I want to plan my impact
Impact tools and templates
Stakeholder and public analysis template
Find out who might be interested in your research and how you could reach out to them more effectively to generate impact. Read the instructions and watch the video here (or read the advanced guide here). Or just download the template now as an editable Word file or PDF.
Impact planning template
Make a plan to engage effectively with your stakeholders and publics to generate measurable impacts with limited time. Read the instructions and watch the video here (if you're feeling more adventurous, find out how to develop a Theory of Change for your project). Or just download the template now as an editable Word file or PDF.
Impact tracking template
Check in regularly with your team to track whether or not you are getting impacts from your research. Read the instructions or download the template as an editable Word file or PDF. Alternatively find out how to use Evernote to track your impact.
Social media impact template
Answer four questions to complete this template and start generating impact with less time and risk online. Read the instructions here or download the template as an editable Word file or PDF.
Research impact guides
Our essential series of 'how to' guides for researchers, designed to help you embed impact in your work:
Planning for Impact
How to make an impact plan for your research
Find out how to make an impact plan for your next research project. Whether you are writing a grant proposal or making a plan for a funded project or research group, this guide will show you how to use the Fast Track Impact planning template to make a plan quickly and easily.
How to do stakeholder analysis
Find out how to identify publics and stakeholders who might be interested in your research and prioritize them for engagement with this guide, based around the Fast Track Impact stakeholder analysis template
How to develop a Theory of Change for a research project
Most resources for Theory of Change start with a development project or intervention, but if you are starting with research, this guide will help you develop a research-based Theory of Change. This can enable you to identify if there are parts of your research that do not underpin impact, so you can identify new impacts and activities, or redesign the research to deliver more impact. You can use this guide yourself to develop a Theory of Change, or you can use it co-productively to do this in collaboration with in-country partners.
From impact to transformation: ten essentials for transformative research
Take your impact to a new level by asking yourself ten questions that get you to think more deeply than ever before about the systems and assumptions you work within.
5 ways to fast track the impact of your PhD
Generating societal, cultural and/economic impact from your Ph.D. is no longer an optional extra - it is an essential step on the career ladder and one we hope you will enjoy along the way
How to create a positive impact culture in your research group
What are the motivational levers we can use to inspire colleagues to engage with impact for diverse and healthy reasons, and what mix of extrinsic incentives should accompany such a bottom-up and empathic approach to creating an impact culture? In this guide and accompanying audio, we define three elements of an impact culture and ask practical questions that can enable you to characterize the impact culture of your own group, and decide what strengths you can build on and the things you might want to do differently.
View slides
Videos
Podcasts
What is impact? My new super-clear definitions and new checklist
Mark shares two new definitions he has developed that will enable you to become crystal clear about what impact is (and is not).
Advanced stakeholder analysis
Take your understanding of publics and stakeholders to a new level with the 3i's approach.
How to create a positive research culture in your group
Mark looks at emerging evidence that the impact agenda is creating institutional cultures that can lead to unintended negative outcomes.
The challenges and benefits of generating impact in your PhD
Mark interviews Dr. Jenn Chubb about how students can generate impact during their Ph.D.
