Publicly funded research infrastructures, such as ELIXIR, enable the creation of scientific knowledge and drive innovation. Due to both the substantial public investment necessary for their creation and maintenance, and the significance of their contribution to the scientific community, research infrastructures have a role to play in public policy.
Here, we summarise why it is important for research infrastructures to be involved in policy, share some examples of ELIXIR’s influence in this sphere, and outline how we track our policy actions, outcomes and impact.
Why is policy impact important?
Policy impact refers to the effect or influence of the activities of a research infrastructure on policies, recommendations and guidelines created by organisations such as governments, research funders, think tanks and intergovernmental bodies.
There are many advantages of a close link between research infrastructures and policy making. Research infrastructures address societal challenges, such as healthcare, food security and climate change, and by influencing policy they can ensure that research findings and scientific knowledge are effectively translated into practical applications and policies that benefit society.
In addition, active engagement in policy discussions promotes transparency, accountability and public trust. It makes visible the activities of research infrastructures, demonstrates the impact of their work and communicates the value of scientific investments to funders and taxpayers.
A snapshot of ELIXIR’s policy impact
From ELIXIR’s inception to the end of 2022, 49 ELIXIR-supported publications have been cited in 262 different policy documents by 77 different policy organisations. These sources include the Publications Office of the European Union, intergovernmental bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, and by a number of governments within and beyond Europe.
Highlights of 2022 included:
- Towards a European Health Research and Innovation Cloud (HRIC) cited by the official state bulletin of Spain
- FAIRsharing as a community approach to standards, repositories and policies cited in a European Commission report
- The COVID-19 Data Portal: accelerating SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 research through rapid open access data sharing cited in a UK Government report
In addition to publication citations, ELIXIR receives a wide range of mentions in policy documents. At the time of writing, at least 240 policy documents mention ELIXIR, its projects, supported resources and key achievements. These are found in a variety of policy sources including the European Commission, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations and G7.
Of significance, are the mention of ELIXIR resources in funding body guidelines for grantees. These include:
- Open Research Data and Data Management Plans, Information for ERC grantees, Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC) 2022
- Horizon Europe Programme Guide, European Commission (EC) 2022
- IMI2 project guidelines for open access to publications and research data, Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) 2021
- Open Research Data and Data Management Plans, Information for ERC grantees, Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC) 2018
- IMI2 project guidelines for open access to publications and research data, Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) 2018
How does ELIXIR track policy actions and policy impact?
Since 2012, a record has been kept of all policy actions with key stakeholders, which are visible in the policy section of our impact dashboard. Also tracked, and visible in the same dashboard section, are mentions of ELIXIR, its projects, supported resources and key achievements in policy documents. Manual tracking is complemented by the Overton.io database, the world’s largest searchable index of policy publications.
Over the years, impact and policy expertise have been developed in the ELIXIR Hub and Nodes and disseminated internally, supported by both the ELIXIR-CONVERGE project and an internally funded ELIXIR project to build capacity in impact evaluation. This, along with ongoing efforts, enables ELIXIR to engage with policy bodies both at the national, European and international levels.
In summary
The active involvement of research infrastructures in the policy sphere is a significant task, both in terms of promoting and monitoring policy influence. However, successful engagement strengthens the bridge between scientific research and policy implementation, promoting the longevity of the infrastructure and maximising their impact on society.
Find out more
- ELIXIR impact dashboard
- ELIXIR’s Impact Focus Group, and its numerous resources for ELIXIR Nodes (requires login)
- Martin, Corinne S., et al. "Demonstrating public value to funders and other stakeholders—the journey of ELIXIR, a virtual and distributed research infrastructure for life science data." Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics 92.3 (2021): 497-510.