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Independent report

Value of EPSRC fellowships

An assessment of the added value, the economic and wider impact of EPSRC fellowships funded since 2006.

From:
EPSRC
Published:

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Value of EPSRC fellowships (PDF)

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Details

This evaluation carried out by Technopolis in partnership with Vitae and Science-Metrics assesses the impact of EPSRC fellowships funded since 2006.

The evaluation employs a mixed-methods approach consisting of economic modelling, primary data analysis, and secondary data analysis.

Main findings include:

  • fellows were able to focus on their research and appreciated the freedom and independence to explore their own ideas and engage in collaborations with academics in the same field, multidisciplinary teams and industry
  • EPSRC fellowships have led to the publication of 11,775 research papers. Papers by EPSRC fellows are cited two times more frequently compared to the world level. This is in line with similar impact measures for the EPSRC. However, 25% of the top 10% highly cited publications come from EPSRC fellows
  • about a half of the fellowships reported collaborations with partners in the UK and across the globe
  • there has been an estimated £43.4 million leveraged from collaborators and £809.1 million further investment captured by EPSRC fellowship alumni
  • to date, 50 EPSRC fellowships from 2006 to 2016 contributed to the creation and development of spinouts. On average 3.6 spinouts were launched per year
  • 106 patent applications are linked to the EPSRC fellowships and 35 patents have been granted to date. There are also examples of the development of research materials, tools, and methods during the EPSRC fellowships
  • research from EPSRC fellowships is contributing towards health, social and environmental impacts. An economic assessment of the benefits reveals a net benefit of £615.2 million emerging from the fellowships, these include:
    • a wage premium over the remainder of their career
    • economic benefits from spinouts created by (or associated to) fellows and associated jobs
    • economic benefits from granted patents.

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