Prelims

Half Title Page

The Impactful Academic

Series Title Page

Surviving and Thriving in Academia provides short, accessible books for navigating the many challenges, responsibilities and opportunities of academic careers. The series is particularly dedicated to supporting the professional journeys of early and mid-career academics and doctoral students, but will present books of use to scholars at all stages in their careers. Books within the series draw on real-life examples from international scholars, offering practical advice and a supportive and encouraging tone throughout.

Series Editor: Marian Mahat, The University of Melbourne, Australia

In this series:

Achieving Academic Promotion

Edited by Marian Mahat, The University of Melbourne & Jennifer Tatebe, University of Auckland

Getting the Most Out of Your Doctorate: The Importance of Supervision, Networking and Becoming a Global Academic

Edited by Mollie Dollinger, La Trobe University, Australia

Coaching and Mentoring for Academic Development

By Kay Guccione & Steve Hutchinson

Women Thriving in Academia

Edited by Marian Mahat, The University of Melbourne, Australia

Academic Resilience: Personal stories and lessons learnt from the COVID-19 experience

Edited by Marian Mahat, Joanne Blannin, Elizer Jay de los Reyes, & Caroline Cohrssen

Academic Mobility and International Academics: Challenges and Opportunities

By Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh, La Trobe University, Australia

Endorsements

The Impactful Academic is a must-read for the academic community. It effortlessly demystifies impact, bringing together a range of expert voices whose collective experience covers everything from planning pathways through to demonstrating effects. The book is full of actionable advice from those working within the research sector, reflecting the realities of ‘doing impact’ in a range of settings and within differing national agendas. The Impactful Academic will steer any reader in the right direction as they embark on impact for the first time or are looking to strengthen their existing practice.

–Dr Julie Bayley, Director of Research Impact Development & the Lincoln Impact Literacy Institute, University of Lincoln, UK

Written in an accessible and colloquial style, The Impactful Academic is a how-to guide for academics with the courage to step out of their comfort zone and dip their toe into the impact world to demonstrate the benefits of the work they do. Authors lure the reader into a reflective impact state of mind while providing actionable tips on how to immerse themselves in impactful scholarship. For those keen to become more impactful, this book will prepare you for the journey. Essential reading for early career academics and those seeking faculty promotion.

–Dr Melanie Barwick, PhD, CPsych Senior Scientist, SickKids Research Institute Professor, Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

The Impactful Academic is a comprehensive guide that includes everything an academic needs to achieve impact from their research. It contains invaluable practical advice that is both evidence-based and accessible, drawing on experience from around the world. This is an essential guide to impact for early career and senior researchers alike.

–Mark Reed, Professor and Centre Director, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), and CEO of Fast Track Impact

The Impactful Academic provides practical strategies for success in a contemporary landscape that values societal impact. This book is a valuable resource for those in the early stages of their academic careers, for senior scholars embarking on new projects with community partners, and for university staff and administrators who support impact work. The book's focus on self-assessment and reflection, including tips and techniques from experts working in various disciplinary contexts, means there is something here for everyone. By covering such topics as community engagement strategies, research translation practices, and ways to track evidence of impact, this book serves as a go-to guide for academics to foster social change and make a difference in the world.

–Prof Lisa M. Given, Director, Social Change Enabling Capability Platform and Professor of Information Sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia

Title Page

The Impactful Academic

Building a Research Career That Makes a Difference

Edited by

Wade Kelly

Monash University, Australia

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2022

Editorial matter and selection © 2022 Wade Kelly.

Preface and Chapters © 2022 The authors.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: permissions@emeraldinsight.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters' suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-80117-845-7 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-80117-842-6 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-80117-844-0 (Epub)

Dedication

To the academics who choose to make a difference and the community members who welcome them in.

Preface

The impact of research is being discussed more and more in higher education – both from the project-based level to how universities are judged to contribute to the broader community through their research efforts. Understanding what impact means and articulating how research produces an impact beyond the generation of new knowledge is becoming a crucial component of the academic landscape. But how ready are we for this? What does impact mean, and how can this be demonstrated? The concept of impact may not be entirely new, but its centrality in the research agenda is. The increasing use of impact in grant applications, institutional strategies, and national assessment schemes means researchers and institutional administrators need to become more ‘impact literate’ and build impact into their planning and assessing research activities.

During my career as a biomedical researcher, and now in a research administration role, I have seen impact increase in prominence. Looking back, I can see where my research has had impact but I also recognize that the work did not always have impact built into the design. Over the last decade, I have engaged more with stakeholders, which has helped focus the research conducted in my laboratory and also diversify our funding streams from traditional funding sources to ones that include partnering for impact. In my current research administration role, impact is front and centre – it is even in my position title! As the research landscape changes, we need to adapt and move with this change. The Impactful Academic is a very useful resource that bridges this impact knowledge gap, with practical and accessible approaches. Many of these approaches were not available to me during my research training (back when the internet as we know it now was still new) but I can see now how important engagement and impact skills are for my students and colleagues to possess.

The Impactful Academic is a timely contribution to the discussion of research impact and provides a rich spectrum of contributions from academics and professional staff across the globe that will guide researchers in developing themselves into impactful academics.

The book is split into nine chapters. The first introduces the topic of impact and provides an overview of how the book can be used. Chapters on navigating impact within an academic institution follow, with tips on identifying support and expertise to guide the researcher's journey to impact. Early on, the book sets a vibrant tone, with activities and exercises included to guide the reader in developing their impact story. The book cleverly unravels the different levels of impact from the researcher level through the institution and community including identifying and engaging with stakeholders. The Impactful Academic provides a reflective opportunity for the reader to assess their progress on their impact pathway and learn from others. Rounding off the book is a chapter that describes an impactful academic and advice for keeping on track with impact with the development of impact goals and plans that need regular attention.

