RRI Tools

Research Council UK’s (RCUK) Pathways to Impact aims to encourage researchers to explore—from the outset and throughout the life of their projects and beyond—who could potentially benefit from their research and what they can do to help make this happen.

The site includes general information and guidance as well as specific resources: the review summary outlines a series of recommendations for research councils, while case studies provide guidance, top tips and best practices to help researchers realise the impacts of their research.

Besides guidance, tips and best practices, case studies also provide RCUK-funded researchers’ personal accounts of their approaches to and experiences with Pathways to Impact.

Case studies are classified into four main categories:

• case studies that highlight researchers’ interactions with government
• case studies that highlight researchers fostering partnerships with business and industry
• case studies where researchers have worked with partners in the third sector
• case studies that include engaging the public with research.

One possible drawback is that, because the examples are all from the UK and the entry page refers to the UK's research framework, users from other countries may not identify with the cases.