'Driven by impact' online workshop

2 July 2025
10:00 am
12:30 pm

In research infrastructures like ELIXIR, much of the value created is not captured by traditional academic outputs such as publications or citations. Contributions such as data services, tools, standards, training and community building often generate long-term and collaborative impacts that remain difficult to evidence through metrics.

At the same time, funders and institutional leaders increasingly expect a more precise articulation of how activities contribute to scientific and societal outcomes. Yet many find that their plans and assumptions about impact remain implicit or vague, which can lead to unclear priorities and generic reporting.

Impact pathway logic models provide a structured way to make these relationships explicit. They help map how specific activities are expected to lead to outputs, outcomes and long-term impacts. Used well, they can also guide project design – offering a clearer and more visual picture of what is required to achieve goals, and helping to drive projects with greater focus and intent.

Who should attend

Anyone within ELIXIR who is asked to demonstrate the impact of their work, at the level of a Node, Platform, EC or internal projects, community, training programme or technical services.

The workshop will also benefit those involved in designing new initiatives/projects, where impact logic models can strengthen planning from the start.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the session, you will be able to: 

  • Identify existing strategies and approaches to demonstrate the performance and impact of a research infrastructure or of an initiative within a research infrastructure (e.g. programme, work package, focus group, community, service, tool, etc)
  • Describe the impact pathway logic and design
  • Recognise the breadth of evidence (incl. indicators) and methods relating to the performance and impact of a research infrastructure or a part of it.

Organisers

Speakers / organisers from ELIXIR-UK
  • Xènia Pérez Sitjà
    • Earlham Institute
  • Prof
    Krzysztof Poterlowicz
    • University of Bradford