Applicants for STFC rolling and standard grants will now be required to produce an impact plan, identifying the potential economic impacts of their proposal. The change takes effect from 21 April 2009 and will affect grants rounds from autumn 2009 onward.
The change follows a 2006 Research Councils UK project, and subsequent Excellence with Impact (PDF - link opens in a new window) report, into the efficiency and value for money of Research Council peer review processes. The report recommended the Research Councils improve guidance to applicants and peer reviewers to ensure a shared understanding about the value of identifying the potential economic impact of research, and that the new requirements be supported in electronic application systems and guidelines.
STFC’s grant application form has therefore been amended to:
- Include a publicly available box entitled ‘Impact Summary’.
- Re-name the ‘Beneficiaries’ box to ‘Academic Beneficiaries’
- Replace the existing ‘KE Plan’ and ‘Public Engagement Plan’ attachments with one attachment entitled ‘Impact Plan’.
Impact plans will be assessed first by the Knowledge Exchange Directorate and Science in Society teams, who will provide guidance for assessment by peer review panels. The principal criteria for funding decisions will remain the scientific quality of the proposed research, and peer reviewers' primary concern will remain the scientific worth of a proposal.
For further information on these changes, please read the Frequently Asked Questions and Guidance on How to Complete the Impact Plan.
Page last updated: 21 April 2009
by Jenny Hall
