'Research with Impact: Creating Meaning and Value' launch

This post originally appeared on Epigeum blog.

By Epigeum Team

We are thrilled to introduce our brand-new US edition of ‘Research with Impact: Creating Meaning and Value’ – an online program designed to explore how research can drive real-world change and deliver meaningful societal impact beyond the pages of academic journals and textbooks.   

Researchers are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the real-world value of their research. While traditional metrics like h-indices and journal impact factors remain important, they fail to capture the broader societal, cultural, and policy impacts that funders and the public increasingly expect. Public and private funders are placing increasing emphasis on broader impact, requiring researchers to report on measurable societal outcomes of their research. This growing emphasis across funding bodies underscores the importance of equipping researchers with the skills to plan for and demonstrate impact effectively. 

Reflecting on the importance of societal impact in research, Lead Advisor and Author Dr. Anne Toomey shares that it ‘feels more urgent than ever. In today's world, particularly here in the United States, we're living through a time of real tension between science and society. And yet I see this not just as a challenge but as an opportunity, an opportunity for researchers to engage more thoughtfully and creatively with the world around them.’ 
 
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a crucial need for trustworthy, accessible research and clear communication to the public. It exposed the deep flaws of how research is shared with the public during a time where misinformation spread faster than facts. The gap between academic research and public understanding has never felt more apparent.  

From subject matter experts including Lead Advisor and Author Dr. Anne Toomey, Author Emily Janke (Director of the Institute for Community and Economic Engagement, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina) and Reviewer Susan Renoe (Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Missouri, and Executive Director of the NSF-funded Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society), ‘Research with Impact’ equips researchers to bridge the divide. The program helps researchers embed impact into every step of the research journey, identify partners and collaborators, engage effectively with communities and share impact within academia and beyond. 

This program is designed to support universities and research institutions in their mission to foster meaningful engagement, amplify societal relevance, and ensure that research truly resonates with the communities it aims to serve. 
 
As Dr. Toomey explains, ‘It's about your impact, how you can use your research to make a difference. Whether that's changing policy, shifting practice, or simply opening up new conversations, this course is an opportunity to help you explore what kind of change you want to make and how to get there.’ 
 
A respected voice in the field, Dr. Toomey has been featured on leading platforms including NPR, BBC, and the Future Tense podcast, extending her influence well beyond academia and into the public sphere. She brings a wealth of experience in translating complex research into accessible insights to the program with real world application.  

Find out more about Research with Impact: Creating Meaning and Value.  
 
Interested in learning more and asking Anne all your impact questions? Sign up to our upcoming webinar Science with Impact: Communicating your Research, on September 15th - 10am PDT/1pm EDT.