People working

Early career researchers

Our work with researchers in the early stages of their career can help to:

  • encourage links with policymakers and practitioners
  • broaden understanding of the research landscape
  • enhance professional development
  • develop expertise in realising pathways to impacts.

This supports EPSRC’s aim to develop the research leaders of the future and to enhance the overall impact of research.

ECR knowledge exchange skills development

We ran a series of events to bring together early career researchers in the built environment and infrastructure sectors. These helped to enhance their professional skills and develop their expertise in maximising the impact of their research.

Our events are all free to attend, but booking is essential as spaces are limited.

Showcasing research to promote impact

November 2017, York

Sir Mark Walport, head of the new UKRI, has stated that success will be measured through the impact research delivers. As researchers, this means you will be called upon to deliver your results to non-academic audiences, in addition to academic papers. Our workshop discussed what impact really is, and how to achieve it throughout the duration of your research.

Facilitator

Dr Pete Walton

Pete is a Knowledge Exchange Research Fellow based at UKCIP, University of Oxford, where he is responsible for developing and supporting knowledge exchange opportunities with external stakeholders. Pete’s academic and professional career combines both climate change and education, providing him with expertise in adaptation and climate change impacts, and the skills to communicate the practical implications of research to a wide range of audiences

ARCC network

Tanya Wilkins

Australian in Oxford. Promoter of genuine communication and engagement, an advocate for the experts in these new days of ‘Google-fuelled online warriors’.

Roger Street

After 30 years with the Canadian government, much of which focused on climate, and impacts and adaptation, Roger now leads technical work at UKCIP, guiding risk, vulnerability and adaptation assessments and playing a leading national and international role on developing and presenting climate information to inform these assessments. He also leads the EPSRC-funded Adaptation and Resilience in the Context of Change (ARCC) Network which coordinates researcher and stakeholder engagement to inform adaptation policy and practice in the built environment and infrastructure sectors.

Contributors

Zoe Broughton

Freelance camerawoman and editor covering the environment, human rights and animal welfare.

Dr Mark Bevan, Centre for Housing Policy, University of York

Mark has maintained a keen interest in housing issues in rural areas throughout his career, including work on the private rented sector, the role of social housing, the housing and support needs of older people, the impact of second and holiday homes on rural communities and rural homelessness. He has also worked on a number of projects on a range of issues in relation to housing and neighbourhoods in later life, including the meaning of home for people in niche housing markets.

Prof Alison Heppenstall, University of Leeds

Alison is a Professor in Geocomputation within the Centre for Spatial Analysis and Policy (CSAP), School of Geography. Her research interests focus on the development of AI methods for understanding processes and evolution of geographical systems. Alisonis particularly interested in methods for incorporating human behaviour in individual-level models and big data analytics. She is joint secretary of the Geocomputation Community, and the co-Chair of the 2017 Geocomputation conference that is being held in Leeds.

Dr Nicolas Malleson, University of Leeds

Nick is an Associate Professor in Geographical Information Science and a member of the Centre for Spatial Analysis and Policy (CSAP). His primary research interest is in developing spatial computer models of social phenomena with a particular focus on crime simulation.

Effective stakeholder engagement

November 2017, Oxford

This workshop helped strengthen the skills needed to initiate and develop effective dialogue with stakeholders throughout a research programme, from the initial approach through to co-delivery of results. The overall aim was consider how to promote understanding, uptake and use of research outputs through focused engagement with stakeholders across policy, practice and academic communities.

Find out more about our previous workshops:

Now we can discuss impacts and interaction with business and industry on a more informed level. We know that language now.

Stakeholder engagement to achieve impact

October 2016

To enhance the uptake, use and impact of their work, researchers must be able to identify and engage with stakeholders in policy, practice and academic communities. The nature of this engagement may vary from keeping in touch with developments to complex co-production of outputs, but it is generally agreed that engagement, initiated early and sustained throughout the overall research process, ensures expertise on both sides is used to deliver useful outputs in a timely manner.

Our workshop explored various approaches to stakeholder engagement, including identifying key players, considering the initial approach and the co-development and use of final outputs. Discussions and practical challenges allowed participants to build on their own expertise and to put the concepts being explored into practice.We welcomed contributions from EPSRC and stakeholders experts who shared their perspectives on successful engagement to achieve impact.

Notes:

Achieving impact through stakeholder-focused proposals

January 2016

Identifying the potential impact of research and understanding how to achieve this impact are key skills needed by researchers to help realise the benefits of their work. To be successful, proposals must demonstrate both the potential to deliver high quality, innovative science in a manner that can be used by research, policy and practice communities, and the ability to promote the understanding and uptake of new evidence and knowledge as it emerges.

This workshop focused on strengthening the impact pathways across a range of research proposal types; from large grant proposals to small impact accelerator-type awards. The various elements of devising a strong impact section – from identifying and approaching key stakeholders, developing engagement strategies, and considering appropriate knowledge exchange mechanisms – were explored, together with integration into the full proposal and how to approach the review and interview stages.

We welcomed expert contributions from EPSRC, Policy Connect, and successful research fellows.

Presentations

Policy Connect work to inform and improve UK public policy, for which they need accessible and relevant information in a concise and useable format. In return, they partner with researchers, help spin out findings and suggest new contacts across the policy landscape.

Devising a successful proposal

April 2015

EPSRC are committed to supporting the next generation of research leaders, and there are various funding mechanisms available to support ECRs in developing their own research.

This workshop explored the various elements of devising strong and comprehensive proposals from considering the initial approach and identifying key players through to planning the outline and full proposals, and how to approach the review and interview stage.

Devising a successful proposal details presentations and further information from the session.

The ECR course was probably the best piece of training I have done. Really excellent. I’m seeing more and more of what I and my colleagues got from it.

Engaging stakeholders

October 2014

This workshop explored various approaches, from identifying the main players through to the communication and use of final outputs.

Engaging with those elusive stakeholders captures presentations and creative thinking from the day in an online format.

The residential event ran from lunchtime to lunchtime to allow for in-depth discussions and networking opportunities. It included facilitated sessions and discussions and practical challenges to allow participants to build on their own expertise and put the concepts into practice.

Engaging policymakers

September 2014

Hosted by Tom Sutton, who works on infrastructure resilience in the Cabinet Office. Tom reflected on his experience as a policy advisor to provide insight into how research and evidence can be used in decision-making, and offer advice on how researchers can work with policymakers.

Our blog – Look, over here! – examines the main messages from the day.

When we went in [to the ECR event], we were seeing research from our perspective. When we came out of it, I felt like we saw it from a perspective of government, of industry, people who were looking at it…

Making research useful

May 2014

Jonathan Breckon from the Alliance for Useful Evidence explored the role of good communications in ensuring that research has influence and practical impact. Reflecting on experience and drawing on lessons learnt from the social sciences, he demonstrated how evidence, working with stakeholders and addressing the right questions can have impact beyond the research community.

Communications

March 2014

Presentations from:

Showcasing research

You may also be interested in…

More about impact

Evidence & uptake

Communications & engagement

Placements

We are supporting short placements or secondments for researchers wishing to work more closely with the policy and practice community. This enhanced understanding of research will help to ensure the widest possible benefits from outputs. Please get in touch with Vicky Hayman if we can help to create affiliations.