Research Impact News

Hi everyone

I hope you are all continuing to stay safe and are getting used to (perhaps even enjoying?) working from home! Lots of useful stuff to update you one in this month’s newsletter - I hope you enjoy! If so, please do pass to colleagues (they can sign up here) and let me know as I love chatting to people who receive the newsletter…

New from Fast Track Impact

Six new impact guides now online:
Video of webinar on how to write a 4* REF2021 impact case study hosted by Bella Reichard and Mark Reed based on their recent co-authored analysis of case studies
Video of media impact toolkit launch with The Conversation: find out about more about the new toolkit by watching this webinar by Prof Mark Reed with Michael Parker from The Conversation
Impact training opportunity next week: If you are in Australia or New Zealand (or can join a training at AEST time), there are places available to join my impact training with the Research Development for Impact Network next week (Tuesday 4th August). For AUD $180 you get training from a world-leading expert on impact (me!), a PDF and hard copy of The Research Impact Handbook and ongoing support for your impact from me for as long as you need, whenever you need with guaranteed responses to all queries within 1 week. Book here.
Co-producing and evidencing impact webinar: Learn about practical tools you can use remotely or in workshops to develop research projects that meet real needs. You will learn how to monitor impacts quickly and easily as they arise, and how to design an impact evaluation. Free PDF copy of The Research Impact Handbook for all participants and ongoing support from me. 11-12.30 AEST time, 19th August (AUS $25). Book here.
Impact culture training opportunity in September: New tickets now available for our impact culture training day for professional services staff in September
Impact culture - new training slides published (to see the course they come from, click here)
In case you missed it last month, we’ve got a new website with an expanded free resources section that has everything you might ever need to generate and capture impact from your research. We also launched The Media Impact Guide and Toolkit for press offices and an accompanying guide for researchers on evidencing impact from media engagement
Big changes at Fast Track Impact: For everyone who wants to retain flexible working and to be part of a new normal where tackling the climate crisis is our first priority, we're now taking bookings for 2021 online only - join with us in changing how we all work. Read the full announcement here.
Free bookmarks now shipping with every copy of The Research Impact Handbook and The Productive Researcher - order your copy here

New policy impact resources

Online training for researchers by UK Parliament: free 45 minutes practical webinars from October to December this year
How universities can improve parliamentary engagement: a 12 point plan by colleagues from POST
Three steps to increase research impact: Titus Alexander of Democracy Matters suggests how "practical politics” can help you generate impact more effectively - includes a list of ten useful resources on impact (including resources from Fast Track Impact and many others!)
How scientific advice shapes decisions in government: new podcast episode from Institute for Government featuring James Wilson, Tom Whipple (from The Times) and former chief scientific advisor Robert Watson among others
10 ways scientists can better engage with decision makers: new blog by David Rose and Rebecca Jarvis
Free access to my article with Ros Bryce and Ruth Machen on Pathways to policy impact: a new approach for planning and evidencing research impact (till 31st August)

Other useful new resources

New book: The Impact Agenda: Controversies, Consequences and Challenges
Useful new guide from RDI Network: Enhancing Research Impact in International Development: A Practical Guide for Practitioners and ResearchersRandomised control trial shows that when people with >58K followers tweet out your science, it gets cited more
For science communication to be effective it should be evidence based: new blog by Eric Jensen and Alexander Gerber
Impact a-gender? Calling out the gendered nature of research impact and assessment. In this blog (based on this paper), Jenn Chubb and Gemma Derrick argue that the language of research impact and assessment is frequently structured along gender lines, and that this is both unhelpful to the generation and evaluation of research impact in and of itself, but also to the development of an inclusive, diverse and supportive research culture.
Study shows “individuals whose psychological needs were supported by their academic departments held more positive, and less negative, attitudes towards the REF”. Key things that mattered were enabling autonomy, competence and connections with colleagues. Read here
Experience from ⁦University of York on building impact culture: "A culture of entrepreneurship is needed, and opportunities must be created for researchers [and non-academic partners] to tackle problems jointly” - read the full paper
Where the Pathway ends: taking impact off-road. New blog by Julie Bayley
Comprehensive research impact evaluation guide published by CSIRO

Can you help with this new research on institutional impact strategies?

I’m doing some new research with Saskia Gent on institutional impact strategies, and wondered if any of you might be able to help? Do you have a strategy (old or new) you could share for my research with us to analyse? We’d be really grateful for anything you can give us to make this work possible! More info here, or just email me.

I hope you’ve found a few useful new things from this email - stay in touch!

Mark
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CEO Fast Track Impact
www.profmarkreed.com
Tel. 07538082343
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