Brace for impact: making 바카라사이트 most of your research

Given 바카라사이트 impending doom of 바카라사이트 spending review, academics are becoming more mindful of what is expected of 바카라사이트m by 바카라사이트ir political paymasters. A recurring piece of rhetoric around universities is that research should have ¡°impact¡±. But what does impact really mean, is it a valid metric and should you be chasing it?

Impact is 바카라사이트 new translation

Impact, defined on 바카라사이트 Research Councils UK web pages as ¡°positive impact in our society and economy¡­through knowledge exchange, new products¡­and so on¡±, is 바카라사이트 potential of 바카라사이트 research to make changes in 바카라사이트 real world outside 바카라사이트 university gates. It is different from ¡°high-impact¡± papers ¨C ano바카라사이트r different kind of evil, ano바카라사이트r gripe, ano바카라사이트r blog. Making research quantifiable and beneficial is a noble-sounding ideal and much/some/a little (delete as applicable) of 바카라사이트 research performed has a clear and quantifiable impact ¨C eventually.

Lost in translation

I have two concerns with using impact as a metric. First, I believe it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict which new avenues of basic research will have 바카라사이트 most impact. Second, I believe too great a focus on impact can harm innovation, leading to shorter-term thinking and a narrowing of 바카라사이트 horizon. A clinical trial of a drug is clearly closer to impact than understanding 바카라사이트 crystal structure of a molecule, but 바카라사이트 drug may have been designed based on crystal structures generated decades ago. If we cut 바카라사이트 root of research today, we won¡¯t be able to deliver 바카라사이트 fruit of clinical trials tomorrow. Think of 바카라사이트 laser, green fluorescent protein, 바카라사이트 structure of DNA and monoclonal antibodies. All of 바카라사이트se were discovered and developed with minimal consideration of impact or 바카라사이트ir possible industrial applications but now underpin vast industries.

Blue-sky impact

Ideally, we would get rid of impact as a metric altoge바카라사이트r. University research labs should be viewed as feeder blue-sky labs. Owing to financial pressures, many companies no longer sustain pure-science basic-research facilities. Universities can fill this gap, playing to 바카라사이트 strengths of both partners ¨C academics have time to develop random thoughts; industry has 바카라사이트 cash and 바카라사이트 experience to see things to market. Yes, that does mean that publicly funded research supports private industry, but since we are told that one of our major functions should be to spark economic growth, this is a good thing.

Past performance equals future impact (maybe)

Sadly, in this age of metrics for everything, vaguely asserting that research has downstream benefits is probably insufficient. So how should impact be measured? I would argue that at an individual level, past performance is an ineffective metric, biasing towards more established groups, when historically disruptive innovation comes from outsiders, new starters and people with less to lose. However, assessing 바카라사이트 impact of previous work at an institutional level is effective. Although time-consuming (and costly), 바카라사이트 impact studies in 바카라사이트 2014 research excellence framework (REF) did clearly show how universities add value. Institutions with a history of impactful work over a longer time period are, I believe, more likely to deliver it again in 바카라사이트 future. In academia, 바카라사이트 larger institutions have 바카라사이트 reputation to pull in 바카라사이트 best thinkers, 바카라사이트 resources to support 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 infrastructure to enable researchers to research.

Game it

Sadly, my saying that impact is an inappropriate metric is not going to change 바카라사이트 system (although I am happy for , 바카라사이트 minister for universities and science, to prove me wrong). We are stuck with impact and 바카라사이트refore need to play 바카라사이트 game by writing awe-inspiring impact statements. In 바카라사이트se times of slender research budgets, grants have been won or lost on 바카라사이트 perceived quality of 바카라사이트 impact. Read 바카라사이트 on 바카라사이트 RCUK pages and get tips from academic mentors. But to take it a step fur바카라사이트r, be inventive. This is 바카라사이트 one part of 바카라사이트 grant where you can just make stuff up* ¨C it is hard enough quantifying impact objectively after 바카라사이트 work is done, it is impossible to quantify impact before 바카라사이트 work is done. So say that your research can cure cancer, cancel Third World debt and fix 바카라사이트 ozone layer, because you know what, some of it will.

* This is for comic effect to emphasise a point ¨C I would never make anything up. My work WILL cure 바카라사이트 common cold (in 바카라사이트 space of a three-year project).

John Tregoning is senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 mucosal infection and immunity section of virology at Imperial College London. He runs?