Mark Reed

Director, Natural Capital Challenge Centre | Professor of Rural Entrepreneurship @SRUC | Impact training @fasttrackimpact (he/him). Get my new book:

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

My new book, The Researcher's Guide to Influencing Policy comes out 20th September! Get your copy here: https://t.co/Krz362itLW

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

New paper from the Science Trust Project https://t.co/VMbVrtL7us shares insights from their experience training researchers in science communication: https://t.co/OwPNRpEgAm

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

If researchers want to build public trust, we need to learn how to listen reflectively, "navigating tensions between wanting to correct and being willing to change one’s mind...

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

...between being an expert in science, but not in someone else’s values; and between dominant scientific norms and multiple ways of knowing".

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Read the paper: https://t.co/FOpTTBdWoa

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

We often talk about how to get research into policy, but there is far less discussion about how we get evidence into practice within NGOs and non-profits. A paper shows that evidence use is heavily shaped by relationships and organisational constraints in professional practice.

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Interestingly, the paper points out that factors relating to researchers themselves (like our own skills and awareness) are rarely studied in relation to impacts on professional practice, suggesting we may need to look closer to home when reflecting on the science-practice gap.

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Read the article: https://t.co/wwcTuWgWeo

For feedback on drafts, Fast Track Impact’s impact case study review service offers written reviews and one-to-one support to assess impact claims, identify evidence gaps and strengthen the case: https://t.co/VECsOsRVmO

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Writing a strong REF impact case study means explaining what changed, how research contributed and why it mattered, supported by evidence of reach and significance. This new UPEN blog offers advice on building REF2029 case studies, using examples from parliamentary engagement...

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

This highlights the importance of making connections explicit, combining evidence that supports different parts of the narrative and keeping claims proportionate to the contribution made. Evidencing implementation can strengthen the account of why the contribution really mattered

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Read my new blog about what to do when politics are preventing your evidence having impact

[Fast Track Impact @fasttrackimpact]

When research conflicts with government policy, there are still ways forward. Prof Mark Reed (@profmarkreed) sets out three strategies: waiting for a change in government, reframing your evidence, and working with an intermediary.

Read his latest blog post here: https://t.co/qdFQ92aFdg

#ResearchImpact #PolicyEngagement

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Some of the most important impacts of policy fellowships are the wider effects they have on the policy ecosystem, creating connections within and between departments and offering opportunities for "structured serendipity" https://t.co/CjwW4ONcEb

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Read the article: https://t.co/ihfWjXnb9r

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Being a trusted adviser can include being openly critical of the organisation seeking advice. In Ilana Bolingford’s research with Australian law academics one participant described a relationship with a regulator combining criticism of its work with broad support for its mission.

[Mark Reed @profmarkreed]

Many of the researchers she interviewed felt their expertise was undervalued within their universities, with engagement often spilling beyond normal working hours. Ilana argues for dedicated workload allocations and recognition in appraisal and promotion decisions.