Transformative Impact Research Award applications must be submitted electronically through the UConn Quest Portal  by XXX (if XX falls on a weekend, a grace period in the system will allow applications to be accepted beyond the deadline until 9am of the next business day) and will require the following information:

Faculty and Graduate Student Applicant Information Form (The form needs to be completed in the QUEST portal faculty account). 

• Faculty researcher name
• Home Department(s)
• School/College
• Faculty researcher email address
• Faculty/Academic rank
• Primary employer
• Team size and overview

UConn Transformative Research Impact Award Application Form

Impact Categories (Select all that apply)

• Academic-Contribution to advances across and within disciplines, including significant advances in understanding method, theory and application
• Cultural – contribution to people’s understanding of ideas and reality, values and beliefs.
• Economic – contribution to a company’s revenues and profits (micro level), and economic returns through increased productivity or economic growth (macro level)
• Educational – contribution to education, training and capacity-building, including through curricula, educational tools, and qualifications.
• Environmental – contribution to managing the environment, such as protecting natural resources, reducing environmental pollution, improving weather forecasting, and tackling the climate crisis.
• Health – contribution to public health, life expectancy, health-related quality of life, prevention of illness, and reduced health inequality.
• Political – contribution to how policymakers act, to how policies are constructed, and to political stability.
• Social – contribution to community welfare and quality of life, and to behaviors, practices, and activities of people and groups.
• Technological – contribution to the creation or improvement of products, processes and services.
• Other

Title of the transformative Research Impact (maximum 100 characters) A short, easy-to-understand title in plain English that describes the impact of the research (not the research itself). Section 1. Upload (PDF) a brief written summary of the impact and the research that led to it. This section will give reviewers context for evaluating your story of impact.

• A concise summary of the main impacts, their reach, and significance (no more than 120 words). How widespread are the impacts and how important are they to each beneficiary?
• A concise overview of the research and key findings (no more than 250 words), avoiding jargon and technical language. It is a good idea to start with the results and then say how you got there. Include the timeframe (when the project ended and the impact began) and address how the research (and associated impact activities) was funded.

Section 2. For the application form aspects below, applicants can choose to submit the following part of the application in a written format, or by addressing the aspects in any form of modality, such as, but not limited to, audio, video, images, infographic, or a combination, etc. The story of the impact should be limited to 5 minutes or if in a written format, 500 words. Provide a Narrative (story of impact), with supporting evidence, to explain the nature and extent of the impact (including how the research made a distinct contribution).

• Be as clear as possible about exactly WHAT the impact was, adding precise quantification wherever possible. Numeric data and indicators need to be meaningful and contextualized to clearly support the case being made (not used as a substitute for a clear narrative). Avoid generalized or exaggerated statements about impact.
• Clearly identify specifically WHO has benefited from the work or which groups/organizations have changed something because of it (bear in mind that this may include ‘intermediary’ organizations as well as your intended ‘end users’ or audiences). Describe how you engage with these users and beneficiaries. It can be useful to indicate the number of people impacted and WHEN these impacts occurred. Also relevant is WHERE the impact occurred, particularly whether it is local, national or international in scale.

Section 3. Research and Impact documentation  Upload evidence of impact and research evidence (a pdf with links can be uploaded in lieu of full text documents): (maximum 200 words, if written) 

• Evidence of impact Include sources to corroborate the impact, e.g. policy documents, news articles, videos, testimonials. Case studies can be greatly improved with quotes that illustrate the impact, especially if they are from people with high profiles and relevant job titles.
• Research References: Include (no more than 10) references to support the research e.g. publications, web links, awards, reviews, peer review or other quality assurance processes. If referring to publications, please include a link and the Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

Transformative Research Impact Award applications will be evaluated on three main criteria: Before submitting your application, ensure your application addresses each criterion as detailed in the descriptions below. Articulation: How clearly is the impact or potential impact communicated?

• Presented / written concisely, in plain English, avoiding technical jargon. Stay within the word limit.
• Makes a clear and focused case for how the outcomes of the research created impact in one or more of the following areas: academic, cultural, economic, educational, environmental, health, political, social, technological.
• Include a snappy title that captures the impact (not the research)
• Convey the impact in a way that would hold the attention of a lay person (average adult member of the public)

  Engagement and Attribution: How have the beneficiaries been engaged with, and what evidence is there that the research contributed to the impact?

• Outline the beneficiaries (e.g. individuals, communities, government bodies, organizations, businesses, environments, animals). Be as detailed as possible.
• Describe how you helped or are fostering impact by engaging with the beneficiaries (e.g. via public presentations, media, steering groups, stakeholder workshops, white papers, consultation responses, community partnerships, and co-production.
• Include data, metrics, and testimonials to corroborate the impact. Convince the reader that your research played a significant role. * Outline how potential impacts may be captured in the future.

*Research Impact can be 'conceptual' or ‘instrumental’. Conceptual impact, for example, might include evidence of having influenced public debate on an issue, or having better informed policymakers, or having enabled wider thinking about cultural issues. On the other hand, instrumental impact includes more direct effects of research, like specific inventions or changes in the law. Plausible evidence is required to justify both types.  Reach and Significance**: How widespread are the impacts and how important are they to each beneficiary? **The reach and significance of the impact should be judged relative to the academic discipline and the scale of the research.

• Describe, with evidence, how many beneficiaries there are. Are the impacts at a local, regional, national or international level?
• Describe, with evidence, the intensity of the impact. How meaningful or valuable is it to each beneficiary?
• Describe, with evidence, the social media engagement/digital impact – restacks/distributions, testimonials, pick up by schools, oral histories, etc. if relevant
• Describe the time horizons. Are your impacts short-, medium-, or long-term? If possible, give specific timeframes.