Describing the impact of your reseach
Many funders pay significant attention to the impact of the research projects. Impact can be defined as wider effects of the research results beyond the project. However, it is important to understand the nature of the impact that research funders and specific calls are looking for.
For example, this could be increased scientific understanding, societal impact (both short-term and long-term), impact on patients or end-users, impact on national or European policy or economic impact (for example through the development of new products and services or more jobs). Naturally, combinations of these are also possible.
When drafting an impact section of your application, it is generally a good idea to take into account the following aspects:
- Pay careful attention to the instructions on how to write the impact section provided by the funding body, since the instructions and the expected impact can be very specific.
- Where possible, try to link impact to specific challenges that your project wishes to address. How big are the challenges that your impact will address?
- Who will be the beneficiary of any impact and what are the challenges that they face today?
- How will your project deliver the impact the call is looking for, and how will the different partners in your consortium contribute? Are there any partners whose specific role is to develop and support the impact you are looking for?
- When can the impact be expected? What shortterm and long-term impacts of your project will be seen? Remember that impact may be envisaged years or decades after the project finished
- How can the impact be measured during the course of the project? Wherever possible, try to quantify the impact that you expect. For projects where the main impact is going to be on a longterm perspective, try to identify some indicators or markers that can be measured during the project itself. Will there be any short-term benefits that can be seen?
- Depending on the funder or call there may be tools available that could help you capture, describe and quantify the expected impact. Examples are the Impact Canvas provided by UU Innovation Partnership Office and UU Innovation, the EU Horizon Europe impact canvas or the effect logic concept developed by Vinnova.
Contact
- Do you have any questions about research funding, calls for proposals, applications or support? Please contact a research adviser.
- Humanities and Social Sciences – contact a research adviser
- Medicine and Pharmacy – contact a research adviser
- Science and Technology – contact a research adviser