EPSRC’s Head of Economic Impact, Dr Glenn Goodall, and EPSRC Senior Impact Manager, Dr Michelle Lascelles, presented an update on recent changes and discussed EPSRC’s new philosophy towards impact.
Glenn’s role at EPSRC covers embedding impact and the impact strategy more broadly. In addition, he is responsible for the direction of various schemes and activities that are designed to maximise economic impact of research outputs. Michelle Lascelles is responsible for the management of Impact Acceleration Accounts, public engagement and embedding impact.
Impact is now a core consideration throughout the grant application process and demonstrating how impact of the proposed research will be maximised should therefore be intrinsic to the proposal itself, in a way that is appropriate to the nature and scope of the research being proposed.
Attendees also received practical advice on how to include impact in funding applications and there was an opportunity to put questions to the EPSRC team.
Dr Jane Khawaja, GW4 Director said: “We were delighted to host EPSRC for the benefit of our GW4 researchers. Our GW4 research communities understand the importance of impact – having influenced national policy, developed world-class facilities, and provided the foundations for major research programmes. To date the GW4 Alliance has invested over £2.9m in 93 collaborative research communities, which have generated over £46m in research income.
“One of our largest funding awards from EPSRC was to develop GW4 Isambard, the world’s first Arm-based supercomputer to go into production use. Isambard’s substantial computing power now supports the Met Office’s efforts in developing more accurate weather forecasting and more detailed climate prediction modelling. GW4 researchers have also utilised Isambard to investigate next generation healthcare and medicine.”
Following this webinar, EPSRC is running sessions aimed at Early Career Researchers, with each GW4 institution. For more information contact your Universities Research Impact Manager or representative.
If you missed the session you can watch EPSRC’s presentation, including GW4’s introductory presentation, on the GW4 YouTube site and download the EPSRC Impact slides.
EPSRC are keen to hear more impact stories and invite you to share your experiences with them, including what has worked well and what has not.
Further advice and guidance material is available on the EPSRC website.
