Designing Research for Impact: Global Fellows Explore Broader Impacts and Interdisciplinary Pathways

As global research is increasingly expected to demonstrate real-world relevance, the University of Florida International Center (UFIC) Global Fellows Program is equipping faculty to design research that is measurable, collaborative, and impactful.

The program’s sixth and final workshop, “Broader Impacts – Measuring Scientific Merit and Leveraging Interdisciplinary Partnerships for Societal, Educational and Outreach Impact,” brought together experts from across UF to guide fellows in designing research that not only advances knowledge, but also delivers tangible societal benefits.

Sadie Mills, Assistant Director at the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI), discusses how TESI supports faculty
in developing NSF’s broader impacts during the Global Fellows Workshop.

From Requirement to Strategy: Rethinking Broader Impacts

Opening the session, Sadie Mills, Assistant Director at the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI), reframed broader impacts as a strategic opportunity rather than a requirement. “At its core, broader impacts answer a simple but powerful question: How does your research benefit society?”

Mills explained that these components are evaluated alongside intellectual merit in U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals and are scrutinized by reviewers, program officers, and broader stakeholders. She encouraged fellows to embed impact design directly into their research, rather than treating it as an afterthought. “Effective broader impacts are intentional, collaborative, and integrated into the research design. You don’t have to build everything from scratch - leverage existing UF expertise, centers, and institutes.”

Mills emphasized that strong proposals rely on collaboration, encouraging faculty to work with campus units, museums, schools, and external partners. She also highlighted TESI as a key resource, offering support ranging from K–12 engagement and science communication to evaluation services.

Mariela Pajuelo, Assistant Scientist at TESI, discusses how to communicate
research benefits during the Global Fellows Workshop.

Designing for Real-World Relevance

Building on this strategic framing, Mariela Pajuelo, Assistant Scientist at TESI, demonstrated how broader impacts can strengthen both the quality and reach of research. She outlined multiple pathways for impact, including education, public engagement, conservation, and policy-oriented work, and emphasized that the most effective projects combine intrinsic impacts (embedded in the research) and extrinsic impacts (through outreach and engagement).

Pajuelo stressed the importance of clearly identifying target audiences, building long-term capacity through partnerships and training, and aligning activities with both local and global priorities.

Arati Joshi (Department of Agricultural Education and Communication)  
discusses strategies for creating broader impacts in global
research during the  Global Fellows Workshop.

Measuring What Matters

Arati Joshi, from the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication with experience in evaluation design, focused on how to measure impact effectively. “Many proposals with strong intellectual merit are still declined. Broader impacts are often where proposals differentiate themselves.” She introduced practical evaluation frameworks, including logic models, theory of change, and the TOP Model, to help researchers design clear, measurable, and evidence-based impact pathways.

Joshi also highlighted available support systems, such as the UF/IFAS Strategic Collaborative for Engagement and Evaluation (SCENE),  an initiative that brings together experts in evaluation and engagement from all across the University of Florida to collaborate with faculty in the preparation and submission of grant proposals, and the American Evaluation Association, encouraging faculty to integrate evaluation early in proposal development.

Paloma Carton de Grammont (Assistant Director of the University of Florida Water Institute),
presents on the Water Institute’s work and its role in advancing interdisciplinary
water research during the Global Fellows Workshop.

Scaling Impact Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Closing the session, Paloma Carton de Grammont, Assistant Director of the UF Water Institute, demonstrated how interdisciplinary ecosystems can amplify research impact at scale. The Water Institute connects faculty along with government agencies, NGOs, and industry partners, to address complex water challenges through integrated approaches. “Our role is to convene, not just researchers, but stakeholders and communities, to co-develop solutions that are scientifically sound and socially relevant.”

Through initiatives like the Water Institute Graduate Fellows Program (WIGF), faculty and students are trained in team science, stakeholder engagement, and science communication, building research programs that are both competitive and sustainable.

From Seed Funding to Scalable Impact

This workshop reinforced the central goal of the Global Fellows Program: to equip faculty with knowledge, partnerships, and tools to move early-stage ideas into sustainable international research. By connecting fellows with campus experts, interdisciplinary units, and practical frameworks for designing and evaluating research impact, the session created a space to identify potential collaborators and strengthen approaches to international research and engagement.

For more information, visit the Global Fellows page.