Professor Anthony HollanderAs scientists, we're sometimes viewed as another species. I'm on a bit of a mission to break down that stereotype by showing that I'm a human being.
Professor Alan Thorpe, RCUKEngaging the public can improve the quality of research and its impact.
The University has set up an Impact Working Group, to help make sense of some of the developments in this area, and to ensure that Bristol is feeding in academics’ views and leading the development of this agenda. The Group is led by Research, Enterprise and Development (RED), and chaired by Neil Bradshaw. The Centre for Public Engagement is represented on the group by Maggie Leggett. Further information about the impact of research, including case studies, is available on the RED website.
There is increasing pressure to demonstrate the impact of research, both at grant application and reporting stages. The concept of impact is not new; it is enshrined within both the University’s mission and that of the Research Councils. However, there is increasing need to articulate how impact is achieved at every stage of the research process.
Public engagement is one process by which impact can be demonstrated. There is agreement across the Research Councils and HEFCE that impact includes economic, social, public policy, cultural and quality of life impacts; and by engaging the public, some of these can be achieved. Public engagement is, however, only one way impact can be demonstrated.