under development
Broader and Societal Impacts Professionals are part of a growth and dynamic field. These professionals support the mission of linking research to societal benefits in a range of ways that make them invaluable to research projects and programs including connecting researchers with key community, industry, and other external partners; helping to design and implement collaborative activities and programs; evaluating the impacts activities of a research program; and creating long-term connections between higher education institutions and the communities they serve. These roles of particularly crucial for land grant institutions that have specific responsibilities in the states. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recently noted that "Leaders of land-grant institutions (university chancellors, provosts, and faculty senates) should formally recognize individuals who serve as boundary spanners or cultural brokers, system stewards, and convenors for their role in supporting the infrastructure and collaborative culture of their institutions, rewarding them through processes such as faculty tenure and promotion, staff annual evaluations, annual awards, and monetary prizes."
This section of the Toolkit for Research Impact focuses on resources for BI/SI professionals and the many, integral roles they play in linking research to impact.