UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) defines impact in the following ways:

Academic impact

The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to academic advances, across and within disciplines, including significant advances in understanding, methods, theory and application.

Economic and societal impacts

The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy. Economic and societal impacts embrace all the extremely diverse ways in which research-related knowledge and skills benefit individuals, organisations and nations by:

• fostering global economic performance, and specifically the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom,
• increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy,
• enhancing quality of life, health and creative output.”

It also enables members of the public to act as informed citizens and can inspire the next generation of researchers.

In their guidance the Research Councils make a clear distinction between

• Impacts (or outcomes): demonstrable effects of the research and its dissemination
• Outputs and research-related or dissemination activities, such as publications, talks and presentations, exhibitions, performances etc.

To demonstrate impact from research, evidence of its application by research users should be captured. For example, a policy brief is not considered impact in itself, but if it can be shown that policy has changed as a result of it, this counts as impact.

Similarly in the REF, dissemination activity– without evidence of achieved effects or benefits – is not considered as impact. The REF 2014 Panel Criteria specified conditions for claiming impact arising from public engagement activity. The UKRI (previously HEFCE) have stated that they will prepare guidance on impact arising from public engagement for REF2021.

Dissemination on its own is not impact!

Impact plans should be tailored, relevant and appropriate given the specific nature and focus of the proposed research.

Not all proposed research projects need to deliver impact, but applicants must justify why impact planning is not relevant to their project if this is the case.

You can either:

• Start with research findings and explore how they are (or could be) used by research users
• Start with research users and explore how their well-being, decisions and actions are (or could be) influenced by research findings

You can also look at:

• Beneficiaries of research: Those likely to be interested in or to benefit from the proposed/conducted research, directly or indirectly.

In the REF 2014 Impact Pilot Exercise highly ranked case studies clearly identified who the beneficiaries of the research were or which groups or organisations had changed something as a result of the research.

Funding applications to the Research Councils are generally expected to include two impact-related sections:

• Impact Summary: explaining who will benefit from the research and what the benefits will be
• Pathways to Impact: explaining how the project will ensure that the potential beneficiaries can access and engage with the research; outlining opportunities and approaches to generate societal, economic and cultural impact from the proposed research

Key factors for generating impact that have been identified include:

• Portfolios of research activity that build reputations with research users
• Established relationships and networks with user communities
• Well-planned user engagement and knowledge exchange strategies
• Involvement of intermediaries and knowledge brokers as translators, amplifiers, network providers etc., where appropriate

In REF 2021 (as in 2014), impact from research was assessed against two criteria:

• Reach: the extent and diversity of the communities, organisations and/or individuals who have been affected
• Significance: the degree to which the impact enriched, influenced, informed or changed products, services, practices, understanding or awareness of communities, organisations or individuals

The REF adopts a case study approach to illustrating research impact. In the REF 2014, impact case studies formed the core of the impact-related submission, with additional context information on how the submitting unit facilitated impact during the assessment period and on strategies for enabling research impact in the future.

The Research Councils publish Impact Case Studies to illustrate benefits from research they fund. The AHRC describes its core approach to impact reporting as developing a narrative, supported by metrics where appropriate.

Impact case studies usually contain information on:

• The research from which the impact has arisen
• The beneficiaries of the research and the benefits (impacts) they have gained
• The activities that helped generating the impact from the research

Impact case studies in REF2021

Read CCCU's impact case studies submitted to REF 2021.