On 2nd November I had the amazing honour of being selected as winner in the Outstanding Early Career Impact category of the ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize 2022. The prize recognises Economic and Social Research Council funded social scientific research which has real-world impact for policy and society.

Together with my husband, I attended the awards show at the Royal Society in London. It was the most wonderful evening meeting inspirational researchers and watching the films celebrating the best of impactful social science research. I could hardly believe I was in the company of such talented researchers. I want to make special mention of Winfred Dotse-Gborgbortsi, PhD researcher at the University of Southampton, who was the other finalist in the ECR category. His research has improved access to pregnancy and birth services in Ghana and has resulted in new methods of data collection to support delivery of services. You can find out about his work here.

With such worthy and impactful research in the running for the prize, I have asked myself how was it my impact was selected as winner. Though I don’t know the criteria for judging the prize, here are my top tips based on what I think may have led to my success not only in the prize, but in creating impact.

1) Research a pressing issue

For research to be impactful it needs to respond to an important societal issue where methods or new knowledge can be applied in the real world. The world is not short of such issues! Being clear from the start what problem you are working towards and how your research will contribute to tackling that problem is a fundamental starting point.

2) Stay grounded

It’s so easy to get lost in your research – it’s so interesting and there are so many things to learn! – but it’s important to check back in with your social goal and regularly think about how your findings can be applied to the problem. The best way to do this is with regular public engagement about your research and findings. Talks, discussions, webinars, panel debates, working groups, workshops, whatever you can get involved in that brings you closer to people and where they can feedback on your work, the better.

3) Find your champions

The most impactful changes come when institutions and cultures move, and this is facilitated by partnering with a range of different types of organisations. For the impact considered for this prize, I worked with the third sector, the public sector, with politicians, and with the public. Different people and organisations have different interests and needs and findings need to be presented in different ways to engage. Scholar activists and impactful researchers must be adaptable and responsive and not afraid to ask to work with people who they feel can run with their findings and social goals. It is often a single person in an organisation who will spark when they hear about your work, and with your support and commitment, that person will be the champion in their organisation and networks, spreading the potential impact of your work much further than you could yourself and giving it new validity and interpretation that others will recognise.

4) Embed yourself

For researchers who believe they need to be objective and removed from their work in order to develop valid findings, this may feel difficult. But to create change we must understand the systems we are working on and acknowledge that we are not removed from them, however much we might believe we should be. I’m not suggesting this is the answer for all researchers, but during my PhD I was an elected councillor and I learnt a huge amount about local government from both the political and public sector perspectives. I could not have created the #Motion4TheOcean without this experience because I would not have understood where local government can and cannot act. Every experience is a learning opportunity.

5) Innovate

Finally, be fearless and hungry! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try the new thing! It took me a year to take the gnawing feeling that I should be creating a political motion about the ocean before I got going with the initiative. At first I lacked confidence that I could develop it in an impactful way until I sounded it out with others who responded enthusiastically. I don’t know how much other researchers have engaged in politics in this way, but I know that party politics can be scary and off-putting, with fears of being used for party political gain or getting burned by association with a politician who loses favour. But these social issues are so important and urgent that I say don’t hold back when your gut is suggesting an avenue for impact, even it feels radical and down the path less worn.

As a scholar activist you will never be short of opportunities to use your findings to create real change in society. The challenge is having enough time to deliver on all the things you want to be involved in!

Find out more about my award winning impact.