Impact Resources

1. Understanding research impact

Public funders increasingly require clear evidence of value for money for taxpayers. Universities are therefore asked to demonstrate the benefits of funded research for people, policy, the economy, culture, and the environment.

TU Dublin defines research impact as:

…the contribution that research makes to society, the environment, the economy, industry, culture, public policy and services, health and quality of life, and collaborations to achieve these.

• Small scale – Local and specific improvements, for example new lab techniques, internal software, or enhancements to teaching practice.
• Medium scale – Regional or sectoral benefits, for example community health programmes, digital infrastructure pilots, or regional skills initiatives.
• Large scale – National or international effects, for example contributions to global health guidance, policy reform, or standards adopted across multiple countries.

Taken together, these levels show how impact can progress from local change to wider adoption when activities are planned, evidenced, and communicated.

3. Resources and tools

1. Pathways to impact

Pathways show how your research activities lead to outputs, outcomes, and ultimately impact. They are seldom perfectly linear: feedback loops, stakeholder engagement, and enabling conditions often mediate progress.

• Plan early – identify assumptions, risks, stakeholders, and indicators.
• Engage purposefully – match audiences and channels to the change you seek.
• Capture evidence – record outcomes as they emerge; do not wait for project end.

2. Example timelines for achieving societal impact

Different kinds of impact mature over different timeframes. The chart below offers indicative horizons; your context, partnerships, and scale of adoption will influence pace

• Short-term (0–2 years) – Initial discoveries, preliminary findings, open datasets, early training materials, new partnerships.
• Medium-term (2–5 years) – Pilots and prototypes adopted in practice, skills uplift in partner organisations, guidance cited, policy drafts influenced.
• Long-term (5–10+ years) – Sustained improvements to health, environment, or productivity; policy or standards implemented at scale; durable behaviour change.

Tip: align outputs to the next step on the pathway (for example prototype → pilot → scaled service) and specify evidence you will collect at each step.

3. Scale and reach of research impact

Impact can occur at multiple levels simultaneously. Clarifying intended scale and reach helps you choose appropriate partners, channels, and indicators.

• Individual – Skills or wellbeing gains; evidence may include pre/post measures or testimonials.
• Group or team – Practice changes within a cohort or organisation; track adoption and process improvements.
• Community – Local benefits for defined groups; use community metrics and consented stories.
• Local or regional – Municipal or regional policy and services; cite implementation data and service KPIs.
• National – Strategies, guidance, or curricula; reference official publications and monitoring data.
• International – Cross-border collaboration or standards; include endorsements and cross-jurisdictional uptake.
• Global – Contributions to global norms or targets; align with recognised indicator sets (for example SDGs).

Communicating research for societal impact

Many research outputs are underused or unseen outside academia as widely discussed in the literature. Clear, audience-centred communication, supported by credible evidence, increases the likelihood of uptake and real-world benefit. The resources below help you present your work for different decision-makers and contexts.

1. Writing impact case studies

Impact case studies show how research contributes to change in policy, practice, industry, culture, health, or the environment. They trace the pathway from activities and outputs to outcomes and impact, with evidence at each step. See recent TU Dublin examples on the Research and Innovation impact pages.

• Purpose: document credible change and your contribution to it.
• Audience: funders, partners, policy actors, industry, public stakeholders.
• Length: typically 600–1,000 words plus visuals and links.
• Structure: context and need; research and partnerships; activities and outputs; outcomes and evidence; who benefited; significance and reach; next steps.
• Evidence: quantitative indicators, independent testimonials, adoption data, policy citations, usage analytics, media coverage.
• Attribution: explain your contribution alongside collaborators; avoid over-claiming.
• Accessibility: plain English, clear headings, descriptive alt text, readable tables, accessible PDFs.

Download the Template for Research Impact Case Study (DOCX)

2. Writing policy briefs

Policy briefs summarise actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners. Use them when your findings can inform a decision, programme, or standard within a defined timeframe. The EU has released a new guide on creating policy briefs which you can download from here: Sharing scientific evidence with policymakers.

• Length: two pages maximum, with a one-page summary if possible.
• Structure: title; audience and purpose; key messages; what the evidence shows; options and recommendations; implementation considerations; references and contact.
• Style: neutral, non-technical language; short paragraphs; informative headings; charts with clear labels and sources.
• Quality control: internal factual check; stakeholder sensitivity review; approvals and version control noted on the brief.
• Timing: align with consultations, committee cycles, or budget windows.

3. News and social media

News items and social posts help the right audiences discover and understand your work. Keep messages focused on the value to others, and link to authoritative sources.

• R&I news: submit stories via the TU Dublin R&I news form and email supporting information to researchandinnovation@tudublin.ie. Published items appear on the Research and Innovation news site.
• What to include: the problem addressed; who benefits; what changes; where to find more detail (for example DOI, dataset, preprint, video).
• Social tips: use plain English; include a single clear call to action; add an accessible image with alt text; tag relevant partners and TU Dublin accounts; link to a persistent source.
• Measure: track referral clicks, downloads, and sign-ups; capture any enquiries or partnership leads generated.

4. Using visuals and infographics

Visuals can make complex results easier to understand, provided they remain accurate and accessible.

• Design: one message per graphic; clear hierarchy; meaningful titles; label units and sources; avoid decorative clutter.
• Accessibility: strong colour contrast; do not rely on colour alone; provide alt text and a short data note; offer a text-only summary where appropriate.
• Formats: export a web-optimised PNG for pages and a high-resolution PDF or SVG for print or reuse.
• Tools: create quick visuals with Adobe Express. Example mock-up: download sample infographic.

Five progressive levels of research impact

This summary table gives you a quick way to locate your current level and identify the evidence to collect.