Building institutional impact literacy — Researchful

Building institutional impact literacy

University of Southampton

Building institutional impact literacy

Academia demands a diverse skill set. Now, there is an increasing expectation that researchers are adept at translating their research into demonstrable benefits for society – and they need to prove it too. University of Southampton were looking for specialist support over four years to build capacity among their researchers in understanding how to maximise the impact of their research, how to evidence it, and how to articulate it for the institution’s REF 2021 impact case studies.

Our approach

Provided intensive support, in close partnership with the University’s impact team and appointed impact champions, to researchers across disciplines to develop, evaluate and articulate their impact.
Led small group workshops to identify and discuss best practice examples of impact and upskill researchers and professional support staff.
Advised senior management and research teams on the development of research impact across the University and where focused support might be targeted.
Co-developed and co-authored REF 2021 impact case studies to ensure benefits arising from Southampton research were communicated robustly and effectively.

Our impact

Contributed to the development of impact literacy across the University.
A stronger submission of 100-plus impact case studies to REF 2021, which led to University of Southampton being ranked 7th in the UK for impact (source: Times Higher).

“Chris has collaborated with us for more than 10 years, advising on impact development, leading workshops and seminars, and making a real difference to our research performance. His international experience as a journalist and expertise in communicating complex academic research to policymakers, industry and the media, engenders trust and confidence in his advice and recommendations. Strong intellectually, personable and reliable, one can be confident that Chris will deliver to the brief and exceed expectations.”

Peter Staniczenko, former Head of Research Performance,
University of Southampton

"It's a luxury to be able to point researchers in Chris's direction. He has an unmatched ability to understand the complexities of a research project – regardless of the discipline – and to gain researchers’ trust in allowing the story of their work to be expressed in a way they may not have considered previously, whilst not losing the substance or accuracy of the research findings. The result is invariably engaging, thought-provoking and of an exceptional quality."

David Steynor, former Impact Framework Manager,
University of Southampton

"Chris had the ability to quickly and effectively engage with our computer science researchers, providing precise and valuable feedback on how to articulate the impact of a wide range of our research outputs. He helped us put into perspective the broader societal contribution of our work and our methods of engagement with audiences and communities beyond academia."

Thanassis Tiropanis, Associate Professor and Impact Champion, School of Electronics and Computer Science,
University of Southampton

Read on

Evidencing and articulating impact for REF 2021

Evidencing and articulating impact for REF 2021

Constructing case studies of research impact is a key requirement of the UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF). We helped researchers to capture their impact and articulate the difference it made.

Co-creating impact action plans

Co-creating impact action plans

Spanning a diverse range of research areas, from Classics to Sports Science, we worked with University of Exeter academics to co-create strategic engagement and impact development plans.