Impact Academy provides training and development opportunities to improve your understanding of research impact and build your skills to maximise the societal, economic and environmental impact of your research. The programme, delivered by external experts and specialist staff from the University’s Research and Enterprise Office, covers all aspects of the research impact lifecycle and offers opportunities for academic, research and professional services staff of all levels.
6 February, 12pm to 1pm
Facilitator: Research Impact Team
Now more than ever, UK funders are committed to excellent research which impacts on our economic and social wellbeing, focusing on extending impact beyond academia to benefit society. This webinar will focus on writing about impact and engagement in funding applications, provide some practical information on how to incorporate impact within your proposal and offer examples of good practice.
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25 February, 10am to 12pm
Facilitators: Research Development Manager (Arts and Humanities) and Research Impact Team
The Theory of Change (ToC) is an issue-framing tool that research funders like the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council have started to include in their calls for proposals, in particular for challenge-driven or impact-oriented research projects. It has more widely been used in planning and programme development, development cooperation, advocacy and monitoring and evaluation contexts, to create change, assess effectiveness of initiatives and communicate to stakeholders. As we’re seeing in the research context, the approach can contribute to research design, routes to impact and research evaluation. As it is increasingly being used in calls for proposals, knowledge of how to develop a strong ToC can also help with the success of funding bids.
In this in-person session we will hear from academic colleagues at Essex who have successfully employed ToC frameworks at different stages of research, from developing their research and impact proposals to delivery and evaluation of projects. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own ToC frameworks in progress for peer feedback. This session will be held at Colchester Campus, in room 4SW.6.31 (Seminar Room 2).
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26 February, 12pm to 1pm
Facilitator: Research Impact Team
Planning for impact includes considering what might change and for whom. This one-hour webinar, will give you the tools to effectively map your stakeholders including research users and beneficiaries, helping you to identify who might benefit from your research, how you can reach those people and introduce you to some useful planning tools and resources to ensure you plan for successful engagement.
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5 March, 1pm to 4pm
Facilitator: Open Innovation Team
This online interactive workshop aims to introduce the policy process in Government and the role and use of research evidence with a particular focus on data science, AI and cybersecurity. The masterclass is run by Government civil servants from the Open Innovation Team who will give a first-hand insight into the policy process.
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12 March, 2pm to 4pm
Facilitator: Showrunners Public Affairs Consultancy
Learn about policy making in the UK outside of Westminster and Whitehall. Through presentations, case studies and interactive exercises this workshop will explore how local government in England works and the development of regional structures and role of metro mayors.
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13 March, 12pm to 1pm
Facilitators: Research Impact Team and Knowledge Transfer Partnership Team
This online collaborative session between the Research Impact Team and the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Team will consider how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) can be a fantastic route to impact. With an overview of KTPs and how you can get involved, this session will introduce you to this route to achieving impact highlighting successful examples from past REF2021 impact case studies.
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25 March, 12pm to 1pm
Facilitator: Research Impact Team
This online session is the outcome of collaborative work between the Research Governance and Research Impact teams in the Research and Enterprise Office. Using case studies based on real-life situations, the session aims to grow researchers' understanding of when ethics review might be needed for their public engagement activities, and to provide them with guidance for ethically conducting their public engagement activities. Each case study is accompanied by some suggested points for discussion. These are intended as a starting point for debate and reflection in a safe environment.
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2 April, 1pm to 2pm
Facilitator: Research Impact Team
Capturing and evidencing engagement and impact is important for researchers particularly in relation to impact case studies for the Research Excellence Framework (REF), but also in reporting to funding bodies and external partners. This interactive session will give an overview of the types of evidence-to-evidence different types of research impact. The session will also touch upon how to use the Research Information System (RIS) to document engagement and impact activities/narratives, and record evidence. Some examples of the types of evidence that could be used to evidence the impact of your research will be provided along with practical tips on collecting it.
