Useful links

Academic Schools and Departments Impact Pages

LSE Impact Blog A platform for understanding and increasing the imapct of academic research.

The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) has many very useful resources, such as advice on planning public engagement,  working in a partnership, working with the media and much more.

The Conversation (http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-st-andrews) is an independent, not-for-profit media outlet that uses content sourced from the academic and research community, to which the University subscribe. Academics work with Journalists from The Conversation but have full control of the content and when it is released.

The Health Foundation has developed an online communications toolkit to help health and healthcare researchers (though most of it is relevant to any researcher) increase the influence and impact of their work.

• Section 1: Planning for impact will help you plan your communications activity and focus your communications on where they can make the most impact.
• Section 2: Communicating your research results will help you adapt and present your findings in order to engage different audiences.
• Section 3: Extending influence and widening impact will help you understand how to engage three of the key audiences for research dissemination and achieve impact on policy and practice.
• Section 4: Glossary of terms provides an explanation of the terms used in this toolkit.

Research Council links

• AHRC: https://www.ukri.org/councils/ahrc/
• BBSRC: https://www.ukri.org/councils/bbsrc/
• ESRC:https://www.ukri.org/councils/esrc/
• EPSRC: https://www.ukri.org/councils/epsrc/
• ESRC Impact toolkit for economic and social sciences
• MRC: https://www.ukri.org/councils/mrc/
• NERC: https://www.ukri.org/councils/nerc/
• STFC: https://www.ukri.org/councils/stfc/
• Research England: https://www.ukri.org/councils/research-england/
• Innovate UK: https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/

Measuring impact

eventIMPACTS: This site provides a toolkit comprises key guidance and good practice principles for evaluating the social, economic, environmental and media related impacts associated with staging Major Events.

Altmetric tracks real-time news and social media attention or policy document links to research outputs. Sign in with your username and password.

TEDx is designed to help organisations and individuals spark conversation and connection through a combination of live speakers and TED talk videos.

Partnership links

• British Arts Festivals Association
• UK Science Festivals Network
• British Council: Literature – helps writers and literature partners develop innovative projects and partnerships
• British Science Association
• Literary Festivals in the UK
• Royal Society Summer Exhibition – calls open in June of previous year

Impact and public engagement awards

• THE Awards – to recognise the pioneering work that is taking place in universities to promote the arts.
• ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize – an annual opportunity to recognise and reward the successes of ESRC-funded researchers who have achieved, or are currently achieving, outstanding economic or societal impacts.

Industry & business competitions

• Converge Challenge – Scotland’s premier business competition which is open to staff and students of all Scottish Universities and Research Institutes.  We work with any industry sector, product or service-based idea at any stage of the development.

Industry & business opportunities

Informatics Ventures is a knowledge exchange program that runs across the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) and helps foster innovation and entrepreneurship within  start-up and spin-out companies and develops strong relationships between Industry and Academia.

The Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) helps students in Scotland discover their entrepreneurial talent and start up their own ventures. Their mission is to help create new student businesses and social enterprises and to increase the number of students who consider entrepreneurship a real option during and after their studies through a number of activities and events.

Interface is a knowledge connection for business. It exists to promote innovative business and academic collaborations through translating the needs of companies of all sizes, and from all sectors, into manageable projects for Scottish Universities and Research Institutions whether it involves knowledge exchange, business and product development, process or service improvement, or analysis and testing.

Scottish Enterprise identify and exploit opportunities for Scotland’s economic growth by supporting Scottish companies to compete, helping to build globally competitive sectors, attracting new investment and creating a world-class business environment. Might help in identifying local partners.

Policy links

• Guide to working with policy makers
• Influencing Legislators or other policy makers (UN Women)
• Government Knowledge is a leading event provider, specialising in conferences, training workshops, briefings and roundtables on public policy and public sector issues.

Royal Society awards

• Kavli Education Medal – awarded for impact in the field of science and mathematics education
• Gabor Medal – for interdisciplinary work between the life sciences with other disciplines
• Michael Faraday Prize – for excellence in communicating science to UK audiences
• Armourers & Brasiers’ Company Prize – for excellent use-inspired research on structural or functional materials that is both fundamental and for the benefit of society
• Brian Mercer Award for Innovation – for scientists who wish to develop an already proven concept or prototype into a near-market product ready for commercial exploitation
• Royal Society Africa Prize – to recognise research scientists based in Africa who are making an innovative contribution to the sciences
• Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize – celebrates outstanding popular science books from around the world and is open to authors of science books written for a non-specialist audience

Scotland’s Innovation Centres

The Innovation Centres each drive positive change and growth in areas of key importance to the health and wealth of Scotland.

CENSIS (Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems): CENSIS enables leading industry innovators and world-class university researchers to collaborate at the forefront of market-focused SIS and IoT innovation, developing products and services for global markets.
BE-ST (Built Environment – Smarter Transformation): formerly Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, our new name reflects our commitment to the sector. Built Environment – Smarter Transformation is what we strive to help the whole industry embrace. BE-ST’s mission is to accelerate the built environment’s transition to zero carbon emissions.
DHI (Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre): a collaboration between the Glasgow School of Art and the University of Strathclyde (our host institution). DHI’s focus is innovation in digital health and care will help the people of Scotland live longer, healthier lives, while providing sustainable and inclusive growth for our economy.
IBioIC (Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre): Industrial biotechnology (IB) is an enabling technology that uses biological substances, systems and processes to produce materials, chemicals and energy. IBioIC works with industry, academia and government to transform Scotland’s competitiveness and capabilities through the use of IB.
SAIC (Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre): SAIC supports innovation across all aspects of the aquaculture supply chain.
PMS-IC (Precision Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre): PMS-IC brings together leading experts from industry, the National Health Service (NHS) and academia with the common aim of developing safer, more effective therapies and diagnostic tools for the management of chronic diseases.
The Data Lab: The Data Lab enables industry, the public sector and world-class academics to innovate and develop new data science capabilities in a collaborative environment.

Vitae impact guides and information

Engagement, influence and impact – What areas of knowledge and skill should you be developing for success in engaging and influencing others?