A great place to look for examples of impact are the Impact Case Study databases for REF2021 and REF2014. Below is a list of potential forms of impact which have been reported as part of previous REF exercises.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but to give an idea of what is meant by ‘impact’ or ‘public benefit’ in practical terms.
Economic prosperity:
- Business performance measures, for example, sales, turnover, profits or employment associated with new or improved products, processes or services.
- Licences awarded and brought to market.
- Jobs created or protected.
- Investment funding raised from UK and/or non-UK agencies (venture capital/Business Angel, and so on) for start-up businesses and new activities of existing businesses.
- Evidence of critical impact on particular projects, products and processes confirmed by independent authoritative evidence, which should be financial where possible.
- Priority shifts in expenditure profiles or quantifiable reallocation of corporate, non-profit or public budgets.
Policy:
- Documented evidence of policy debate (for example, in Parliament, the media, material produced by NGOs).
- Documented evidence of changes to public policy/legislation/regulations/guidelines.
- Measures of improved public services, including, where appropriate, quantitative information; such information may relate for example to the quality, accessibility or cost-effectiveness of public services.
- Documented evidence of changes to international development policies.
Public services:
- Measures of improved international welfare or inclusion.
- Effect on the quality, accessibility, cost-effectiveness or efficiency of services.
- Impact on democratic participation.
- Influencing the work of NGOs or commercial organisations.
- Improved public understanding of social issues.
Quality of life:
- Measures of improved patient outcomes, public health or health services.
- Public health and well-being has improved.
- Animal health and welfare has been enhanced by research.
- Care and educational practices have changed.
- Clinical, dietary or healthcare guidelines have changed.
- Healthcare training guidelines have changed.
- Decisions by a health service or regulatory authority have been informed by research.
- Public awareness of a health risk or benefit has been raised.
- Public engagement/involvement in research has improved.
- Public behaviour has changed.
- The user experience has improved.
- Documented changes to clinical guidelines.
- Evidence of take-up and use of new or improved products and processes that improve quality of life in developing countries.
- Traceable impacts on particular projects or processes which bring environmental benefits.
- Evidence of generic environmental impact across a sector, confirmed by independent authoritative evidence.
- Documented case-specific improvements to environment-related issues.
When embedding impact into your research journey, it is important to collect appropriate evidence. For any queries about your research impact work, contact our team.