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23 April, 2pm to 4pm
Facilitator: Kate Mahoney (Healthwatch Essex)
This webinar will draw on Healthwatch Essex’s expertise in creative research and engagement approaches, showcasing to participants a range of activities that you can use to generate engagement, including collaging, storyboarding, and interactive digital approaches. The workshop will be facilitated by experienced research and engagement staff from Healthwatch Essex.
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7 May, 1pm to 2pm
Facilitator: Research Impact Team
The Research Information System (RIS) can not only be used to record publishing achievements, this useful system can be used to document your engagement and impact activities too, which is an institutional requirement. The system is helpful for reporting and tracking at a departmental and faculty level as well as contributing to the REF. On a personal level, the system is a useful tool for you to track your own progress over time, ideal for the Annual Research Review. This webinar will provide an overview of the impact module on RIS and how to use it to track and document your research impact and engagement activities. You will have the opportunity to create and edit your own records while we talk through the system, with support from the Research Impact Team.
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14 May, 2pm to 4pm
Facilitator: Showrunners Public Affairs Consultancy
Learn about how research and academic expertise can have an impact on policy making on a global scale. Through case studies and interactive exercises, this masterclass explores practical ways to engage with policymakers internationally.
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15 May, 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Facilitator: NCCPE (National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement)
This interactive course will explore how to develop strategic evaluation plans, the different techniques you can use, and what your findings can tell you and your organisation or funder. With an emphasis on how to conduct evaluation, join us for a programme of practical activities and discussion to demystify evaluation.
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21 May, 2pm to 5pm
Facilitator: Dr Sophie Morris (Engagement with Impact)
Delivered by Dr Sophie Morris from Engagement with Impact, this interactive online workshop will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to plan and execute a successful, and impactful, project. Through case studies you’ll explore the logic model framework as a tool for planning impact before using the framework for your very own project.
It is recommended that you attend both sessions planned for 21 May and 22 May where possible.
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22 May, 2pm to 5pm
Facilitator: Dr Sophie Morris (Engagement with Impact)
Delivered by Dr Sophie Morris from Engagement with Impact, this interactive workshop is about going above and beyond with your evaluation. Using an evaluation plan you will be getting creative with your evaluation techniques as you work through a range of methodologies commonly used in impact projects. We will discuss the pros and cons of different evaluation techniques before having a go at a case study and having the opportunity to think about your very own project.
It is recommended that you attend both sessions planned for 21 May and 22 May where possible.
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2 June, 10am to 12 noon
Facilitators: Dr Gary Williams, Justin Wood, Kirstii Badcock
In this hands-on workshop we will explore the essentials of grant writing with colleagues from the Pre-Award, Research Development and Research Impact teams. This session will cover the grant writing life-cycle from initial idea development, to appropriate costings, engagement and impact pathways to examples of best practice. We will be asking: What makes a well written application? Working with examples, we will identify basic principles of constructing a well written grant application, budgets and costings, pathways to impact and will cover top tips to help increase your chances of grant writing success. This session will be held at Colchester Campus, in room 3.320.
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4 June, 1pm to 2pm
Facilitator: Research Impact Team
Of strategic institutional and departmental importance, this introductory webinar will provide an overview of the REF and how research impact is assessed and present examples of impact case studies from a range of disciplines. The session will also highlight the changes proposed for REF2029, and the implications of these changes. This session is aimed at early career researchers and academics not familiar with how impact is assessed in the REF. Impact was introduced to the Research Excellence Framework (REF), the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions, in 2014 and for the 2014 and 2021 assessments, HEIs were required to submit impact case studies demonstrating the impact of their research on wider society.
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12 June, 12.30pm to 2pm
Facilitator: Senedd
The interface between policy and academic research can be complex and difficult to navigate. You want your research to shape Welsh policy and discourse, but maybe you’re not sure where to start. Sarah Morse, from the Welsh Parliament (Senedd) will help break this down for you. You will also hear from another academic on their experience of engaging with the Senedd, and the impact this had.