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Professor calls for new breed of research champions to save the impact “revolution”

N8 Professor Mark Reed has called for a new breed of research leaders who can lead by example from the bottom-up; people who are passionate about making a difference and can inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

 

Professor Reed said: “The next REF is still at least four years away, but Universities around the UK are already asking their academics to draft impact case studies. The initial rush of activity to appoint Impact Officers has now given way to a recognition that we also need academic “champions”, who can empathise with the challenges faced by other researchers like them who have to balance impact with research, teaching and administration.  We have to get past the idea of impact being just another box to tick.”

 

Mark Reed holds the HEFCE and N8 Chair of Socio-Technical Innovation at Newcastle University.  For more information about the newly published Research Impact Handbook, visit http://www.fasttrackimpact.com/book‌ 

published on: 8 April 2016