Bring knowledge back to Earth

In today's complex world, addressing global challenges requires translating knowledge into tangible societal benefits.  At the same time, there's a heartfelt call for reform within the academic community, driven by a desire for improved recognition, fairer career paths, and better incentives. In this environment, universities and funding agencies are under increased scrutiny to demonstrate the impact of their work, align with national priorities and prove their value to the public, funders, and stakeholders.  This journey goes beyond conventional metrics; it's about a shared commitment to making a meaningful difference. 

Exploring academia’s desire to demonstrate the real-world impact of research and set a trajectory for more holistic evaluation, Back to Earth: Landing real-world impact in academic evaluation examines progress to date, barriers to change, and potential next steps.

Gain insights into the perspectives of 400 surveyed academic leaders, funders and researchers on the importance of impact in research evaluation and how the academic community must work together to evolve current systems.

Institutions and their researchers face mounting pressure to demonstrate their wider value; for example, their contributions in areas such as open science, societal change, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

At the same time, there are calls to improve recognition and incentives and provide researchers with fairer career paths. The academic community needs a new evaluation structure that not only meets all these needs, but is equitable, effective, and inclusive.

In this report, we hear from global academic leaders and heads of funding bodies about what they would like to see change and how they see the system evolving.