• The case study template and guidance are available here. These documents have also been provided directly to all current HDR UK programme leads.

  • The most up-to-date information is available here and we encourage you to sign up to the mailing list for direct updates.

  • The impact assessment will take place in Q1 and Q2 each year.  For 2024, the case study submission window is open from mid April-24 June.

  • We would like to celebrate the successes of all Institute programmes (core and non-core supported).  The expectation is that all Driver Programmes, Infrastructure Pillars, Regions, and Partnership Programmes e.g. BHF Data Science Centre, submit a case study – in addition to this, we also expect where relevant, programmatic case studies describing outcomes and impacts from HDR UK’s first five years to be captured.

    The goal is to show the breadth of outputs and impacts across the Institute.

  • Each programme is invited to submit up to 10 case studies.

    Anyone submitting a case study is encouraged to work closely with their programme lead and other teammates ahead of submission to ensure that the information provided is complete and to help avoid duplication.  Individual programmes may wish to put in place their own plans to co-ordinate and/or approve submissions proactively – however, this is not mandatory and all case studies will be shared transparently.

  • All HDR UK programmes, including those from the 1st and 2nd five years, are welcomed and encouraged to submit case studies using the Case Study Template and returning directly to impact@hdruk.ac.uk by 24 June.

  • We expect that, for some programmes, the described impacts will be a continuation of impacts and/or work from the first five years. Likewise, we expect that case studies submitted in future years will be a continuation of and/or build upon those case studies submitted as part of the preceding impact assessment.

    Our aim is to capture HDR UK outcomes and impacts in full.

  • Where a programme has yet to generate impact, we welcome demonstration of pathways to impact (ie ‘potential impacts’ or ‘outcomes’) using the same case study template.  In this case, it must be made explicit that the impact is ‘potential’ as opposed to realised.  Any risks or limitations to impact realisation should be outlined clearly.  

    Where a programme has yet to generate impact (nor a pathway to impact/outcome), please contact impact@hdruk.ac.uk and provide a brief justification by 24 June 2024. Prior to doing so, we strongly suggest you schedule a discussion to explore potential pathways to impact directly with HDR UK by emailing impact@hdruk.ac.uk.

  • Most definitely! We encourage programme leads to share this opportunity with their teams. Anyone involved in the process should sign up to our mailing list to receive direct updates on the assessment, including support and training opportunities.

  • HDR UK is keen to make this assessment as meaningful as possible, for everyone involved.  Should you need further support, please consider reviewing the guidance document, attending our series of webinars, and/or directly contacting impact@hdruk.ac.uk.

  • Yes, all case studies will be shared transparently.  Select impacts will be featured on HDR UK’s website as well as used in HDR UK’s communications more generally including presentations and reports.

    Please note that any information you provide as part of a case study will be made publicly available, and may include your name, and details such as your job title and organisational affiliation.

  • Impact can occur throughout the research cycle, not just at the end of a project – and both HDR UK’s Board and Core Funders expect demonstration of impact to be a continuous process. As such, the top case studies, as determined by peer review, will be used as exemplars of HDR UK’s impact when reporting to the Board, our Core Funders, and beyond. We want to celebrate your successes early and often! 

    The Impact Case Studies also capture useful information on existing and potential integrations across HDR UK programmes and activities, a major aim of our core funding.

  • The Impact Framework is the first mapping of the complex underlying processes showing how HDR UK  brings benefits to science and society. It is a work in progress, and we hope the practical experience of the annual impact assessment will help to shape and further improve our shared understanding of HDR UK impact.

  • The framework is intended to guide the HDR UK community in identifying the potential outcomes and impacts of the work delivered as part of HDR UK’s strategy.  The framework should serve as a starting point for developing programme-level pathways to impact and demonstrating progress towards the objectives and HDR UK’s longer-term ambitions. 

    The framework is intended to evolve as HDR UK’s vision and strategy is updated such that the framework continues capturing and identifying the full impact of our work.

  • Thank you! ResearchFish is a great way of capturing quantitative information on outputs and outcomes – unfortunately, it provides very little context on impact and HDR UK’s contribution.  We hope that by completing ResearchFish, your outputs and outcomes are fresh to hand and you are able to more easily identify potential and/or realised impacts.