Many established researchers make important contributions that extend far beyond publications, grants and formal leadership roles. They mentor colleagues, shape ideas, influence practice, support institutions, build relationships, contribute to disciplinary communities and help others thrive. Yet these forms of contribution can sometimes feel difficult to recognise, articulate or value, particularly when academic success is defined narrowly. This discussion guide explores how we recognise the many ways researchers contribute throughout their careers, how our roles evolve over time, and how we can communicate our value and influence more effectively. It is not about self-promotion. Rather, it is about developing a richer understanding of the contribution you make and ensuring that important work does not remain invisible. You may also wish to look at the peer discussion guides for the ‘Boundary Spanner’ persona, which which explore recognition, visibility and influence in relation to externally-facing work, stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange activities. This guide is designed for peer-facilitated discussion. There is no expert facilitator in the room. Everyone participates as an equal, taking shared responsibility for holding the structure, time, and quality of the conversation. Our Peer Discussion Guides Find out more about our Peer Discussion Guides and how you can use them …
Influencing effectively within higher education
A specific section of the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network’s Influencing Toolkit explores how influence operates within higher education and provides practical advice on influencing upwards, building credibility, understanding institutional priorities and communicating effectively with decision-makers. Many researchers assume that good ideas, strong evidence or valuable contributions will naturally be recognised. However, universities are complex organisations with multiple stakeholders, competing priorities and formal and informal decision-making processes. As a result, influence often depends not only on the quality of an idea, but also on how it is communicated, who is involved, and how well it aligns with institutional goals and priorities. The toolkit introduces practical approaches to understanding influence within academic environments, including stakeholder analysis, influencing strategies, communication approaches and common challenges associated with influencing without formal authority. For researchers who identify with the Independent Scholar Persona, this resource may be particularly useful when seeking promotion, raising the profile of their work, securing support for new ideas, or ensuring that valuable but less visible contributions are recognised and understood. For those who identify with the Boundary Spanner persona, it offers practical approaches to influencing across organisational and disciplinary boundaries, engaging stakeholders effectively, building partnerships and creating the conditions for research …
Learn from real stories of external engagement and impact
The Research Adventure Podcast shares interviews with university researchers and research-adjacent professionals who have turned research into real-world outcomes through routes such as industry partnerships, spinouts, licensing, and social enterprise. It’s useful as “on-demand mentoring”: short, concrete stories that surface what works (and what doesn’t) when collaborating beyond the university. The podcast is helpful because it: “Networking with others has helped me find a sense of belonging and camaraderie.” Saniya Rabbani, Lecturer and Talking Therapies Clinical Tutor, University of Sheffield. Read more from Saniya. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Which single capability do you most need to strengthen right now, and which episode will you use to explore one small change in your approach?
Ensure your external-facing work is recognised, using the Knowledge Exchange Concordat
Principle 6 of the KE Concordat (which it is likely your HEI will have signed) focuses on recognition and rewards: universities should recognise and reward staff and students who deliver high-quality knowledge exchange. For people doing extensive partner-facing work, this is a useful lever because it points to accepted good practice for recognition including: Reviews of institutional action plans have found Principle 6 is often self-scored lower than other principles – suggesting recognition/reward is a common development gap for institutions. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: How visible is the KE Concordat in your institution? In what ways is principle 6 supported and how might you use the expectations of principle 6 to ensure your KE work is recognised? “Audit your workload. Deprioritise service that is low in visibility or misaligned with progression.” Jiao Ji, Lecturer in Finance, University of Sheffield. Read more from Jiao.
