Abstract

University of Bergen has developed an interactive workshop format for kickstarting impact thinking and writing. The pilot workshop was held at the Medical Faculty in December 2022 for Pillar II coordinator proposals, with good outcomes.
The Interactive workshop format was developed as a solution to two simultaneous issues.
*Issue1*: Our Horizon information events attract mainly young researchers, but very few of those in position to coordinate big projects. We needed a new channel to reach these and provide expert-level information.
*Issue2*: A tendency to start working on excellence section in isolation and postpone the ‘difficult’ parts of impact, leading to very stressful final weeks before deadline and avoidable weaknesses in projects. We wanted to systematically address this.
*Solution*: New workshop format to kickstart impact planning and integrate impact thinking from start.
*Goals*: understanding the horizon impact logic, generate a useful impact overview using RIA table 2.3 as template, and achieve more tangible progress than spending time on proposal alone.
*Structure*: Half day. About 1/3 presentations and 2/3 active writing, focus on big picture. All relevant expertise available in the same room at same time. Invitation-only, “PI plus one” and advisor for each team (resource intensive!). *Timing* of the workshop is absolutely crucial: ideas should evolved but still open to big changes – we chose 5 months before deadline as the right time.
*Results*: All 6 targeted groups attended., with immediate feedback of ‘can we have similar workshops for the implementation section?’. Different benefits for depending on concept maturity, from re-interpreting the call text, to identifying weaknesses, to using the workshop output directly as basis for the impact writing. Ultimately 4 groups submitted on deadline (1 grant and 1 waiting list) and two are instead working towards 2024 calls.
The identified Issues were considered solved very successfully, and the goals were reached.
The workshop format has in 2023 been adapted also for infrastructure proposal support and for talent development programs.