Investigating Academic Impact Conference

Monday 13 June 2011

We'd like to say a huge thank you to all the attendees, speakers, and organisational staff who helped make the  Investigating Academic Impact  conference on 13th June a success.

Almost 400 academics and researchers from across Europe were in attendance for a day of discussion and debate, covering topics such as the role of research mediators, blogging and academic communication, and innovative methods for public engagement.

Throughout the day, attendees used the Twitter hashtag#lseimpactconf  to report key information from speakers, debate some controversial questions, and feed back opinions and experiences from the day.

What's next for the Impact project?

We're also pleased to announce a series of smaller seminars which will take place over the next year. Each session will focus on a particular aspect of the impact debate, again with a fantastic selection of speakers.

PANELS:

Please click the seminar name to download the presentation

Panel 1: Current Thinking in Assessing Impact - (podcast for the entire morning session)

• Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics)
• Professor Alan Hughes (Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge)
• Tomas Ulrichsen (Public and Corporate Economic Associates)
• Chair: Simon Hix, Government Department, LSE

Panel 2: Innovative Methods for Impact and Engagement

• Charlie Beckett (Director of POLIS, London School of Economics)
• Professor Stephen Curry (blogger, Imperial College London)
• Paul Manners (Director, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UWE)
• Dr Martyn Lawrence (Senior Publisher, Emerald Group Publishing)
• Mike Peel (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics / Wikimedia UK)
• Chair: Dr Bart Cammaerts, Media and Communications, LSE

Session A: Academic impact on policy-making (podcast)

• Maria O’Beirne (Analysis and Innovation Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government)
• Jill Rutter (Better Policy Making Programme Director, Institute for Government)
• James Johns (Director of Strategy for Civil Government, HP)
• Chair: Dr Edgar Whitley, information Systems Group, LSE

Session B: A ‘how to’ guide to measuring your own academic impact (podcast)

• Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics)
• Jane Tinkler (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics)

Session C: Knowledge transfer and the role of research mediators (podcast)

• Nick Pearce (Director, IPPR)
• Professor Judy Sebba (University of Sussex)
• Daniel Lindsay (Senior Economic Analyst, Shelter)
• Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone, LSE Media, LSE

Session D: Improving academic communication (podcast)

• Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics)
• Chris Gilson (Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy blog, London School of Economics)

Concluding Panel: Research Impact and the REF(podcast)

• Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council)
• David Sweeney (Director of Research, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE)
• Professor Paul Wiles (Panel Chair, social work and social policy panel, REF impact pilot)
• Astrid Wissenberg (Director of Partnerships and Communications, Economic and Social Research Council)
• Chair: Tony Travers, LSE Greater London Group