Giving and gaining insights into research impact

A Research Assistant at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics has described how the University's research environment has enabled her to both share and gain insights into impact.

Mary Jane Monaghan, who is based in Sensor City, is working on a European Horizon 2020-funded research project looking at the embedding of responsible research and innovation and open science which aims to make an impact on the way in which research is conducted.

Mary Jane, who started working at the University in September 2018, says: “I very quickly discovered the Research Staff Association (RSA) and attended meetings and their conference in December 2018. This was a good networking opportunity and a wonderful way to build my knowledge of the University’s research environment, and I am now one of the RSA chairs.”

Making an Impact

When the University’s Making an Impact 2019 programme was announced, Mary Jane signed up to multiple sessions and noticed one was on the same topic as her own research.

Mary Jane said: “The Academy were very helpful putting me in touch with the session facilitator – which resulted in my being able to showcase my research at her session giving the participants a real life case study linked with the impact practice they were learning about.  Through Making an Impact I gained a lot of insight into impact and the University’s approach to it, in particular the session Real World Impact: What does making an impact on culture, heritage and society look like? This showcased the University’s collaborative work with external organisations and companies.

“The information and knowledge I have gained from the Making an Impact sessions will inform and support my research going forward, strengthening the research I am conducting and the type of researcher I aim to become.”

Engaging with development

Making an Impact is an annual programme of events which aims to provide rich, varied and high-quality development opportunities for researchers, academics and research-related professional services staff at all stages of their career with opportunities offered across all Faculties.

The series is specifically designed to respond to Liverpool’s research staff diversity and their ability to engage with development. It offers a breadth of connected development activities focused around the Industrial Strategy priorities and supporting staff, in particularly the talent pipeline of Early Career Researchers, to develop their multi-disciplinary research-impact related knowledge, skills, attributes and competencies. Research staff are presented with information about a wide variety of career paths that are open to them, and supported with development activities to enable them to move between different paths, as a key to a successful career. Making an Impact, therefore, is an integral part of the University’s research environment and culture in relation to supporting a broad-minded approach to researcher careers and that all career paths are valued equally.

The University provides high quality development opportunities to empower every individual to foster their potential. You can learn more about The Academy’s staff development offering here.

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