“Worth it; I want all of my staff working in research development to take it. And my Vice-President
Research, too.’’
“A big energy boost to go for more societal impact”
“An engaging course by professionals who provide you with tools and conceptual framing to consider
impact within ones domain.”
This course has already taken place. Are you interested in the outcomes of the event? As an AESIS+ member you have access to the materials of all our events. Read more about the AESIS+ membership here.
Science funders, research councils and universities, amongst others all over the world, put more and more emphasis on the societal impact of research. And with good reason. In a world that is rapidly transforming, with growing challenges on regional and global level, scientific knowledge and research is of the utmost importance in helping to find solutions. But researchers themselves cannot stand alone in the pursuit of having societal impact, they need the support of their institutions and sufficient funding. Therefore research institutions need to undergo a culture change, in which policy, strategy, structure, mindset and skills are adjusted to be able to stimulate societal impact of research, and demonstrate the pathways through which they take place. This workshop offers expertise and insights to those who want to build, execute and/or strengthen these supporting structures within their institution.
Assessing societal impact is necessary to increase chances of receiving funding and to serve institutional strategy, but it is also complicated. The assessments need to be appropriate for all scientific disciplines and should ideally capture long-term impact in addition to direct impact in society. Recognising that it may not be possible to assess the full spectrum of impact of universities, it is useful to focus on which key performance indicators do make sense, especially if the data can be collected in a structured way. And even then there can often be a mismatch between what is assessed and what is meant to be assessed, which is why there is more attention needed for “responsible metrics”.
In addition to an effective evaluation system, an impact-focused institutional strategy can help create communities and ecosystems for co-creation, engagement and transformation. An institutional approach can help develop a strong internal infrastructure that offers (tailor-made) training for impact-skills, facilities to help find appropriate stakeholders in society, increase the chances of receiving funding, encourage interdisciplinary research, and spark energy for impact.
Together with experts in the field and other participants from all over North America, representing a variety of contexts and a wide range of experiences, you will be able to discuss best practices to find solutions to shared problems and strengthen both research excellence as well as societal impact within your institution. This available knowledge will be converted into practice through a case-study exercise which creates a large pool of sources to enhance your access to (impact-based) funding for the research projects you support. We look forward to welcoming you to this workshop in May!
After three years after the start of the pandemic we are all used to meeting online, and painfully aware of the aspects we miss out on in comparison to in-person events. By including additional short breaks, interactive exercises in break out rooms and informal chat opportunities, we try to make this online course as enjoyable and effective as possible. Join our interactive course from the comfort of your home and boost your chances of receiving funding for your own institution.
