Abstract

Impact is an essential topic: it concerns the added value of research to society. Impact has gained emphasis in national and European research programmes and is a key principle in the Agreement on Reforming research assessment. The topic is prone to multiple interpretations including the advancement of knowledge for science, technology and policy, as well as knowledge transfer for societal and economic use. Researchers and funders alike struggle to find the right ways to create, measure and illustrate the impact of research. Research support professionals play a significant role in optimising impact through their involvement in all phases of research: From pre-award project design, to post-award stakeholder management during research, and the transferability of results to partners and the public.

In our Fifteen-Minute Discussion Table, we introduce ‘impact’ from the perspective of Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences (www.uasnl.eu): In the Netherlands, the research of Universities of Applied Sciences is organized in 60 Centres of Expertise. These are recognizable entities where private, public and societal partners work together with UAS researchers on societal challenges, creating impact together. Although research topics among the Centres of Expertise vary widely, the research of Universities of Applied Sciences is always challenge-based and fundamentally intertwined with the professional practice. As a result of this methodology, a wide range of research support staff including grant advisors, legal officers, business developers and valorisation managers are extensively involved in co-designing impact-driven research together with their researchers and quadruple helix partners.

During this discussion table, we will walk through our method of creating impactful research through different stages of research support including project design, demonstrating impact in proposals, optimising impact through interaction with the work field, dissemination of results through a variety of possible outputs, and intellectual property.

In terms of learning outcomes, our methodology and best practices can serve as inspiration. Our audience will understand the concept of impact from the angle of Universities of Applied Sciences, gain awareness on stages where research support staff can optimise impact, and will be able to implement (parts of) our method in their home institution where applicable.

Meanwhile, University of Applied Sciences also face open questions to further maximise the impact of our research, so we are the explore complementary methods from other organisations. In terms of impact measurement, outputs of practice-oriented research are so diverse that we are concerned that efforts to quantify impact will inevitably undervalue the diversity of outputs. This is another topic where we would like to exchange views with the audience.