Terms of Reference

According to the ARIS engagement model, each organisation must establish a Research Impact “RI Team” consisting of an RI Professional and an Administrative Partner who is a committed member of the institution’s administration (typically, someone in the organisation’s research or engagement/extension enterprise, but not necessarily). At the UWC, we use the SoE-SI Team concept which aligns to the ARIS guidelines.

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At a Faculty / Supporting Unit the following roles apply:

• The Administrative Partner is the Dean / Director

• The RI Professional is the HODs / Coordinators

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A Broader Impacts (BI) or Societal Impact (SI) activity is a planned experience, engagement, action, function, etc. that is conducted for the specific purpose of providing benefit to society associated with funded research. Broader Impacts / Societal Impact refers to activities designed to broaden the reach and benefits of research.

The Principle Investigator (PI) and/or part of the project team mutually and actively involves(engage) target audience participants or partners in the proposed Societal Impact activity(s).

Refers to any concept, model, or strategy that is based on or informed by evidence, such as research, metrics, performance, educational research, and already established best practices.

Benefit(s) to society due to the Societal Impact activity(s) as evidenced by measurable or articulated outcomes.

A model is a causal explanation of how strategies or interventions interact to produce an intended outcome.

Outcomes are the result of activities or models being implemented. They should be measurable and measured. Outcomes demonstrate changes in awareness, knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviour, motivations, beliefs, values, capacities, or conditions of individuals, groups, organizations, systems, or communities. There can be short term, intermediate, and/or long term outcomes.

Outputs are tangible results of the activity, usually the artifacts or by-products created as a result of the Societal Impact activity. Can be an accounting of the activities done and the participants reached.

The societal impact of research, inclusive of all research areas and all funding programs.

Scalability defines the potential of an activity to be reproduced in other locations, with diverse audiences, or across a wide spectrum of contexts.