AHRC’s Peer Review College
Information on Knowledge Exchange for Peer Review College members
Background
· ‘To strengthen the impact of Arts & Humanities research by encouraging researchers to disseminate and transfer knowledge to other contexts where it makes a difference’
· ‘To raise the profile of arts and humanities research and be an effective advocate for its social, cultural and economic significance’
AHRC Vision and Strategy 2007-2012
Strategic Aims 3 & 4
· Since it was established in 2005 the Arts and Humanities Research Council has been committed to ensuring that the research it funds can be properly exploited and applied in areas where it can make a difference in a variety of ways be it economically, socially or culturally.
· This was encouraged and achieved through dedicated Knowledge Transfer schemes such as Knowledge Transfer Fellowships and Knowledge Catalyst (both now closed); sponsorship of Arts & Humanities based projects in the TSB’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme; development of strategic KE partnerships with BBC/British Telecom/Scottish Funding Council, a Follow-on Funding scheme and a dedicated PG funding stream through the Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDA)scheme which is now in its ninth year. The emergence of the impact agenda and focus on accountability in higher education funding added to the imperative that additional value must be derived from publicly funded research.
AHRC’s commitment to Knowledge Exchange
‘To deliver maximum benefits for society & the economy by leading the strategic stimulus of research & knowledge exchange, supporting the creative economy to stimulate growth and by contributing to the improvement of well-being & public services, especially in relation to communities’
AHRC Delivery Plan 2011-2015
· The above is one of the three key aims in the AHRC’s new delivery plan that puts KE, external engagement, collaboration, partnership working, public and policy engagement and impact at the very heart of all that it does.
· The AHRC has made a major investment of £20m fEC, over the next four years, with the establishment of four ‘Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy’ that will be charged with building new partnerships and entrepreneurial capacity in the Creative Economy and increasing the number of arts and humanities researchers actively engaged in research-based knowledge exchange.
· This aim also represents a move towards KE becoming embedded across all funded research where it is no longer viewed just as a stand alone activity or as something added on as an afterthought.
· Apart from the opportunities for KE & impact activity offered by Research Grants, KE is now a fully recognised component of the new Fellowships scheme and is written in to the specifications of the AHRC’s new themes and strategic priorities. There is also the expectation that PG Training stimulates KE and interaction between PG research & non-academic agencies for all students. We have, and will continue to have, the CDA scheme established in 2005 (AHRC’s first formal funding for KE activity) plus the new CDP variant and BGP 2 will require that students have opportunities to work with other organisations, agencies and businesses on the basis that they are training the researchers of tomorrow where in the 21st Century collaboration and partnership is the norm rather than a niche activity.
What is Knowledge Exchange?
• Knowledge Exchange can be defined as the processes by which new knowledge is co-produced through interactions between academic and non-academic individuals and communities
- this includes innovation through applying existing knowledge to new contexts
- it assumes added value to both partners
-‘Transformative effect’ – it should make a difference
• Old definitions of knowledge/technology transfer which define a more linear or one-way ‘academic to industry’ process are too restrictive and unsuitable for the complex and diverse landscape of knowledge exchange and collaboration in the arts & humanities.
• The AHRC encourages a broad view of KE and recognises a wide range of interactions and also valued outcomes that can be economic, commercial, social, cultural or educational.
• The AHRC does not restrict the range of non-academic sectors that may seek to exchange and apply knowledge in this way, nor the methods by which such interactions may occur.
• KE is about co-production and co-design and includes innovation beyond the standard outputs such as publications and websites or even exhibitions.
• Through involvement in a knowledge exchange project, project partners should see a transformative effect in the way they carry out their business, whether that be to products, policy, processes or services, or to skills, knowledge or understanding. It needs to make a difference.
