Research Impact: creating meaning and value
Research Impact: creating meaning and value
Fyvie Hall, Regent Street Campus
10:00-12:00, 18 June 2026
This event aims to set you up for a day of Impact in the Graduate School Festival! We’ll have some of Westminster’s ‘Impact Stars’ give their insights via panel discussion followed by personalised advice for your own research.
About
Research Impact is the difference that research and research-related activities make to the wider world, beyond academia. The kind of Impact we are talking about is not captured by journal impact factors and bibliometrics, and it’s not about outputs – it is instead how your research outputs and activities drive demonstrable change.
The Research Excellence Framework broadly considers that research can make a difference in the following areas:
Creativity, culture and society
Commerce and the economy
Public policy, law and services
Environment
Social welfare
Health and wellbeing of people and animal welfare
Understanding, learning and participation
Professional services, enhanced performance or ethical practice
These areas are all overtly aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and thus to Westminster’s strategic vision to play our part in addressing the climate crisis and inequalities to enable a more sustainable and socially just world.
Why Impact Matters
Impact is core to REF2029 – The ‘Engagement and Impact’ element continues to be weighted at 25% of the overall profile. The new ‘Rigour’ criterion means we need robust evidence and clear methodologies.
Impact to match funder expectations – Most major funders now require a detailed understanding of how the proposed research will lead to Impact as part of grant applications.
Impact supports research visibility and external partnerships – Impact work builds networks, enhances teaching, raises your public profile, and creates new avenues for research application.
Impact contributes to a better world – Research Impact means solutions to real-world problems, making a demonstrably positive impact for people, planet, and prosperity.
Agenda
10:00am – Welcome from Research Impact Manager Anna Brown and Sustainable Development Advisor Morgan Lirette
10:15-11:00am – Panel discussion with Westminster ‘Impact Stars’
Jay Mackenzie (Psychology; LAS)
Doug Specht (Media and Comms; CAT)
Lilian Miles (Organisations, Economy and Society; WBS)
11:00-12:00pm – Organisers and Impact Stars will offer personalised advice while you discuss your research in clusters