LISEN: Impact in UKRI Grant Applications

Will Summers, BBSRC, Joint Head of Research and Innovation Funding

Involved in implementing impact assessment guidance

Robyn Thomas, NERC, Associate Director, Discovery Science, Talent & Skills
Involved in he transformation programme to develop simpler and better funding processes

All 7 UKRI Councils contributed to this session through internal discussions

Impact definitions

Different
aspects of the
definition will
be assessed
based on the
type of call

Specific
strategic
initiatives may
have a narrower
focus
 Application quality
• Impact is no longer a box
ticking exercise
• Activities are no longer
being shoe-horned into
applications Activities now better fit
• There’s less ‘workshops, the maturity and context
websites and waffle’ of the research

The work of Impact Some applications to do

Professionals has improved more fundamental
the richness and quality of research give impact a
proposals, challenging us backseat which costs the
to make tough funding application as impact is a
decisions key assessment criteria
Types of impact activities

For longer grants

there is greater
scope for impact
work

For research Citizen science and

networks and co-production is
institutions we desirable where
want to see appropriate. We
communication, are changing our
engagement and policy framework
capacity building to remove barriers
plans to these activities.
 Costs

• Costs should:
• Fit the scheme
• Be justifiable

• Patents are not an allowable cost

 Panels have more time
for quality-related
discussions

Panels can choose not to

If a reviewer hasn’t fund applications in
understood the value of which the research is
an impact activity, rebut reasonable but the
it! impact isn’t good
enough.

We’re looking for:

Application Assessment
Value for money
Stakeholder relevance
Appropriate routes to
maximise impact
Right activities at the right
time
Panel members ‘test’ Appropriate costings The focus is still on
what is good and what is Quality of specific activities excellent research which
not as good in pre-panel should lead to great
meetings impact

There is greater
Panels will look at
harmonisation of
impact criteria that’s
guidance and
specific to the call. These
assessment criteria
will be in the call
across the UKRI
guidance.
Councils.
 Impact Evaluation

UKRI Councils

Impact evaluation is a sector-

wide problem!
Reviewers don’t assess
impact evaluation plans

Analyse their portfolio

Use REF case studies to
rather than breadcrumb
see where their grants
trails from individual
have generated impact
projects to impact