Impact spreads through relationships.
Our training gives researchers a step change in their impact, because the methods we teach are built on how change actually travels: person to person, through trust and empathy.
A relational approach to impact.
Most impact advice treats research like a megaphone: publish, broadcast, hope it lands. We start somewhere different. Real, lasting change happens between people: through dialogue, trust and shared purpose.
That is why we work with researchers long after the training ends, helping them put the methods into practice over the weeks and months that follow. Good ideas are a bit like a smile: they spread from one person to the next when they are developed and communicated with empathy.
Five steps to fast-track your impact.
Distilled from our own peer-reviewed research and the wider evidence base. Five principles that turn good intentions into lasting change.
Design impact in from day one.
- Set impact and knowledge-exchange goals at the outset
- Build a flexible plan that adapts as needs change
- Line up the people and resources to deliver it
Know exactly who it's for.
- Map who will use, benefit from or be affected by your work
- Spot who could help or block you, and who's overlooked
- Bring key stakeholders in early, and weigh the ethics
Build relationships as equals.
- Open two-way dialogue, not one-way broadcast
- Invest in long-term, trusting relationships
- Co-create and communicate findings with the people who'll use them
Deliver wins people can see.
- Find quick wins that prove value early and keep people engaged
- Build on your track record to grow networks
- Share what you learn as you go
Track it, learn, keep it going.
- Track what works with light-touch methods
- Reflect regularly with your team and partners
- Plan how impact continues after the project ends
Find out more.
The research and writing behind the method, for those who want the detail.
The Research Impact Handbook
Prof. Mark Reed's practical guide to the tools and techniques behind every step of our method.
Read the handbookThe impact agenda is starting to fail those it was meant to benefit
Why a relational approach matters. Prof. Reed's argument for rethinking how impact is done.
How does research data generate societal impact?
Reed & Jensen on the real-world routes from data to impact, with evidence from across disciplines.
Evidence-based research impact praxis
Integrating scholarship and practice so research benefits society, and minimises potential harms.
Ready to put this into practice?
Learn the full method with us, in a live workshop, a self-paced course, or with hands-on support for your team.