Irish Humanities Alliance conference

Description

Keynote presentation and workshop A publication was produced; Impact & the HumanitiesWorkshop Report & Policy Recommendations (2015)Co-sponsored by Irish Humanities Alliance, InterTradeIreland and co-hosted with Queen’s University BelfastImpact is an urgent policy issue for academics, higher education institutions and policy makers, and has become a major focus in funding, assessment and the evaluation of research. The direct impact of academic research has expanded with increasing access to research publications and has become a key performance indicator for researchers and institutions alike. This is clear in the EU’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, as well as the recent publication of Research Excellence Framework (REF) Impact case studies in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Understanding, assessing and increasing the impact of research is an urgent concern in all discipline areas. The importance of research for an increasing range of stakeholders has also assumed a new strategic priority, both in national systems and at the level of the EU.The Irish Humanities Alliance Board decided that due to the participation of Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University in REF 2014, they were uniquely placed to share their experience and begin the all-island debate on Impact. This was to be done in the context of the EU, given the role it plays in framing the debate on Impact and the practicalities of European research funding applications for researchers.The Irish Humanities Alliance has been working on a cross border basis regarding Horizon 2020 Work Packages, feeding material into the Irish and Northern Irish National Contact Points, Experts and Delegates from HEIs in both jurisdictions. At all times it has emphasised the cross-border opportunities and will continue to do so. Most recently, the Alliance has undertaken a major consultation exercise at the request of the Irish Research Council, so as to advise national representatives on the relevant programme committees on key research themes for inclusion in the 2016 and 2017 calls in the Tackling Societal Challenges pillar. The consultation was undertaken in both jurisdictions and involved workshops with all HEIs. The IHA has continued to engage with national representatives through focus groups and other relevant channels.Given the strategic role InterTradeIreland plays in promoting and supporting North/South co- operation in Horizon 2020, the Irish Humanities Alliance joined forces with InterTradeIreland to sponsor a workshop, jointly organised and hosted with Queen’s University Belfast. It featured the three panel themes:• Lessons regarding Impact from REF 2014;• Impact in Horizon 2020 and the EU; and• How to capture Impact?

Period	8 Jun 2015
Event type	Conference
Location	Belfast , United KingdomShow on map