The Impact Agenda at Data School: Make Change Happen!

Connecting Academia with Partners in Society

The first Data School impact event is a wrap! On September 11, 2024, Data School organised the first information and networking event for its upcoming Impact Projects, which are part of the larger Impact Agenda at Utrecht University (UU). The Impact Projects aim to stimulate collaborations between researchers and societal partners in the public sector and media. The event took place in the Faculty Club, where guests from different external organisations and academic staff exchanged ideas over lunch. Among the attendees where representatives from organisations such as RNW Media, the Pan Asian Collective (PAC), DataBeet, RIVM, and the Commissariaat voor de Media (CvdM).

Funding Transdisciplinary Collaborations

Data School is offering funds for practice-relevant research projects in form of “impact vouchers”. These provide up to €8.000,- for research, while partner organisations match this amount with their own contributions. Partners in the public sector and/or the media are encouraged to apply jointly with UU researchers for these funds to start transdisciplinary research projects. These projects ideally tackle challenges related to the responsible use of data and AI in public administration or how digital technology changes media policies.

During the event, attendees had a chance to pitch their project ideas to seek feedback and find potential partners. For example, RNW Media outlined different potential projects aimed at developing counter-narratives about migration with the help of digital media. The CvdM talked about how digital technologies offer opportunities but also pose challenges for interacting with the public. PAC would like to conduct more empirical research into the representation of Asians in Dutch media. Overall, a diverse range of project ideas was shared that aim for societal impact but also connect strongly to research done at the UU.

Furthermore, researchers and practitioners discussed the difficulties of finding an efficient way to work together. The availability of resources as well as commitment but also different expectations towards the yields of research are crucial factors here. While organisations seek practical solutions, researchers are often more interested in writing publications. However, attendees pointed out that both can and should be combined in fruitful joint projects. One participant raised the important question of “how to measure impact?” This is indeed a tricky but also exciting challenge where organisations and researchers need to explore together how to best share their knowledge and insights with the public. Data School offers here support and made it part of its impact agenda to further research how impact can be achieved and assessed in practice.

Next Steps?

Researchers at UU and partner organisations are now invited to submit their proposals by October 11, 2024 via the impact page on the Data School website. The impact networking events will be held twice per year as of 2025, with two opportunities per year to submit a proposal.

For any query or potential interest in participating in the Impact Projects, please contact Dennis Nguyen at d.nguyen1@uu.nl