10 lessons from grant proposals that led to the most significant and far-reaching impacts

Introduction In this blog, we analyse ‘pathways to impact’ in grant applications that led to the top scoring impact case studies in the latest UK assessment of research excellence and impact (REF2014). It is easy to find the top scoring case studies, and straight-forward enough to find good examples of pathways to impact, but this is the first time that pathways have been paired with high-scoring case studies. To do this, we contacted those responsible for the majority of impact case studies we could identify that scored the highest grade (4*) in REF2014, and asked if they would allow us to share their pathways to impact. In our analysis, we have identified elements that pathways to winning impact case studies have in common, from a wide range of disciplinary areas. In doing so, we provide suggestions that complement official guidance on writing ‘pathways to impact’ and can help you develop a pathway to significant and far-reaching impacts.