Professor Jenny Lewis appointed as Director, Scholarly and Social Research Impact

“Consulting with all the University’s Academic Divisions was crucial to understanding how best to promote and support research impact at UoM,” said Professor Lewis.

“High quality research is the foundation for all types of impact, and this is captured in the ‘five facets’ model. Being able to demonstrate the impact of our research beyond the academy will only become more important in the future.”

Professor Lewis will focus on institutional academic policies and procedures to drive research impact across all disciplines, including mechanisms for academic reward and recognition via the institutional planning cycle. She will also lead the preparation of the University’s submission to the next national Engagement and Impact assessment.

Her continued collaborative work with senior colleagues across the University will ensure a coherent and coordinated suite of internal activities. The outcomes will support a mature research performance culture that both values the diversity of pathways to impact, and enables Academic Divisions to engage effectively.

Professor Lewis is combining this role with her work as a Professor of Public Policy in the Faculty of Art’s School of Social and Political Sciences, where she has published widely on policy design, policy making, and governance. She currently researches innovation in the public sector, and the digitalisation of public services. Professor Lewis is also President of the International Research Society for Public Management, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and a former Associate Dean, Research.

Professor Lewis officially joins the Chancellery Research and Enterprise team from 3 January, 2022.