Making an Impact 2023 ran from 5th – 9th June with more than 90 individual sessions and over 900 registrations through the week, including 250 postgraduate researcher registrations. This Series was open to researchers at all career stages, from postgraduate researchers to Professors, and offered development-focused interventions to enhance the skills, knowledge and expertise of researchers at the University of Liverpool so that they considered and embedded impact into their research from conception to completion and dissemination.
Postgraduate researchers were a key part of this Series, with sessions that were tailored towards their needs, such as 1:1 career consultations, workshops on career decision making, public engagement and introductions to entrepreneurship and writing policy papers.
In addition, the experiences of University Alumni were shared via panel discussions and case studies and a Keynote session with our Vice Chancellor, Professor Tim Jones, in conversation with Dr James Howard, Director of the Academy. These sessions encouraged participants to consider working outside the traditional academic pathway while retaining a role with real-world impact, and how they can leverage their own research to galvanise research and impact through innovation and collaboration.
One postgraduate researcher who attended sessions during Making an Impact 2023, said: “I learnt to see the big picture and landscape of my research, Higher Education, and different career paths. The Making an Impact programme offered me such wonderful opportunities to jump out of the small circle of my own research and to learn from other disciplines and other sectors.”
Anthony Hollander, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Impact, shared his thoughts on the success of this years’ Series: “Making an Impact 2023 has been an incredible week of activities for our postgraduate researcher and research staff community to engage with. This Series continues to be a key researcher development fixture in the University’s calendar that boosts confidence and knowledge in how to embed impact in all areas of research.”
“The engagement from students and staff at all career stages helps to create a sustainable community of researchers who put impact at the heart of what they do. I encourage all within our research community to take advantage of the resources available from this years’ sessions and I look forward to seeing how Making an Impact 2024 will continue to enhance our potential in these areas.”
Making an Impact resources available for all
This year, based on direct feedback from 2022, the Making an Impact Team created a Virtual Delegate Pack, which includes a new Pocket Book of Top Tips, blogs and podcasts from speakers. Additionally, all the videos that were recorded from sessions running in Making an Impact this year have been uploaded in our videos page. Colleagues are encouraged to take up the opportunity over the coming months to take advantage of the wide variety of resources that are available to enhance your research impact skills and knowledge.
Making an Impact 2024 – Save the Date
Making an Impact will return for 2024. Following feedback from colleagues this year, we will be revising the programme to 50% online and 50% in-person activities over three weeks, with one week of asynchronous resources and reflective practice.
The dates for Making an Impact 2024 are: 13th May 2024 to 14th June 2024 (with asynchronous week from 27th -31st May 2024). Colleagues should make note in your diary of these dates and look out for more information in the future.
If you attended any sessions this year, please let the event team know what you thought as it can directly influence the next Series: https://bit.ly/MAI2023Feedback
More researcher development activities from The Academy
Taking Charge of your Development | Wednesday, 13 September, 10am- 12pm
Come celebrate this exciting new era in postgraduate researcher development and find out how you can take charge of your own development planning, with opportunities to meet PGR peers and key members of staff over a delicious networking brunch (catering provided).
All PGRs and the staff who support them are welcome to this event. Book here
Further resources to support your development as a researcher:
The Academy’s Researcher Development Roadmap (RD Roadmap) represents the diverse pathways of the skills, knowledge and attributes of successful researchers. Recognising that researchers must be equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse global research environment and employment market, the RD Roadmap is purposefully constructed to enable researchers to pursue a wide range of careers.
Find out more here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/researcher/development/roadmap/