Development of a novel and more holistic approach for assessing impact in health and medical research: the Research Impact Assessment Framework

Considered investment in health and medical research (HMR) is critical for fostering a healthcare system that is sustainable, effective, responsive, and innovative. While several tools exist to measure the impact of research, few assess the research environment that nurtures and supports impactful research and the strategic alignment of research with societal needs. This perspective article discusses the limitations of existing assessment tools and presents a novel Research Impact Assessment Framework designed to enable more strategic and targeted investment towards HMR, having the potential for significant public benefit. What is known about the topic? Research impact assessment is critical for enabling productive research with the potential for significant public benefit. Few existing frameworks comprehensively assess the attributes that make research impactful. What does this paper add? A novel Research Impact Assessment Framework (RIAF) is presented which considers the research environment and the alignment of research to the priorities of end-beneficiaries and funders. What are the implications for practitioners? The RIAF is designed to enable organisations and funders to comprehensively assess their research initiatives, ultimately fostering research that has the potential to generate meaningful societal impact.