The Motivation Dimension: The National Alliance for Broader Impacts

• In Event: Collaborative Engagement in Higher Education Reform Networks: Applying a Framework to Understand Network Dynamics

Abstract

The National Alliance for Broader Impacts (NABI) emerged in 2013 as a grass roots response to the challenges experienced by universities in addressing increasing requirements of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to broaden the societal impacts of research through explicit impact activities. The challenge of broader impacts is rooted in lack of clarity about the broader impacts criterion (NSB, 2011). Many scientists lack training to address broader impacts and the university system of professional reward and advancement presents a significant structural barrier (Risien and Nilson, 2018). Cultural and structural conditions also constrain scientists from establishing partnerships across disciplines and organizations necessary for broader impacts success (NABI, 2018; Risien and Storksdieck, 2018).

After an initial summit of 80 people, a national network was organized. This presentation uses the experiences of this network to highlight the dimension of the Collaborative Dynamics Framework pertaining to Motivation to establish a network. NABI leaders have employed a loose structure that prioritizes learning and collaborative innovation. Before NABI existed, members reported feeling alone and unsupported in their efforts to advance broader impacts. The network provided a community of peers and a rich source of information and connection to national organizations including NSF and AAU (Risien and Goldstein, 2019).

Reform efforts are locally defined and locally implemented. They range from creating and securing funds for institutional offices dedicated to broader impacts support, to community of practice coordination, to ad hoc advising and collaborating on broader impacts design and evaluation. NABI gathers broader impacts support professionals through an annual summit. The summit provides an infrastructure for learning and a predictable rhythm for the network (Risien, 2018). Between summits, NABI members communicate through a listserv, visit each other’s campuses, and share tools and insights to support evolving practice.

To date, NABI (around 1,000 members) is open to anyone with interest. Member commitment is merely a level of engagement that serves individuals in their efforts to improve broader impacts practice at their own institutions. The leadership has built a warm and transparent culture that focuses on what members can accomplish together and maintains the moral imperative of science benefiting society as a central driver of engagement and collaboration. In this way, competition between universities takes a back seat to improving practice.

In 2018, NABI gave way to the Center for Advancing Research Impacts in Society (ARIS). While NABI had a modest goal to build a distributed community of practice in a domain where none existed, ARIS (with ten times the resources) aims to sustain the network and provide members the resources they need to be successful. The community is in transition. The membership structure and processes for organizational commitment will likely become more structured as ARIS develops. Members report that connection to a community of peers and a national organization elevates their practice and adds legitimacy to their work in their own institutions.

Author

• Julie Risien, Oregon State University