• Are you a member of staff who manages research projects and/or programmes?
  • Are you a member of an institution or Centre that wishes to see how your research can impact the world?
  • Do you want to further improve your skills in managing projects that deliver real impact and facilitate knowledge exchange?

Then the Impact and Knowledge Exchange Training programme is just what you need. Apply now and gain the skills to take your projects to the next level!

Please note that this is open to staff in both professional services or research job family. It is expected that those applying will already have completed training in project and or programme management or who come with some experience.

Background

We have identified a potential need in providing research managers, of projects and/or programmes, with the skills they need to help our researchers embed research impact, monitoring and evaluation (to evidence impact) into their projects and programmes. By building in good monitoring and evaluation from the outset could help our researchers not only deliver their research projects and programmes but could also help to achieve and evidence impact.

Building on our successful Impact and Knowledge Exchange programme for researchers, we wanted to pilot a similar scheme for project and programme managers. This scheme will not only focus on building knowledge and skills in research impact, knowledge exchange, but also on the knowledge and skills required to build effective monitoring and evaluation frameworks. This pilot is being funded from HEIF.

Programme benefits

The 12 Fellows who will sign up for the programme will receive:

  • six-month development programme to build your knowledge and skills in engaging and communicating with stakeholders, including business and industry, policy-makers and the public, research impact and knowledge exchange, monitoring and evaluation
  • bespoke mentoring, coaching and structured activities to support you in applying the learning to your research
  • opportunities to take part in additional training outside of the core activities to meet your needs

Benefits to the applicant

  • Improved knowledge, skills and experience in research impact and knowledge exchange
  • Improved knowledge and skills in project/programme monitoring and evaluation
  • Opportunities to grow network and career

Benefits to the programme and University

  • Support to enhance the impact of the research to benefit others
  • Improved project/programme monitoring and evaluation to gather evidence of impact

Duration and commitment

The training programme will run for 6 months during term time, excluding August. It will require a commitment of approximately 1 to 2 hours per week (on average) for 6 months. This will include a 3.5 hour group training session once a month on a Wednesday mornings (usually 9.30–12.30) plus mentoring, structured activities, and bespoke training. We expect the group training will be in person if restrictions allow.

You will require support and approval from your line manager.

We request that:

  • Fellows will actively engage with the programme, activities and attend the training offered (wherever possible)
  • Fellows will be in regular contact with their mentor and/ or coach and will receive bespoke support
  • Fellows will participate in an evaluation of the Fellowship scheme

Programme outline

The following is an outline programme, dates will be added as they become available, so please keep an eye out on this page and add the dates to your diary to ensure you can attend as many as possible.

  • 17 April: Closing date for the Impact and Knowledge Exchange Training programme for Project and Research Managers
  • 17 May 2023 (full day) Launch: Introduction to the programme, to Research Impact and Knowledge Exchange and Team building – LEGO Serious Play
  • 21 June (tbc): Developing a Theory of Change
  • 19 July (tbc): Introduction to monitoring and evaluation
  • 13 September (tbc): Introduction to activities for Impact (including knowledge exchange)
  • 11 October (tbc): Introduction to Coaching for change

Eligibility

A University of Bath member of staff who undertakes project, programme, centre or institute management as part of their role; at any stage of their career but who would like to enhance their knowledge and skills in research impact, knowledge exchange, monitoring and evaluation are eligible to apply. The Fellowship will be awarded to 12 Fellows each academic year. Those unsuccessful can still seek support from the research impact team to support them with impacting and evidencing and will be signposted to University resources including access to our Moodles for Knowledge Exchange and Public Engagement (these are self-enrolment).

How to apply

This will ask you to outline:

  • Name
  • Department
  • Brief description of the Project / Programme you manage (up to 100 words)
  • Self assessment of your current level of knowledge of research impact and skills you would like to develop
  • Understanding of why you are applying to the programme and how it will benefit you and your research impact (up to 250 words)