• The AHRC has always encouraged the dissemination and communication of research beyond academia but such interactions, particularly where a more passive approach is taken, are not in themselves Knowledge Exchange activities though certain methods of active dissemination and engagement may form part of the KE process and contribute to pathways to impact:
Public Engagement
• Public Engagement is an umbrella term for any activity that engages the public with research, from lectures and debates, enactments and public performance to festivals, consultations, public dialogues and the co-creation of research.
• Public engagement reaps its greatest rewards to both researchers and the public when it involves two-way aspects of listening and interaction, but can incorporate one-way flows of information such as media engagement, lifelong learning and schools-based activities, which all serve to increase public understanding of arts and humanities research.
Dissemination
• Dissemination refers to the processes by which knowledge that is generated through academic research is made available to audiences beyond the immediate peer community.
• Methods of dissemination can be employed to maximise the accessibility of the research to non-academic sectors and this may well lead to subsequent knowledge exchange interactions. In this way, active dissemination may constitute part of the knowledge exchange process.
What is Impact?
• The Research Councils describe impact as the demonstrable contribution thatexcellent research makes to society and the economy. Impact embraces all the extremely diverse ways in which research-related knowledge and skills benefit individuals, organisations and nations by:
-fosteringglobal economic performance,and specifically the economic competitiveness of the UK
-increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy; and
-enhancing quality of life, healthand creative output.
• Impact can mean the ‘influence’ of research or its ‘effect on’ an individual, a community, the development of policy, or the creation of a new product or service. It relates to the effects of research on our economic, social and cultural lives.
• There are a wide variety of pathways through which arts and humanities research can create value. For example, arts and humanities create social and economic benefits directly and indirectly through improvements in social and intellectual capital, social networking, community identity, learning and skills and quality of life.
• In order to deliver impact researchers need to engage & collaborate with the public, with business and commercial organisations, with public institutions, with government and with third sector organisations. Knowledge Exchange therefore plays a vital role in achieving and delivering impact.
Further information about AHRC’s approach to impact is available at:
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/What-We-Do/Strengthen-research-impact/Impact-assessment/Pages/default.aspx
Please also refer to the following documents:
· Impact Handout for Peer Review College Members
· AHRC Research Funding Guide: sections five and seven have information on impact
Knowledge Exchange: why we do it?
• To strengthen the impact of arts and humanities research
• To make a difference, economically, socially or culturally
• To demonstrate the value of arts and humanities research
Knowledge Exchange: who we do it with?
• Business and commercial sectors, most commonly in the creative economy
• Creative & Cultural industries
• Museums, galleries and heritage sectors
• Third sector organisations
• Government & Public Policy organisations
• Any business or organisation in any sector that can use or benefit from arts & humanities research, e.g.
– research that informs public policy and the enhancement of civil society
– research that informs exhibition or performance
– research that informs content for the print, film, digital and broadcasting media
– research than improves products, processes or services
– research that improves organisational performance or productivity
Knowledge Exchange: What are the Benefits?
Benefits to Academics:
• Informs, enriches and improves the quality of research & teaching
• Gain new perspectives and challenge perceptions
• Better understanding of user needs
• Strengthens and expands networks and outreach
• Increases the scope of the project and can attract extra funding
• Gain evidence-based knowledge of current business or policy issues and assist in strategic change
• Enhances teaching and research skills, profile, press and media coverage
• Personal development – new skills & experiences
Consider:
• Knowledge Exchange, Collaboration, Enterprise, Partnerships, Innovation & External Engagement are all now a recognised and integral part of the vision and strategy of most Research Organisations and are recognised in the new REF formulation.
• KE is often part of existing working practices where there is a positive attitude towards the principles of KE
• Capitalise on external interest in academic research & communicate research more widely
• Opportunities to engage with a non-academic audience
• Projects can grow organically from the combination of shared interests and opportunity
• It can lead to further collaborations, partnerships and exchanges
• KE potential is therefore not static – it can take place at any stage in the research lifecycle.
