Environment, natural resources and agriculture research - draft strategy: consultation

5. Maximising Impact

Our research must produce outputs which are useful, accessible and influential for government and other users, thereby maximising the impact of our research funding. Within the research process, we will drive a culture of openness by improving the visibility of the research, and embedding open science and open data approaches. Research results funded through the programme, and the associated data, should be freely available by default (see also section 7: Governance and Reporting).

We recognise that there is not a simple journey between the production of scientific and research evidence and subsequent impact upon policy and practice. Instead there is a need for intermediary researchers, gatekeepers and other experts whose work it is to go back and forth across this divide. To do this we will continue to support a Centre for Knowledge Exchange.

We also recognise that scientific research and technical innovation can reveal emerging challenges, and also new opportunities, which would have otherwise been unforeseen by government and policy makers. The horizon-scanning element of the research programme is a new initiative, specifically designed to support the identification of early-warnings for environment, natural assets, agriculture and rural communities.

Further details on both knowledge exchange and horizon scanning are provided in Annex B.