Research Impact
AAMRI Research Impact Committee – November 2023
After a competitive process that received wide interest from across AAMRI member organisations, we are delighted to present the inaugural AAMRI Research Impact Committee.
This committee replaces the AAMRI Impact Working Group. We would like to publicly acknowledge and thank members of the outgoing Working Group for their dedication and contributions, particularly to the development of the AAMRI Research Impact Framework.
Our goal is to recommend actions AAMRI can take to build and facilitate a translation and impact ethos and culture across the sector and identify areas where AAMRI can most effectively advocate for ways to achieve meaningful, ethical and purposeful approaches to translation and impact within the sector.
Please view the Terms of Reference for the Research Impact Committee.
The members of the NEW committee are:
Ken Knight – Co-chair | Head of Research Impact & Consumer Involvement Murdoch Children’s Research Institute |
Shanthi Ramanathan – Co-chair | Research Impact Lead Hunter Medical Research Institute |
Ariel Achtman | Senior Project Manager, Strategy and Impact Olivia Newton John Institute for Cancer Research |
Christine Anderson | Head of Research Development and Support Black Dog Institute |
Joan Ostaszkiewicz (Prof) | Principal Director, Aged Care Research National Ageing Research Institute |
Johanna Rewa | Senior Grants Development Officer Telethon Kids Institute |
Katherine Andrews (Prof) | Director and Principal Research Leader Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery |
Mary-Ann Nicholas | Co-Head, Strategy, Insights & Impact and Head, Development Effectiveness Burnet Institute |
Mary-Anne Young | Head of Clinical Engagement and Translational Platform Garvan Institute of Medical Research |
Maxine Morrison | Trusts and Foundations Manager Children’s Medical Research Institute |
Natasha Stevens | Program Manager, MS Research Flagship Menzies Institute for Medical Research |
Veronica Le Nevez | Head of Impact and Engagement, Australia George Institute for Global Health |
In addition, we have an AAMRI Board member, AAMRI CEO and consumer representative and an AAMRI staff member who will provide secretariat support.
Jason Kovacic (Prof) | AAMRI Board representative Director, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute |
Dr Saraid Billiards | AAMRI Chief Executive Officer |
TBC | Consumer and Community representative in an advisory capacity |
AAMRI Research Impact Framework
What is the Research Impact Project?
The Research Impact Project aims to deliver a standardised framework that will enable Australian medical research institutes to measure the impact of their research and its contribution towards knowledge, society, health and the economy.
This Project is an Australian first and is driven by AAMRI member institutes. A range of stakeholders from research institutes, funders, government, industry and the community have given their input to help develop the AAMRI Research Impact Framework.
This Framework will enhance the Australian medical research sector’s ability to translate research findings into real-world outcomes and benefits.
The purpose of the Research Impact Project
Research Impact is defined by the NHMRC as the verifiable outcomes that research makes to knowledge, health, the economy and/or society. Impact is the effect of the research after it has been adopted, adapted for use, or used to inform further research. There has been an absence of common impact language within the sector – until now.
Over half of all AAMRI member medical research institutes have participated directly to co-develop a common language for communicating how their work is contributing to knowledge, society, health and the economy.
The Framework will enhance the ability of medical research institutes to identify and demonstrate how their research is making an impact, maximising the return on investment made by government, industry and philanthropic funders.
The Research Impact Project is the first step towards creating a common understanding of the impacts of medical research. Importantly, the Framework provides a way for research organisations to understand how their practices can improve the translation of research and knowledge.
The development of the AAMRI Research Impact Framework
The Project was coordinated by the AAMRI Research Impact Working Group with the generous support of The Ian Potter Foundation. The AAMRI Research Impact Framework was developed in two phases.
Phase 1: Stakeholder engagement
What is research impact?
The first phase of the Project engaged with end user stakeholders of research – including health and medical research organisations, funders of research, government, industry, and community organisations – to find out what these groups identified as research impact.
The findings of these consultations, combined with a review of existing research impact frameworks and research and knowledge translation practices, were then used to inform and refine the development of the AAMRI Research Impact Framework which is based on the Canadian Academy of Health Science Framework.
Phase 2: Developing a framework for understanding the impact of research
How can progress towards research impact be optimised and demonstrated within the Australian medical research sector?
Medical research institutes all across Australia play a leading role in translating research into health, development and wellbeing. AAMRI’s 57 member institutes are internationally recognised leaders in health and medical research that work on a broad spectrum of human health issues ranging from fundamental biomedical discovery through to clinical research and the translation of research findings from bench to bedside.
The second phase of the Project involved AAMRI member medical research institutes participating in a Delphi process to co-develop the AAMRI Research Impact Framework. This involved participating in three survey rounds to gain consensus and build on the research and knowledge translation indicators and practices identified through Phase 1 of the Project.
The outcome is a Framework of good research translation and knowledge translation practices, and indicators for the effective implementation of these.
The AAMRI Research Impact Framework aims to represent a range of research priorities within the Australian medical research sector and is divided into six categories for demonstrating research impact:
- Advancing knowledge
- Research capacity building
- Informing decision-making
- Health impacts
- Economic impacts
- Social impacts
Each category includes a list of indicators that can be used to demonstrate progress towards or having achieved research impact. The Framework also includes a set of impact practices that promote the translation of research into impacts.
The Framework is intended to be used as a guide for medical research institutes to plan for, track, understand and communicate the impact of your research. It does not need to be applied in its entirety and can be customised as appropriate for the needs of your organisation and the types of research you conduct.
The indicators included in the Framework can be used at different stages on the impact pathway to demonstrate progress towards impact or having achieved impact, and organisations may use various methods to verify evidence of achieving these as relevant to them. Not all the indicators included in the Framework may be applicable for your organisation or type of research, and indicators that were excluded as a result of the project’s Delphi process may still be of relevance to your institute.
The Framework is not intended to be used as a prescriptive set of measures and AAMRI member medical research institutes will not be asked to report on the indicators included.
The AAMRI Research Impact Group
AAMRI member institutes involved in the Working Group:
- Children’s Medical Research Institute
- Mater Research
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Telethon Kids Institute
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Diamantina Institute (within Translational Research Institute)
Project Advisory Group:
- Children’s Cancer Institute
- Hunter Medical Research Institute
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research (UTAS)
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
- The George Institute for Global Health
- WEHI (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
Additional Technical Experts:
Anne-Maree Dowd (CSIRO), Abigail Powell (Centre for Social Impact), Matt Bevan (Social Impact Measurement Network Australia), Adam Kamenetzky (National Institutes for Health Research, (UK).
Contact
For more information about the project, please email researchimpact@aamri.org.au.