Benefits to the Non-Academic Partner:
• Gain access to collaborative funding schemes
• Access to leading edge research and highest quality research experts & knowledge
• Gain access to innovative ideas, insights and new perspectives
• Enhance organisational creativity, performance and productivity
• New products, processes or services
• Access new audiences/customers/markets
• Increase turnover/sales/visitor numbers
• Solve important and strategic problems
• Find new ways of doing & understanding
• Gain understanding of the value of research
• Develop long lasting & beneficial partnerships
• Make a contribution towards the public good
Consider:
• The “Competitive Advantage” of Academic Research
– The “why” underpinning Impact
– Freedom to explore (not driven by RoI)
– Leading edge (i.e. Rare) expertise that is non-commoditised
– Freedom to iterate – can review and ‘try again’
• The Importance of collaborating
– 2-way benefits/exchange
– Innovation on both sides
– Not consultancy, not just dissemination
– Real commitment needed from project partners
– KE projects require time for organisation, application and project management
– Time vs. Payback – outcomes are worth the investment
Overview of AHRC’s KE investments
Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy
· The four Hubs commenced operation in 2012 for a period of four years
· They represent an investment of over £20m fEC
The lead institutions are:
– University of the West of England: Research and Enterprise in Arts and Creative Technologies ( REACT)
– Lancaster University: The Creative Exchange
– Queen Mary, University of London: Creativeworks London
– University of Dundee: Design in Action
KE Hubs will:
· respond to the research & skills needs of the Creative Economy(CE)
· build new partnerships and connect with leading business and creative SMEs
· develop KE best practice, embed and build capacity
· facilitate new collaborative research for the CE
· stimulate entrepreneurial capacity in the CE
· increase the number of arts & humanities researchers actively engaged in research-based KE
· develop a sustainable legacy
· Responsibility for peer review is devolved to the Hubs but PRC members may be invited by a Hub to participate in this. Hubs are not using AHRC peer review structures but are asked to follow AHRC principles and follow good standards/practice
· Further details about the Hubs can be found via the AHRC website:
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/What-We-Do/Extend-engagement/Knowledge-Exchange-and-Partnerships/Pages/KE-Hubs-for-the-Creative-Economy.aspx
Creative Economy Knowledge Exchange Projects
· 12 one-year projects which will run throughout 2013
· Taking forward innovative knowledge exchange activities developed from a number of high quality proposals to the call for Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy.
· Further details about the funded projects can be found via the AHRC website:
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/What-We-Do/Extend-engagement/Knowledge-Exchange-and-Partnerships/Pages/Creative-Economy-Knowledge-Exchange-Projects.aspx
Follow-on Funding for Impact and Engagement
· Follows a successful two –year pilot scheme which ended in November 2012.
· Scheme supports activities that were unforeseen and arise during the lifespan of an award or from a completed award:
· Knowledge exchange
· Public engagement
· Active dissemination
· Impact
· Commercialisation
· Must be based on AHRC or other Research Council Funded research, in AHRC subject remit
· Innovation, creativity and engagement with new audiences are key criteria
· Up to 12 months duration & £100k fEC
· It does not support pathways to impact activities already taken account of in the original award nor can it be used simply to extend an existing grant or award, continue similar activities, support resource enhancement or conduct further significant research.
· Peer reviewers are asked to consider the fit to scheme criteria and the quality and appropriateness of the activities to deliver significant impacts as opposed to the academic quality of research. Please see Annex 1 for information on peer reviewing FoF applications.
Sponsorship of KTPs
· Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are run by the Technology Strategy Board and projects are co-funded with a range of bodies such as the Research Councils, devolved administrations and the some Govt. depts.
· All administration is handled by the TSB
· AHRC office considers relevant proposals and agrees funding ‘in principle’ or refuses
· AHRC has co-funded around 60 projects since 2005
· PRC members are not required for Peer Review.
Further information on KTP can be found at: http://www.ktponline.org.uk