Faculty and research professionals from across campus gathered on May 5 for Designing Competitive Broader Impacts: Strategy, Evaluation, and Communication, a one-day workshop focused on helping researchers strengthen the societal impact of their work and develop more competitive external grant proposals.
Hosted by the Center for Social & Behavioral Science in collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Office of Research, the workshop reflected a shared commitment to supporting faculty as they connect research excellence with community engagement, public understanding, and real-world challenges in ways that align with the University of Illinois’ land-grant mission.
Delivered by Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS), the program brought together participants from diverse disciplines to explore how broader impacts can be intentionally integrated into research design, partnerships, evaluation, and communication strategies.
Practical Strategies for Competitive Proposals
Through lecture-style presentations, interactive discussions, and hands-on collaboration, participants explored practical approaches for integrating broader impacts into research planning and proposal development.
Across four sessions, attendees gained tools and strategies to:
- Align broader impacts with evolving funding priorities
- Develop meaningful and measurable impact plans
- Communicate research value to diverse audiences
- Strengthen competitiveness for external funding opportunities
The day began with an overview of the current broader impacts landscape and became increasingly interactive throughout the day, moving into more focused approaches for evaluating impact activities and communicating research beyond academic audiences. During the workshop’s third session, participants took part in a hands-on collage activity designed to help them creatively explore and communicate the vision, purpose, and potential impact of their research. The day concluded with a collaborative feedback session where attendees applied evaluation tools, refined broader impacts plans, and received targeted peer feedback on application materials.
Learning from National Leadership in Research Impact
The workshop was led by Susan Renoe, PhD, Executive Director of the NSF-funded Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Development & Strategic Partnerships at the University of Missouri.
Drawing from her national leadership in research development and public engagement, Dr. Renoe guided participants through emerging expectations around broader impacts and shared strategies institutions and researchers are using to build stronger, more sustainable impact plans.
Dr. Renoe has been nationally recognized for her contributions to advancing research impact and public engagement, including recognition from the National Organization of Research Development Professionals and election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
As a national initiative supported by the National Science Foundation, ARIS works with universities, organizations, and researchers across sectors to strengthen the societal impacts of research and support meaningful public engagement.
Building Connections Across Disciplines
Beyond the formal sessions, the workshop created opportunities for faculty and research professionals to exchange ideas, discuss shared challenges, and build interdisciplinary connections around research impact and community engagement.
By bringing together researchers and research professionals from multiple disciplines, the workshop fostered new conversations around collaboration, public engagement, and the evolving expectations of externally funded research.
The Designing Competitive Broader Impacts workshop expanded my understanding of what the broader impacts of our research can look like, especially as they relate to our personal and professional passions. The workshop taught us that quality broader impacts are specific, detailed, intentional, and measurable.
Salvatore Callesano Ph.D.
Asst. Professor of Hispanic Linguistics | Attendee
The event highlighted the growing importance of broader impacts in today’s research environment and reinforced the university’s ongoing commitment to supporting research that connects scholarships with meaningful societal outcomes.
Continue the Conversation
Faculty interested in strengthening the broader impacts of their research or developing more competitive external funding proposals are encouraged to connect with research development staff at CSBS. Support is available for proposal development, broader impacts development, partnership building, and communicating research impact.
Connect with:
Kaylee Lukacena, Senior Research Development Manager
Olivia Olvera, Research Development Specialist
Explore Additional Resources
Researchers interested in learning more about broader impacts planning and research communication strategies can explore resources from Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS), including tools, guides, and examples for developing competitive proposals and meaningful impact plans.
ARIS Toolkit