and evaluate engagement and impact activities. As a global research institution with clear ambitions to achieve top 50 in the QS World University Rankings , our knowledge brokering and research impact systems need to be aligned to support this ambition.??

Isobel: How do the Research Impact Development Partners fit into this vision??

Danielle: Our team includes a Research Impact Development Partner (RIDP) aligned to each College, providing expertise and guidance to academics to maximise opportunities for impact at every stage of a research project. Working in conjunction with the wider BERI team and colleagues across RSSD, we offer expertise and planning support, including access to funding opportunities, planning for REF, networking and engagement, impact training and communications.?

Our goal is to help researchers develop projects and partnerships that respond to relevant, real-world challenges.?

Isobel: What are you putting in place for academics to support them in achieving impact??

Danielle: We’re working closely with Professor Dominique Moran , DPVC for Research Impact, to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive research culture with impact at its core. Our aim is to equip academics with the information and tools they need to maximise the impact from their research, the know-how to identify new opportunities – and, crucially, the foresight and expertise to gather robust evidence of all their impact.?

While we know that sometimes all roads seem to lead towards the next REF, we also want to support a culture where impactful research of all types and scales is celebrated. That might be through formal initiatives like the University’s Impact Awards, or through other engagement and impact networks and committees.??

Isobel: If you could only give the researchers you’re working with one piece of advice, what would that be??

Danielle: Start early - think about research impact from the very earliest stages of an idea. That includes identifying those who might benefit from, and those who can help to accelerate that research from the outset. If we can combine that with a clear strategy to evaluate impact as the research progresses, that’s when research stands the very best chance of delivering its true impact potential.?

Learn more about how we are supporting pathways to impact here:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/environment-culture/our-research-impact