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There is an increased expectation from funders of research on researchers to consider the wider implications of their research on society, culture and the economy. This is reflected in the addition of 'pathways to impact' documents in grant applications. So too, the Vitae RDF explicitly makes reference to the need to up skill researchers in the area of engagement, influence and impact. This includes, working with others, communication and dissemination and KT and impact.

The University of York has piloted a new skills training programme for PhD students and staff which ran November 10 - July 11. This included training in: 

Enterprise and knowledge transfer - 'the research and innovation programme' - 8 part series of business planning workshops, aimed specifically at commercialisation of research and industrial engagement. the sessions were 2 hours in duration and covered- Knowledge Transfer, IP, business models for research innovation, Market analysis, financial awareness, business planning and pitching to industry.

Also, the Enterprising Researcher residential programme - 2.5 day intensive school for PGRs and postdocs.

Policy and Practice - Sessions included: Science into Policy - 2 hour session on working in the social sciences and translating research to policy makers. Also includes evidence led policy making advice. Sessions on communicating your research to lay audiences also covered aspects of communicating to policy makers.

Public Engagement - The University is working closely with the NCCPE to pilot a training programme in PE - also, sessions have run on public engagement and communicating research to different audiences.

Impact - specifically around pathways to impact, the programme offered 4 central staff sessions for cognate groups of departments broadly based around research council area, on pathways to impact. 

The programme also offered 4 central PhD sessions on research with impact, designed to allow researchers to consider impact from the outset of their research careers.

The sessions are 2.5 hours in duration and  pose the following questions: 

1. Who will benefit from your research?

2. How will they beneift?

3. What will you do in order to ensure they have the opportunity to benefit.

The sessions are interactive, allowing participants to work in groups on a specific research idea, and build a pathway to impact- they also have the chance to view example pathways and plans, and also to review their colleagues. Where possible, academic input is also used.

Sessions on impact are also being run in the departments as part of grat writing programmes and as bespoke one off courses. Such courses have mainly been for staff in Sociology, Education, Computer Science, Arts, Politics and psychology.

Coaching and one to one support around writing pathways to impact is also offered as part of the programme.

The North East of England has many exciting opportunities to offer researchers and are keen to retain excellent graduates from North East Universities. This conference gives researchers a chance to discover what the North East can offer them outwith the university sector.

The Department of Chemistry at the University of York developed a suite of training in the area of Enterprise, KT and impact in 2009/ 2010. These courses were developed and delivered within the Green Chemistry team led by Professor James Clark with input from a range of academics and industrial partners. The following text is largely from the promotional material supplied by Sue Couling sue.couling@york.ac.uk. The courses offered included: 1. Intellectual Property, Business Opportunities And The Impact Of Environmental Legislation 'Increasingly demanding environmental legislation can enable green chemists to develop technologies and new business opportunities' 2. Commercialisation of Science 'Following on from Intellectual Property, students will learn about technology transfer, licensing, and setting up a spin out company to market their greener product' 3. Public Awareness of Science and Sustainability 'Training and practical experience of designing, planning and taking part in a range of public facing events'

An Academic in the World was a series of four half-day workshops ran as 2 day events on 22nd March and 23rd April 2010. The idea for the series of workshops arose out of outcomes of a previous White Rose residential event, “Making your Impact in Academia” aimed at research staff in Arts in Social Science.

The York Award: Researchers is a certificate of the University of York which recognises and rewards those PhD students who undertake an active programme of personal development over the course of their registration. It operates alongside degree programmes and aims to capture the impact of all aspects of university life in terms of the skills and experiences that they will find beneficial in their future life and work. The process of applying for the York Award: Researchers will allow postgraduate researchers to evaluate their unique set of skills and experiences, and ensure that they are able to communicate the value of their research degree and transferrable skills to an academic and a lay audience.

A three day team-based residential course designed to help final year PhD students and Early Career Researchers develop a range of skills including commercial awareness, through applying business skills to real world scenarios in a series of workshops.

Building Impact into Social Science Research was funded by vitae innovate fund applied for and successfully awarded to Professor Richard Thorpe and Dr Paul Ellwood. The event was supported by the Staff and Departmental Development Unit at Leeds. Much of the following text formed part of a proposal to Vitae written by Paul Ellwood and Richard Thorpe, with summary and context written by Jenn Chubb at the University of York. This Vitae Innovate funded project enabled the development of a module to be integrated into postgraduate training programmes – it contained both concepts and practical tools aimed at helping students understand and connect with aspects related to the impact of social science research. The Innovate fund supported a two day Leeds University Business School course entitled Building Impact into Social Science Research followed by a two day Social Science- wide White Rose residential event at Bodington Hall with input from academics reporting on the impact of their research and interactive group work activities. Building Impact into Social Science Research aimed to provide an introduction to this increasingly important aspect of a researcher’s life. Through a mixture of presentations, specialist speakers and practical exercises, the workshop provided a grounding in the emerging UK policy environment, appropriate research design and practical engagement mechanisms with research stakeholders.

1- or 2-month internships to enable postgraduate research students to gain experience of working in a non-academic environment. Research students are responsible for locating and arranging an internship with a suitable non-academic employer. Graduate School provide a stipend of £1000/month to successful applicants to cover their living expenses during the internship.

Make Some Noise is an annual series of linked training, practise and awareness raising events linked by competitions, all of which aim to develop strong communication and public engagement skills. it is also a means of celebrating the excellent research work taking place in the Faculty of Engineering.

The project aimed to train postgraduate students in public communication of science by providing hands-on experience of National Science Week talks