When talking about impact at BMS, the discussion is not to “make x times more impact”, or that everyone needs to make a certain type of impact. We would much rather have a deeper discussion on our place in society and invite you to join this discussion. We are making an impact for sure, but what impact do we wish to make, who benefits from this, and how will we do this?
BMS POSITION PAPER ON IMPACT
The BMS Position Paper aims to describe what impact means for BMS, the (type of) impact we aim to make and how, while at the same inviting you to further explore what impact means in your own work. A key part of this is adopting Impact by Design as working method, contextualised by a set of 10 guiding principles. Lastly, existing support is made explicit and future support offers are described.
A ONE-YEAR UPDATE
The BMS Position Paper on Impact was published in April 2024, roughly a year ago. Through hosting Impact Case workshops and talking to various colleagues (academic and support), the use of this paper became clear, and some possible improvements came to light. In the spirit of continuous learning, this one-year update of the BMS Position Paper on Impact provides some additional information, sharpens certain concepts, and reflects on a year of providing support. This update…
- sharpens the concept of academic impact and puts rightful attention on this. Academic impact and societal impact are both appreciated and strengthen each other, this is now more apparent in writing;
- expands on the Impact Pathway model and adds the Sphere of Control model. These models resonated with participants of the Impact Case workshop, so they might help a wider audience too;
- reflects on the progress made with the actions stipulated in the original version. You will find this update in the appendix;
- contains some minor structural and textual revisions.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
You can find more background information and tools/resources on the Impact section of the BMS Research Support website. If you or your team has a need for tailored support, reach out to Tom Boogerd (BMS) and we will gladly see what is possible.
