BU Research Blog

The narrative around research impact has quite rightly come to the fore in recent years. With funding organisations looking for a ‘bigger bang for their buck’ and universities emphasising their contribution to societal and economic value, it is no surprise that the words ‘research impact’ are central to researchers activities.

Whilst many researchers develop plans that emphasise ‘conceptual’ and ‘instrumental’ impacts, the long-term effect of their research is more difficult to consider. This is where ‘capacity-building’ impact comes into play. It refers to the positive effects of your research on the ability of individuals and organisations to utilise your research to strengthen their skills and invest resources in new and improved policy, processes and structures.

My work as an advisor to the Horizon Scanning & Foresight Committee in UK Parliament provides a useful example of how to develop this type of impact. My research and expert knowledge on managing uncertainty through horizon scanning and scenario planning is now informing parliaments new horizon scanning and foresight policy which will be used to identify ‘Areas of Research Interest’ (ARIs). ARIs are lists of policy issues or questions that select committees use to inform their work. Importantly, they help UK Parliament prepare for the future by identifying emerging trends and developments that might potentially affect UK Government policy.

A key feature of ‘capacity-building’ impact is that it takes time, resources and commitment to achieve a practical application. It’s not a one-off activity, but it can provide researchers with a powerful argument to leverage the impact of their work.