As an advocate for the arts and humanities, the AHRC has an important role to play in advocating the full range of economic, social and cultural impacts and benefits derived from arts and humanities research.
Arts and Humanities research can make an enormous contribution to the economic prosperity and social fabric of the UK. Indeed, many of the fastest growing parts of the UK economy sit within the AHRC's subject domains including new media, computer games, music, textiles and fashion, design, film and television.
There are a wide variety of pathways through which arts and humanities research can create value. The arts and humanities create social and economic benefits directly and indirectly through improvements in social and intellectual captial, social networking, community identity, learning and skills and quality of life.
Details of how we assess impact and case studies of projects we have assessed are available below:
AHRC Impact Strategy (75kb)
AHRC Position Paper (58kb)
Examples of Impact from AHRC-funded projects (273kb)
New Impact Summary and Plans: - Frequently Asked Questions (52kb)
Impact Case Studies
Impact Fellowships
Research Workshops- Impact of Arts & Humanities Research
Economic Impact Reporting Framework
The Economic Impact Reporting Framework contains data on selected aspects of AHRC performance relevant to the Government's objectives for the UK science base.
Postgraduate Career Tracking
A key consideration in the evaluation of AHRC postgraduate provision is the longitudinal tracking of students into academia and other areas of employment. The purpose of the study conducted by DTZ Consulting and Research (in association with Swift Research) is to understand the career progression, employment patterns and skills of AHRC-funded postgraduates, and to examine their likely impacts in academia and beyond. This marks the first step in establishing an evidence base on postgraduate career pathways in the arts and humanities.
Report of findings(1879kb)