Novel method for tracking the translation processes that lead to impact from Biomedical research - A pilot study

用于跟踪生物医学研究影响的翻译过程的新方法 - 一项试点研究

• 批准号: MR/M00838X/1
• 负责人: Michael Hopkins
• 金额: $ 24.4万
• 依托单位: University of Sussex
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2014 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FM00838X%2F1
• 关键词: Novel; method; tracking; translation; processes

The MRC Economic Impact call states that "The MRC wishes to understand better the link between research and wider economic and societal impacts, and to use this understanding to improve strategies for the future support of research". To directly address this requirement, this one year pilot project will develop and test a new approach for evaluating biomedical research teams. The specific empirical focus is on researchers conducting Translational Research (TR) and our theoretical perspective applies recently developed concepts from economic geography to explore how TR may be aided by managing 'proximities' (closing gaps) between bodies of work, institutions or individuals. The project involves operationalising these concepts within a novel analytical framework and then testing it against three test cases. In each case, the unit of analysis will be a team previously supported by a programme grant. This project's approach is novel because rather than attempting to measure research impacts, it will focus on the work processes used by TR scientists in the pursuit of impact. So rather than measuring impact, we aim to understand how research processes can be improved at a policy, strategy and practical level in order to enhance impact. Althought this is a pilot study, rather than just 1) testing the methods, and 2) streamlining them for future use, the project will also 3) provide outputs of direct relevance to funders and grant holders planning, funding and conducting effective TR. This focus on processes also addresses a key methodological issue in impact assessment. Directly assessing impact using input-output methods is likely to be problematic because of the long time that is needed for advances in knowledge to be converted into widely adopted medical innovations, and the variety of actors and institutions involved (MRC 2012). An overly linear view of the process can be misleading. To avoid this problem, the project will use a mixed-method approach, involving both qualitative and quantitative components, to open the 'black box' of impact assessment and analyse the processes involved. In so doing, this proposal addresses two of the objectives laid out in the call for proposals: Firstly, it will develop methodologies to track the pathways through which translational research generates socio-economic impacts; and secondly it will help identify success factors and develop partial intermediate indicators to assess progress towards research impact at the micro level (an individual project, centre, programme, or any specific investment). This project will deliver a broadly applicable method that allows for the timely evaluation of research investments by characterising the changes in TR work processes facilitated by specific grants. The project team includes senior experts with specialist skills related to evaluation and the study of innovation in biomedicine. The team is led by Dr. Michael Hopkins, Director of Research and Senior Lecturer in SPRU, an expert in the study of biomedical Innovation and in the use of mixed methods studies. The team also includes Dr. Puay Tang, Director of Teaching and Senior Lecturer in SPRU and Prof. Jordi Molas-Gallart, of INGENIO, a Institute of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, both with long experience in research evaluation work for UK an EU funders. The team also draws on the expertise of Dr. Ismael Rafols, a Visiting Fellow at SPRU and Research Fellow at INGENIO, and internationally leading expert in bibliometrics, as well as Prof. Gail Davey and Prof. Tony Carr, who bring years of experience working on laboratory and clinical research projects to the team.

MRC经济影响呼吁指出，“MRC希望更好地理解研究与更广泛的经济和社会影响之间的联系，并利用这种理解来改善未来支持研究的战略”。为了直接满足这一要求，这个为期一年的试点项目将开发和测试一种评估生物医学研究团队的新方法。具体的实证重点是研究人员进行转化研究（TR）和我们的理论观点适用于最近开发的概念，从经济地理学，探讨如何TR可能是通过管理“接近”（关闭差距）的工作，机构或个人之间的机构。该项目涉及在一个新的分析框架内操作这些概念，然后对三个测试用例进行测试。在每一种情况下，分析单位将是一个以前得到方案赠款支助的小组。该项目的方法是新颖的，因为它不是试图衡量研究的影响，而是将重点放在TR科学家在追求影响时使用的工作流程上。因此，我们的目标不是衡量影响，而是了解如何在政策，战略和实践层面改进研究过程，以提高影响力。虽然这是一项试点研究，而不仅仅是1）测试方法，2）简化它们以供将来使用，该项目还将3）提供与资助者和赠款持有者规划，资助和进行有效TR直接相关的产出。这种对过程的重视也解决了影响评估中的一个关键方法问题。使用投入产出方法直接评估影响可能存在问题，因为将知识进步转化为广泛采用的医疗创新需要很长时间，而且涉及各种行为者和机构（MRC 2012）。对这一过程过于线性的看法可能会产生误导。为避免这一问题，该项目将采用混合方法，包括定性和定量两个部分，以打开影响评估的“黑匣子”并分析所涉进程。在此过程中，该提案涉及到提案征集中提出的两个目标：首先，它将制定跟踪转化研究产生社会经济影响的途径的方法;其次，它将帮助确定成功因素并制定部分中间指标，以评估微观层面（单个项目，中心，计划或任何具体投资）的研究影响进展。该项目将提供一种广泛适用的方法，通过描述特定赠款促进的TR工作流程的变化来及时评估研究投资。项目小组包括具有生物医学评价和创新研究相关专业技能的资深专家。该团队由SPRU研究主任兼高级讲师Michael霍普金斯博士领导，他是生物医学创新研究和混合方法研究的专家。该团队还包括SPRU的教学主任兼高级讲师Puay Tang博士和因杰尼奥的Jordi Molas-Gallart教授，该研究所是西班牙科学研究理事会和瓦伦西亚理工大学的一个研究所，他们都具有为英国和欧盟资助者进行研究评估工作的长期经验。该团队还借鉴了SPRU访问学者和因杰尼奥研究员Ismael Rafols博士的专业知识，以及国际领先的文献计量学专家，以及Gail Davey教授和Tony卡尔教授，他们为团队带来了多年的实验室和临床研究项目经验。

项目成果

Capturing knowledge integration through collaborations: measures of the diversity and coherence in multiple proximity dimensions

• 发表时间: 2016
• 作者: Frédérique Lang;Ismael Rafols;M. Hopkins

Towards an alternative framework for the evaluation of translational research initiatives

• DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvv027
• 发表时间: 2016-07-01
• 期刊: RESEARCH EVALUATION
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: Molas-Gallart, Jordi;D'Este, Pablo;Rafols, Ismael
• 通讯作者: Rafols, Ismael

Towards a novel method of research evaluation: tracking proximity change in translational research projects

寻求一种新的研究评估方法：跟踪转化研究项目中的邻近变化

• 作者: []

DARE to be different? A novel approach for analysing diversity in collaborative research projects

• DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvaa006
• 发表时间: 2020-06
• 期刊: Research Evaluation
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: Frederique Bone;M. Hopkins;Ismael Rafols;J. Molas-Gallart;P. Tang;G. Davey;Antony M. Carr

Towards a novel method of research evaluation: Tracking Translation in biomedical research using a proximities framework

迈向一种新的研究评估方法：使用邻近框架跟踪生物医学研究中的翻译

• 作者: Lang, F.