This is not the case of the Polytechnic University of Turin, the oldest Italian public technical university. The institution was awarded by the European Commission with the “HR Excellence in Research”, a distinction that recognizes the commitment in ensuring a positive and attractive environment for researchers from all over the world. Research and education are pursued together with a deep cooperation with the socio-economic actors. This facilitates the knowledge transfer and leads to a tangible impact in the economic, societal and scientific sphere.
Making a difference through the impact of research result
At the University of Turin, META Group delivered a capacity building exercise for both the technical and administrative staff and the researchers. The aim of this pilot was to raise awareness on how to enable impact when implementing Horizon Europe projects. The focus was on how to create the context for maximising impact. This is becoming a critical aspect of research initiatives supported by Horizon Europe and also by other funding programs, such as Next Generation EU, etc.
META proposed a “pathway” that engaged side by side the staff of the EU research office and those involved in research activities. The exercise included a workshop for the university staff followed by a webinar for the researchers to analyse impact in Horizon Europe projects.
The programme also included an on-site writing lab on how to prepare a solid and competitive impact section in a EU-funded proposal. This last session was open to researchers and professionals from the technical staff and research office. This opportunity gave them the chance to improve the most critical aspects of the impact section in their current projects or applications.