Abstract

Since 2014, University of Limerick (UL) has been growing its research impact programme to become a cornerstone of organisational strategy and identity. A national leader in the research impact agenda, UL’s Research Impact programme is in line with international best practice (OECD 2017). Through this programme, we have developed a library of case studies demonstrating our excellent research and its impact across a range of sectors. We continue to evolve how impact is recognised. Key initiatives include the President’s Research Excellence and Impact Awards recognising outstanding research collaborations, early-career researchers and research outputs. Our research impact programme has been enhanced to include mechanisms to support and enhance the impact journey across all career stages, including: case study development, public engagement activities, Research Week, and our awards scheme.
In this presentation Christine Brennan, Research Strategy and Policy Manager, Yvonne Kiely, Research Impact Officer UL will provide an overview of how organisational strategy was realised and sustained by forging synergistic collaborations between academics and professional staff.
We share what we’ve learned across strategic planning, case study development, staff research awards, research communications and engagement activities and highlight how global agendas such as reform of research assessment, Open Science have shaped the journey for the better.
The session seeks to provide guidance for RMA staff in:
• Identify factors which are critical for building research impact/knowledge valorisation into organisational strategy.
• Highlighting the role RMA can play in the impact agenda and the skills which are central to this.
• Providing communications and engagement strategies to engage academics and researchers.
• Identifying synergies across linked agendas of open science, reform of research assessment (CoARA, DORA) and RMA role in supporting these initiatives.
• Provide guidance in establishing case study programmes, research awards, research communications activities
Find out more: www.ul.ie/research