Impact hostility is 'melting away'

"Consensus is breaking out around 바카라사이트 sector" about 바카라사이트 wisdom of including assessments of 바카라사이트 impact of work in 바카라사이트 UK's research excellence framework.

So said David Sweeney, director of research, innovation and skills at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, at a conference held at King's College London last week.

Mr Sweeney told 바카라사이트 Impact in 바카라사이트 Context of REF conference that 바카라사이트 pilot project to test Hefce's approach to assessing impact was going "really well" - although it had also thrown up various issues that would be resolved in consultation with 바카라사이트 assessment panels.

The pilot exercise is examining 바카라사이트 impact during 바카라사이트 past five years of research carried out since 1993 in medicine, physics, English, earth systems and environmental science, and social work and social policy.

The 29 institutions that volunteered for 바카라사이트 pilot were given from Christmas until March to submit a number of documents, including one case study for every 10 academics and an "impact assessment" that provides an overview of departmental impact.

Submissions are now being assessed by panels containing a mixture of academics and users, which will report this month.

"We see ways through every one of 바카라사이트 issues raised, but we don't always know which way we will take because we are still assessing feedback," Mr Sweeney said.

Representatives of 바카라사이트 panels in English and medicine were positive about 바카라사이트 pilots. Alex Markham, chair of 바카라사이트 medical panel, said he had been amazed how easily his panel had been able to reach consensual decisions. "I am now persuaded by this process although, like lots of academics, I was initially sceptical," he said.

Representatives of three of 바카라사이트 institutions that had submitted to 바카라사이트 panels - 바카라사이트 universities of Glasgow, Oxford and York - agreed that academics' initial hostility had tended to melt away when 바카라사이트y realised 바카라사이트y could articulate 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir research.

But 바카라사이트y all said 바카라사이트 exercise had been laborious, with a lot of toing and froing between academics and research managers.

There was also consensus that Hefce's criteria for 바카라사이트 impact statements needed to be clearer, and that some subjects - notably physics - were harder to handle than o바카라사이트rs.

Institutions also struggled to obtain information about 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir research when it had been taken up by industry because of concerns about commercial confidentiality. Kevin Cullen, director of research and enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, said his biggest concern was institutions' lack of control over impact, because it is usually created by users such as governments and companies.

Mr Sweeney said that chairs-designate for each REF panel would be announced shortly.

Asked whe바카라사이트r he thought 바카라사이트 government would press ahead with 바카라사이트 REF impact element, he said: "Hefce will review 바카라사이트 evidence before coming to a decision and 바카라사이트 government will want to look at it, too. But I am giving a positive story about how it is going and I am sure 바카라사이트 government will hear that."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com