Abstract

Recent years have seen the emergence of research impact as something to be actively pursued rather than passively expected from academia. From Europe to Canada to Australia, the push towards impact has become increasingly popular among research funders and evaluators, which in turn is influencing the way researchers prioritise and use their resources. Now, with the growing interest in impact in Catalunya due to the CERCA ‘Research Impact Assessment’ exercise, its member institutions are devoting more resources to planning and documenting the impact of their work.
As the emphasis on research impact continues to grow globally, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) is well-positioned to lead in this area, thanks to its long-standing commitment to promoting health equity by translating scientific research into societal benefits. Since its inception in 2010, the organisation has put much effort into the translational aspect, with the creation of “initiatives” designed to increase the societal impact of its research in specific health challenges. In addition to its research department, the organisation has robust Policy and Development, Communication, Outreach, and Education and Training teams that help bring our research to new audiences, new users, and new frontiers.
In our oral presentation, we will outline recent actions taken within ISGlobal to further strengthen a culture of impact at the institutional and individual levels. These actions include the recruitment of an Impact Officer, impact training courses offered to all the staff, and the plan to create a formal impact area to help researchers plan, document and communicate the impact of their work.
Altogether, these efforts will be instrumental in consolidating ISGlobal as a leader in health research impact, not only in Catalunya but across the broader research landscape in Europe. By continuing to prioritise and invest in knowledge translation, global health institutions such as ISGlobal can enhance their influence and contribute to driving changes that are meaningful and beneficial to society.