Dear Colleagues,

Since the withdrawal of Pathways to Impact  as part of research grant applications , UKRI  has launched a consultation exercise which  is designed to enable UKRI to better understand how impact is being embedded into applications. This includes  involvement of external stakeholders and project partners in embedding and enabling impact, the breadth of associated impact enabling activities and their efficacy, as well as how impact is reviewed or assessed.

This consultation also includes elements of both Public Engagement and Innovation and Commercialisation. It will not focus on specific outcomes or impacts of research, but instead focuses on how applicants are handling impact development and associated activities within their funding applications. It also  covers the application, review and panel stages of our funding processes.

Based on this, we wish to invite members of the STFC community to complete a short survey and feedback any thoughts and comments on impact and how it should be included in grant submissions.

We fully appreciate that not all the STFC community have had an opportunity to consider the implications of earlier policy changes and so comments are welcome from a retrospective and forward planning perspective. However, due to the change in assessment criteria placing a stronger focus on Impact, we would encourage you to complete the survey and think about how to get involved. In addition, we would also flag a new STFC  guidance document (https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/STFC-131221-ImpactGuidance.pdf) which has been developed to help guide you on what to consider when thinking about and planning for impact as part of a  grant application

To complete the survey, please navigate to the following link: https://engagementhub.ukri.org/reforming-our-business/impact2021