Impact VS Excellence
By Nicholas Vafeas
Published 30 April 2024
At a Glance
The Core Problem: Academic and institutional funding frameworks often treat scientific "excellence" (high-profile journal publications) and societal "impact" (real-world policy or industry application) as a zero-sum game.
The System Failure: Prioritising high-profile accolades alone creates an innovation monoculture lacking practical utility, while focusing purely on short-term impact yields superficial solutions devoid of deep foundational science.
The Solution: True innovation requires a balanced research ecosystem where excellence acts as the structural foundation that directly feeds and enables long-term societal, economic, and industrial impact.
True scientific innovation requires looking beyond the trophy canopy to focus on the deep, structural data that drives long-term societal impact.
In the world of academia, every researcher at every stage in their career would likely have come across the comparison of "Impact" versus “Excellence”. But what is impact? How do you define excellence? And why (if it is the case) must I choose one over the other?
Imagine academia as a forest filled with different types of trees. Some trees grow tall and straight, reaching the top of the canopy, impressive and stand out for their height and strength. These trees represent "excellence." They are the scientific papers published in top journals, the studies that are meticulously researched, and the researchers who gain prestigious awards. They are what everyone sees when they look at the forest, the symbols of research success. But in the forest, it's not just the tall trees that matter. There are also smaller trees, the shrubs, the bramble berries I’m so fond of eating in the summer. These represent the "impact" of research (the practical, real-world effects that stem from academic work).
These could be:
New medical treatments, environmental policies, educational programmes.
Novel engineering and industrial frameworks.
Targeted educational programmes.
or even the siloed niche research of which you’ve never heard, yet feeds into a greater science.
They might not be as visibly striking as the tall trees, but they are crucial for the health and sustainability of the forest. Now, if we focused only on growing the tallest trees, the forest would lose its diversity.
It may be impressive to look at, but much like the pine forests that drape the Wicklow Mountains, they don’t have much to offer to the creatures living within them.
Likewise, if researchers only focused on achieving excellence in terms of high-profile publications and accolades, they might overlook the impact their work could have on society. Similarly, if we focused on the smaller plants and shrubs, the forest could become dense and overgrown, losing its structure and guidance. This would represent a focus solely on impact, i.e. research that quickly addresses immediate needs but lacks the solid foundation and long-term vision of excellent studies, particularly from an innovation perspective.
The balance between excellence and impact is what makes the forest thrive.
When researchers understand that both are important, they create a harmonious ecosystem. In practical terms, it boils down to "what do you perceive to be a successful contribution? A scientific breakthrough in a niche subject? A stand-out speech that motivates societal change? Perhaps a home garden with a particularly well groomed vegie section?
Ultimately, success is subjective and can be defined by the contributions you make. These contributions are often judged by their excellence, and the true measure of excellence is how much impact those contributions have. Impact and excellence cannot (and should not) be viewed as as mutually exclusive. They are intertwined, with excellence providing the solid base for impact.