Strengthen your public and policy engagement using curated tools and guidance
If you are looking to improve the quality and impact of your engagement work, there are two complementary hubs that bring together trusted tools, frameworks, and guidance from across the UK landscape. These are particularly useful when you want both practical “how to” support and help navigating which approaches best fit your context. The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) resources hub offers a comprehensive collection focused on public and community engagement, including practical tools, case examples, and guidance on inclusive and ethical practice. The University Policy Engagement Network’s Resource Navigator acts as a curated gateway to policy engagement toolkits, helping you quickly identify relevant resources for areas such as evidence use in policy, project scoping, and rapid evidence assessments. Together, these resources provide: These hubs work particularly well as starting points for self-directed development or when designing new engagement activity and wanting to ground it in established good practice. NCCPE resources hub UPEN CAPE Resource Navigator for policy engagement toolkits What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Looking ahead 6 months, what change or outcome do you want from your engagement work, who needs to be involved, and what one approach or suggestion from these toolkits …
Use practical tools to engage with policy audiences and processes effectively
This EU policy engagement toolkit offers practical formats, methods, and examples for engaging with policy actors and policy processes. It is useful if you want to move beyond generic “dissemination” and develop a more intentional approach to influencing and dialogue. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Which of the formats (or combination of formats) of engagement would be best suited to the policy impact you would like your research to have?
Consciously choose your approach to research-practice translation
This peer-reviewed paper (Evans et al., 2014) provides an in-depth exploration of “boundary spanning” interventions, the different approaches that can be taken and why they matter for research-practice translation. In particular it explores two types of “boundary spanning” which can be useful to think about in terms of the type of relationships you wish to build with external stakeholders. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: For the type of KE activities you are undertaking which approach (bridging or blurred) would best suit your intended outcomes? What would be the positive and negative implications of these approaches in your context?
Systematically plan, deliver, and evidence Knowledge Exchange and its impact
This Oxford Education toolkit provides practical tools and prompts for thinking through pathways to impact and knowledge exchange (KE). It is especially useful when you are beginning to design Knowledge Exchange activities and includes information and advice on: It also contains an extensive bibliography linked to KE and research impact. “Impact takes time, and from the inside it often looks slow, relational and messy.” Martina Egedusevic, Impact Fellow, University of Exeter. Read more from Martina. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is the one most important outcome you want to enable, and what is the most credible piece of evidence you could capture to show progress toward it?
Design stakeholder engagement that is credible, inclusive, and effective
This University of Oxford blog summarises a report by Dr Caitlin Hafferty that provides ten research-led recommendations that translate into practical choices about how to engage stakeholders well. It is particularly useful when you are dealing with different levels of power, competing incentives, and different definitions of “success”. The report that is summarised: “I learned that I can make the most impact with being sincerely interested in the full persons who are present before me. What are their interests? What do they dislike the most? We go day to day without actually seeing people as entire human beings. It is seeing and appreciating all of who someone is that gets that person to feel seen. And imagine how being seen can be empowering and how empowered people can change the world.” Read more from this career story What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is the real purpose of your stakeholder engagement, and who must be involved in it to be meaningful?
Use consulting to build external credibility and open up impact pathways
This Nature Careers article offers a practical, realistic view of why consulting can be worth doing as an academic – not only for income, but to build insight into real-world problems, strengthen external relationships, and develop a clearer sense of how your expertise translates beyond the university, and accelerate knowledge exchange. In particular it sets out the typical benefits academics and society report from consulting (insight, networks, reputation, impact) and discusses the challenges to be navigated at an institutional level. “You should never underestimate the convening power of being an academic. We have independence and legitimacy that allow us to bring together people from industry, government and civil society.” Bob Doherty, Professor of Marketing and Sustainable & Responsible Business, University of York. Read more from Bob. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is the clearest consultancy offer you could make to an external partner in one sentence?
Reflect on and review your networks
Leaders need a range of types of people in their network. It’s important to periodically review and refresh how you are engaging with your networks. Is it up to date with your current plans and achievements? Are you making the most from your network and are they getting the most from you? Conduct the short mapping exercise in the Imperial Academic’s Success Guide to reflect on who is currently in your network, where you might want to strengthen existing ties (including updating them on what you’re doing now!) or seek out new connections. You may also be reminded of people who you are now in a good position to support or mentor. “Networking with others has helped me find a sense of belonging and camaraderie.” Read more from this career story. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Name one relationship in your network that would benefit from refreshing, deepening, or simply reconnecting without an agenda. When will you contact them?