Health research plays an important role in improving health equity, but the impact of large, cross disciplinary collaborations is not always easy to measure. A new publication led by a UCRH researcher and published in Health Research Policy and Systems shows how research impact can be assessed in a clear and practical way.
The study focuses on the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health, or CRE-DH, a national collaboration that ran from 2016 to 2023. The CRE-DH brought together researchers, policymakers and disability organisations to address complex issues affecting people with disability, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research team applied the Framework to Assess the Impact from Translational health research, known as FAIT, to retrospectively assess the collaboration’s impact from 2016 to 2024. The framework combines an economic analysis with a structured assessment of research outcomes and a narrative account of how impact occurred.
Using project records, reports, publications and interviews with stakeholders, the team assessed impact across five areas: knowledge advancement, capacity strengthening, policy contribution, economic impact and community benefit.
The findings show that an initial investment of $5.4 million generated a further $39.9 million in additional funding through grants, consultancies and fellowships. CRE-DH members also produced a substantial body of research and engagement outputs, with strong reach into media and policy settings.
Policy influence was a key outcome, with 29 policy submissions made during the life of the collaboration. Work focused on COVID-19 and its disproportionate impact on people with disability had particular influence on government policy discussions.
The study also highlights the CRE-DH’s role in strengthening disability research capacity, including support for early career researchers and events that brought together researchers, policymakers and disability organisations.
While the study demonstrates clear impact across research, policy and economic domains, it also identifies gaps in data collection, particularly around community level benefits and disability representation. The authors use these insights to propose practical recommendations to strengthen impact planning and evaluation in future research collaborations.