The book is written with a broad readership in mind which is helped by the multidisciplinarity and expertise of the authors. The content is very accessible, and the chapters make for thoughtful reading. The exercises throughout this book provide an opportunity to put the book down and reflect, and they offer practical steps to increase one's profile and guide their impact journey.

The Impactful Academic is suitable for academics at all levels as well as professional staff working in the research space. Of course, while more junior academics might benefit more in the long run by developing their impact journey earlier, more established scholars and research leaders will similarly benefit by following the practical advice in the book and embedding impact in the research agenda of their organisation.

Wade Kelly has brought together a group of authors who have produced an excellent resource that will have an impact in developing researchers and supporting their impact journeys.

Professor Andrew Hill

BSc(HONS) DIC PhD (Imperial)

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Impact, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the chapter authors. In the early days of assembling this book, conversations with them formed the shape the book needed to take. We are better together. Their contributions extend beyond insightful chapters. I thank them for their time, intelligence, and support, but more than anything, I thank them for their passion. The people who have contributed to this book make universities and communities better.

Thank you to the series editor, Marian Mahat. Marian offered encouragement throughout and graciously understood delays due to moves, new jobs, and a global pandemic. Thanks as well to Joann Cattlin for introducing us. You're a connector extraordinaire.

Kim Chadwick is the exact person you dream will work for a publisher. Kim, thank you for calming me by figuratively holding my hand throughout this process and for being an absolute delight.

Thank you to my husband Phil for always supporting me and the projects I take on when I already have said yes to too many things. For the multitude of ways you deserve to be thanked, I would need another book.

Finally, my thanks to all the academics I have worked with over the years who have taught me so much. Sometimes I get lost in the bureaucracy – forms, deadlines, assessments, and spreadsheets. All it takes to remind me why I love what I do is to hear about someone's research and the ways they are helping to transform conditions for individuals, industries, and communities. We need more of you.

About the Contributors

Dr Lauren Albrecht is an educator and a researcher, who likes to explore the spaces where these two fields intersect, including strategic communication, partnership building, knowledge mobilisation and evidence-informed decision-making. Lauren works in faculty development, academic and strategic consulting, and community-oriented research.

Richard Hayman, MA, MLIS, is an Associate Professor and Digital Initiatives Librarian at Mount Royal University (Calgary, Canada). He is a researcher-practitioner with interests that include open access and scholarly communications, educational technologies and evidence-based practice in academic library settings.

Michael Johnny has managed the Knowledge Mobilization at York University (Toronto, Canada) since 2006. As a university-based service professional, Michael makes connections for collaboration with researchers, students, policy professionals, community organisations, entrepreneurs and industry leaders. He operates to maximise the social, economic and environmental impacts of research for public good.

Lucy Jowett is Research Impact Manager at Northumbria University (UK) where her expertise, enthusiasm and commitment to impact-rich research culture contributed to an outstanding result for Northumbria in the 2021 research assessment. She contributes thought leadership and supports networking on research impact nationally and internationally.

Dr Wade Kelly is Director, Research Excellence and Impact at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia). Wade works at the nexus of engagement and impact, providing strategic advice to university leadership, faculties and institutes to embed impact into university culture. He is a sought-after speaker and commentator on impact in higher education.

Dr Caroline Osborne is a consultant, academic and IAP2 practitioner specialising in research, engagement and evaluation, using engagement to design impactful policy and strategy. Caroline is an Adjunct Fellow at USC and has published in international journals on transformational community engagement, impact measurement, social capital and city futures.

Alisha Peart is Research Impact Manager at Northumbria University (UK). Alisha is an experienced programme manager, grant development manager and now a research impact specialist. Alisha has jointly led the transformative change in the research impact culture at Northumbria University, culminating in the outstanding success for Northumbria in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework assessment.

Dr David Phipps is the administrative lead for all research programmes and their impacts at York University (Toronto, Canada). In addition to other awards, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work in knowledge mobilisation. He sits on knowledge mobilisation committees around the world and is Network Director for Research Impact Canada.

Dr Anneliese Poetz is Senior Program Manager, Knowledge Mobilization (for Social Innovation) at Brain Canada. Anneliese combines her previous role at Capitalize for Kids implementing solutions for child and youth mental health agencies with experience working with researchers to maximize impact of research for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of brain disorders.

Dr Cathie Scott is committed to supporting people and organisations to achieve their potential through executive coaching, research and evaluation, and strategic facilitation. She has supported strategic design, collaboration, knowledge mobilisation and evidence-informed decision-making in health-care practice settings and as a senior executive in health and social service organisations.

Dr Erika E. Smith is an Associate Professor and Faculty Development Consultant at Mount Royal University (Calgary, Canada). Her research interests include social media and digital literacies, educational development and learning technologies in higher education.

Dr Faith Welch is Research Impact Manager at Waipapa Taumata Rau – University of Auckland (New Zealand). Faith is passionate about growing impact literacy and mobilising a positive impact culture within Australasia. She has launched several initiatives to facilitate connection, collaboration and the sharing of best practice related to impact development.

Dr Rebekah (Becky) Willson is an Assistant Professor at the School of Information Studies at McGill University (Montréal, Canada). Dr Willson’s research is in information science, focusing on the information people need and how they find, share and use that information, particularly during times of transition and uncertainty.