Fifteenth Thing: Research impact at the University of Melbourne

‘Research impact’ is used all over the University of Melbourne in conversations – as well as in other universities in Australia and around the world. But what does it mean? How can we plan for it? What does the University do to support it? Find out more in this Thing, written by Professor Jenny Lewis.

In the last two decades, there has been a growing emphasis on universities being able to demonstrate their world-changing capabilities. While there is a policy ‘push’ towards demonstrating that universities are relevant, and a good investment of public funds, there is also a ‘pull’ as students and academics are keen to ‘make a difference in the world’.

The Advancing Melbourne strategy states that “[f]undamental investigator-driven research is the engine of discovery” (p12). The University aims to be at the leading edge of discovery, understanding, and impact, through research. It wants to increase its research impact capability by improving its impact culture, support, and visibility.

How does the University of Melbourne define research impact?

In 2020-21 the University developed a research impact definition and framework to support building a research impact culture. The University adopted a definition as follows:

Research impact is the effect on, change or benefit to scholarly knowledge and the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life.

This definition is adapted from the Australian Research Council (ARC), with one important difference, underlined above: The ARC definition is about impact beyond the academy, but does not explicitly mention scholarly knowledge.

The University’s research impact framework (University of Melbourne log-in required to view) is designed to be broad and inclusive, and to address the needs of diverse disciplines and approaches, including interdisciplinary programs. It takes into account all career stages, and encompasses different pathways to impact. This is aligned with the University’s deep commitment to academic discovery.

In consulting around the University, it was clear that scholarly and creative work should be recognised as a component (or facet) of impact in the framework, resulting in the following five facets:

University of Melbourne Research Impact Framework – five facets: adapted from Williams, K. and Lewis, J.M. (2021) ‘Understanding, measuring and encouraging public policy research impact’, Australian Journal of Public Administration 80 (3), 554-564.

Scholarly and creative work is central to, and underpins, all other types of impact in the five-facet framework, which can be depicted as a fan:

Image description: a diagram of a fan showing “Scholarly & Creative” in the centre, and “Policy, Politics & Law,” “Media & Culture,” “Processes & Practices,” “Products & Enterprises” on the arch surrounding it.

University of Melbourne Research Impact Framework – five facets: adapted from Williams, K. and Lewis, J.M. (2021) ‘Understanding, measuring and encouraging public policy research impact’, Australian Journal of Public Administration 80 (3), 554-564.

Research may have an impact in all, or some, of these five facets.

Planning for impact

To start planning for research impact, there are a series of things that need to be considered, including:

1. What do I hope to achieve – what do I want to have an impact on (what problem am I trying to fix and which facets of impact might be important)?
2. Who is the audience for my research?
3. Who will I need to work with to have the desired impact (which other academics and external partners) and how will we work together?
4. How can I describe my plans for impact in grant applications?
5. How should I build my aims and engagement into my research plans?
6. What kind of evidence of impact will I need to gather and keep and how will I do that?
7. How can I communicate an impact story, against my aims and supported by the evidence?

Supporting research impact

A coordinated program of impact initiatives is currently being rolled out by Chancellery Research and Enterprise and by faculties, supported by central service providers at the University. This program of initiatives recognises that research follows many different (non-linear) pathways to societal impact. It also recognises that the path of the impact journey and the point at which research might be impactful varies considerably across projects, disciplines and career stages.

These initiatives are centred around:

• Recognising and rewarding impactful research in recruitment, performance reviews and promotions
• Promoting impact stories and offering new impact prizes
• Training and development for all aspects of impact planning
• Impact support grants to enhance this aspect of research
• Introducing impact systems for capturing and storing various types of evidence of impact
• Communications to explain and demystify impact, showcasing impact
• New supporting structures to ensure coordination, collaboration, and exchange for impact initiatives at the University.

A Research Impact Forum was convened in the second half of 2022 to provide engagement across the University on research impact. The Research Impact Forum is chaired by the Academic Director, Scholarly and Social Research Impact, Chancellery Research and Enterprise and includes a designated impact lead from each faculty.

Further resources related to research impact and engagement can be found on the Research Gateway.

Further resources

• Explore some research impact stories arising from research by the University of Melbourne and its collaborators.
• Join the Research Engagement and Impact Network (REIN)

About the author

Professor Jenny M Lewis, is Professor of Public Policy in the School of Social and Political Sciences. She is also Academic Director, Scholarly and Social Research Impact for Chancellery Research and Enterprise.

Cite this Thing

You are free to use and reuse the content on this post with attribution to the author. The citation for this Thing is:

LEWIS, JENNIFER (2024). Fifteenth Thing: Research impact at the University of Melbourne. The University of Melbourne. Online resource. https://doi.org/10.26188/25340371

Image credit: Photo by Rodolfo Clix, https://www.pexels.com/photo/five-bulb-lights-1036936/