A reflection of the day by Dr Hannah Coombs, Senior Research Culture Officer, University of Portsmouth
You know it’s been a good event when you almost forget that you’re supposed to be facilitating because you’re so invested in participating. This was exactly what happened at the Making Research Matter event from the University’s Engagement and Collaboration pillar, where I ended up with pages filled with my ideas for future work rather than information to share on, and cut it close on my time cues as I was too invested in the workshops.
The day was all about the importance of bringing our research to audiences beyond academia, developing tools to do this in practice, and hearing from colleagues who are already doing an excellent job of it!
Suzi Edwards, Pillar lead, Engagement and Collaboration, opening the event and introducing Professor Vikas Kumar, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation.
Ben Bleasdale, Director of Public Opinion at Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) and Suzi Edwards, Pillar lead, Engagement and Collaboration
We opened with an introduction from Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Vikas Kumar, highlighting the importance of communication, engagement and networking building in maximising impact from research across the University. This was followed by a fascinating keynote address from Ben Bleasdale, Director of Public Opinion at Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE). Ben’s team focuses on understanding how the general public perceive research in the UK, who they trust, and what role they play in making a difference with your research. CaSE’s research shows that the best way to get members of the public to appreciate the value of research is by focusing on how it is affecting their lives. This means thinking about the tangible changes that research is contributing to. The public also tend to recognise the value of Research and Development on a national or international scale, but struggle to see its values closer to home highlighting the importance of articulating the meaning of the research in local and regional contexts.
How is research and development making things easier, better, faster or cheaper, close to home?
It was reassuring to hear from Ben that the people that the public trust the most to speak about research are the research experts. While it can feel at times like there is a mistrust for universities, CaSE have found that research communicated by research charities, universities, and individual researchers are the most trusted, with journalists, social media commentators and politicians the least trusted.
Drawing all of this together, the key message was that it’s crucial for researchers and universities to communicate with the public directly on a local and regional scale, about why research matters.
Different Routes to Making Research Matter
After this, the day split into two streams, with one in-person and one virtual. Facilitating the in-person sessions, I got to spend the day hearing case studies from two internal colleagues about their fascinating and impactful work and participating in workshops from two external providers. I was left with a growing list of things to take away, think about, and put into action. Afterwards, when I got the chance to speak to those who had joined the other stream, I heard that the online sessions had been just as valuable and it was time to start swapping notes!
Public Engagement with Nikki Fairchild and Charlotte Thorley
Incorporating relevant public groups in your research at the earliest possible stage can bring huge benefits for all involved. It is important to have a clear purpose to the work, be intentional in who you engage with and how, and think carefully about how to make it accessible and meaningful.
Business Collaboration and Engagement with Hom Dhakal, Edward Smart and Skillfluence
Working through a ‘connector canvas’ looking at why others would case about the work that you are doing, and what problems you want to solve. Working with businesses can bring a different dimension and perspective to your research, opening opportunities that academic routes alone may not offer.
Storytelling with Claudia Maraston and Polly Tisdall
Classic storytelling devices are a great way to make your research resonate with your audience. We all have storytelling tools that we use in everyday conversation without realising. Familiar elements and patterns can put the audience at ease and make an unfamiliar topic feel more relatable through the way that it is told.
Translating Research for Policymakers with Cressida Bowyer and Eric Jensen (Fast Track Impact)
Effective policy engagement starts with strong relationships and a clear understanding of who can influence, benefit from, or be affected by your work. Being strategic about your policy impact goals, identifying the right audiences, and developing practical recommendations can all help turn evidence into real-world change.
Inclusive Research Engagement and Collaboration
The event closed with an important session from the University’s EDI team to remind us of some key tools in applying an EDI lens to research engagement, throughout the process. Yvonne Howard and Emilie Smith made a compelling case that inclusive engagement isn’t just about representation, it strengthens the credibility of research itself, exploring four core themes: access, voice, accountability and self-awareness. What really stuck with me were the wonderfully creative ways to broaden participation, from walking interviews to embedding research within activities participants already value. I left with their closing question still turning over in my mind: how can you change your research to strengthen its credibility through EDI?
“What a day Making Research Matter turned out to be! We set out to create an event that offered both practical skills and real case studies, all built around one idea: research only changes anything when it reaches the people who can use it, and communicating it well is what makes research, well... matter! My highlight was seeing so many people scribbling copious notes, and there was palpable enthusiasm for taking forward the ideas presented. It was important to us that we also teamed the day with case studies from across our institution and we were treated to some great examples of good practice from our very own doorstep. Thank you to everyone who joined us, in person or online, and to our speakers and facilitators, who brought so much energy and expertise to the day. For the Engagement and Collaboration pillar, this is just one part of the picture, and we'll be working hard to continue these conversations and look at how we can build on this event in the future”.
Suzi Edwards – Pillar lead, Engagement and Collaboration