The Learned Society of Wales is leading a new project, in collaboration with the Welsh government, HEFCW and the Wales Innovation Network, to explore the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF) impact case study dataset.

This will reveal new insights about the contribution of research from Welsh universities to the wellbeing of society, culture and the economy.

The Learned Society has commissioned the Policy Institute at King’s College London to undertake the analysis, working with Different Angles and Electric Data Solutions. This builds on the 2016 in-depth analysis of the impact case studies submitted by universities in Wales to the 2014 REF exercise. Using two complementary analytical approaches (large-scale text mining and detailed qualitative analysis), the 2016 report was a valuable evidence resource used to better understand, promote and communicate the contribution that research from Wales has made to wider society and the economy, in Wales and beyond.

The new report will repeat this analysis, again looking at the nature, beneficiaries and mechanisms of impact. It will also add a comparison to the 2014 results and a focus on the policy priorities of the Welsh government, and the role of Welsh government in the research landscape of Wales. The report will be published in the autumn, along with a series of briefings and the Society will host a number of engagement opportunities over the following months. For more information, please contact the Policy and Public Affairs Manager.