What were we trying to do?

This strategic evidence review explored the role the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is playing to promote impact across the research funding cycle.  The aim of the review was to identify current practice across NIHR and other research funders (nationally and internationally) of how impact and knowledge mobilisation is supported and promoted and to highlight opportunities for learning and improvement. 

Why was it important?

This project was significant from both policy and practice perspectives given the pressing need to improve the rate and speed with which the substantial investments in health and medical research translate into tangible benefits for health outcomes and patient care.

 

It is an area that was lacking in empirical evidence, and we were looking to develop theoretically robust and practically applicable guidance to accelerate the translation of research evidence into policy and practice which would enhance the impact of research funded by the NIHR and yield both health and economic benefits.

 

Alongside practical, policy-focused and capacity-building benefits, this project made a substantial contribution of new knowledge on how to build, support and maintain pathways to impact in a complex multi-stakeholder research ecosystem.

How did we do it?

 

Phase one

• Two recent scans of dissemination, implementation, strategic plans and activities of international funders formed the basis of the desk research (Fahim 2022; van der Linden 2022).

 
Phase two (informed by phase one)

• a rapid evidence scan
• 25 interviews with key informants in senior roles across NIHR Centres, Programmes and Infrastructure

 
Phase three (informed by phase two)

• 3 online engagement workshops: 59 people

 

Key recommendations

The recommendations outlined below are those generated by the ARC-GM research team; these were discussed and ratified with the attendees of the 3 online engagement workshops with key stakeholders: 
 

1. Strengthen strategic leadership, oversight and coherence of dissemination, knowledge mobilisation and impact agenda.
2. Using the whole research funding cycle to support knowledge mobilisation.
3. Strengthening links to the end users of research for research programmes and priorities.
4. Learning and driving improvement from evaluation and research on research.
5. Providing training and support to the research community.
6. Improving access to, and the wider dissemination of, the research NIHR funds and publishes.

 
These recommendations have been fed back to the NIHR programme team and considered as part of the wider NIHR review and strategy refresh on maximising the impact of NIHR funded research.

 

Full Report available on request.
 

 

Who did we work with?

• NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination (CED)

• NIHR Maximising Impact Review project team 

More information

 

 

 

Senior Programme Lead
Mike Spence
mike.spence@healthinnovationmanchester.com