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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.

A full day conference for research staff from the 5 North East Universities with a programme aimed to help researchers reflect upon their own professional development and focus on the actions they can take to develop and manage their careers

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.

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.

A half-day conference providing an opportunity for PGRs and research staff to find out more about setting up and running a social enterprise business and working in the sector.

An interactive course for researchers thinking of starting a business or wanting to research the market for their product or service.

An interactive one-day workshop who's aim was to provide research staff with enhanced understanding of the ways in which they can use Web 2.0 technologies in a professional manner to promote their research reputation and external esteem. The workshop was created as part of the ongoing White Rose Collaboration between the universities of Leeds, York and Sheffield which provides training and development opportunities for research staff across the three institutions. The workshop ran three times from February-July 2009, once at each institution. The trainer was Lawrie Phipps.

Durham is attempting to provide an intergrated approach to enterprise activities for early stage researchers.

We attempt to combine the best features of a GRAD School and an Enterprisers School to produce a 3-day residential school to develop researchers' enterprise skills.