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

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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.