In contrast with the ‘technical and specialist skills’ associated with STEM, contributions from graduates of the HASS sector are poorly understood. This report makes the case for a clearer articulation of the value of HASS in the context of Australia’s future workforce.

For industries to adopt innovations and for research to have an impact, there must be significant shifts in people’s behaviours, their perceptions, and the ways communities engage with research. These activities are the research focus of the humanities, arts, and social sciences (HASS) disciplines.

The use of the term “impact” in the social sciences and humanities has lately acquired a defensive tone. This paper argues that the “impact” of SSH could and should be seen as actively contributing to the transformative relationship between science and society.

This report is based on the premise that the use of impact assessments can bring substantial benefits to the research community, including enabling the community to better communicate its value, encouraging developments in research and teaching, and — fundamentally — helping the community find ways to increase its already substantial impacts across society.

Designed to test the robustness of a wide range of indicators and methods of assessment of engagement and impact of academic research on the wider society, this report summarises the findings from the ERA Engagement and Impact Pilot (EI Pilot) and its review, and proposes modifications to the methodology EI Assessment in 2018.