Impact - Making a Difference Oxford University

Prof Abigail Adams, Department of Economics, University of Oxford gives a talk for the conference. The case study reveals how an economist influenced the Supreme Court decision on the abolition of the Ministry of Justice’s employment tribunal fees.

Access to Justice and the Economics of the Rule of Law
Prof Abigail Adams, Department of Economics, University of Oxford

Dr Caroline Kenny, UCL and Social Science Advisor at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology and Alun Evans, Chief Executive of the British Academy to give keynote addresses to close the conference. As Social Sciences Advisor at POST, Caroline Kenny leads a research programme to study the use of research evidence within parliamentary debate and scrutiny, including the impact of POST. In her talk she will reveal the role that social sciences research currently plays in parliamentary activity, outline ways in which social scientists should look to engage with parliamentarians and will tell us more about the recent report investigating how research evidence is used in Parliament.

Alun Evans, Chief Executive of the British Academy, the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, will advocate for the positive role that social sciences research can play in making a difference in society and the economy, relating this to current challenges and socio-political context with some lessons for researchers to take forward.

Dr Catherine Fallon Grasham and Dr Sara de Wit give talks for the session on research impact. This session explores two projects responding to water provision challenges in two African nations. The cultural and socio-political sensitivities of water security in a development setting, combined with an increasing pressure from funders to measure impact and demonstrate translation of ‘research into action’ create unique challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary research.

Research into action: working with local stakeholders in interdisciplinary water research in Ethiopia
Dr Catherine Fallon Grasham, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford
Water pumps and solidarity in rural Madagascar
Dr Sara de Wit, Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, University of Oxford

Professor Danny Dorling, Madeleine Sumption and Mikal Mast give talks on the subject of media influence and impact. How can you make media work count in terms of impact and influence? Our speakers are all established communicators, with research engagement at the heart of their work. They are also highly experienced in dealing with controversial or politically significant topics (migration, identity, poverty to name a few) in. In this session, you will be able to take away some of the routes to success and pitfalls to avoid – helpful both if you are looking to approach the media, but also if the media approach you.

Case studies in tricky subjects - inequality, elitism, and death
Professor Danny Dorling, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford
From front pages to tabloid rages: influencing the migration debate
Madeleine Sumption and Mikal Mast, The Migration Observatory, University of Oxford

Panel discussion opening the conference, with Dr Melanie Knetsch, Dr Julie Bayley, Professor Peter Kemp, chaired by Professor Mark Pollard. Welcome from host and session chair: Professor Mark Pollard, Associate Head of Division (Research), Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford and Chair of the Oxford ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.

Panellists:

Dr Melanie Knetsch, ESRC's Strategic Lead for Interdisciplinarity, Innovation and Impact
Dr Julie Bayley, Health Psychologist, incoming Director of Research Impact Development at University of Lincoln and ARMA Impact Champion
Professor Peter Kemp, Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, and University of Oxford Social Sciences Division Strategic Impact Lead

Professor Lucie Cluver and Dr Weizi Li gives talks for this session on impact. When research impact is successful, how could and should you go about scaling it up? These case studies explore the factors to consider. One project uses research that integrates information to improve service quality and efficiency in Chinese healthcare, has now been implemented in 2,500 hospitals across China; the second project has seen a project working to prevent HIV in young people in South Africa expand internationally in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Both speakers will talk about the balance of the partner ecosystems that they work in and how this changes as projects have expanded.

Controlled explosion? Scaling up research findings for Africa’s adolescents
Professor Lucie Cluver, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford
Building an integrated data platform changing practice in Chinese and UK hospitals
Dr Weizi Li, Henley Business School, University of Reading