Summary of the impact

Although an adequate micronutrient intake and status is necessary for health and deficiency disease prevention, an excess dietary intake may have deleterious effects on health. Our impact has been to inform, stimulate and move forward our understanding of micronutrient requirements across the human lifecycle. Our activities have led to the development of WHO, EU and national nutrient intake recommendations which have had a significant impact on public health policies and initiatives which address food security.

We provided specialist expertise to the WHO Guidance Expert Advisory Group for assessing the effects of potassium and sodium intakes on human health. As a result, WHO has developed its first dietary guideline on intakes of potassium (adults and children) and sodium (children) for cardiovascular health.

Our original research in micronutrients including iron, zinc and fluoride and our systematic review approach have generated the evidence required for deriving nutritional recommendations, exemplified by our contribution to European dietary reference values (DRVs). These are used by member states to produce national health policies, guidelines and nutrient intake recommendations.

Summary of the impact

Use of our new Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS) technology for measuring 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D (25OHD) has had both major clinical and economic impacts on:

• patient care via the National Osteoporosis Society Guideline (April 2013) `Vitamin D and Bone Health — A Practical Clinical Guideline for Patient Management'
• accredited laboratory assay methodologies where reports from the Vitamin D External Quality Assessment Scheme show increasing use of Tandem MS in recognition of the need to accurately measure both 25OHD₂ and D₃
• army recruits through the amended Ministry of Defence training policy which now incorporates an approach to injury/stress fracture prevention and improvements in Vitamin D status
• the NHS through uptake of the Tandem MS 25OHD assay.

Summary of the impact

The primary impact of our research has been through systems that provide information for the deaf community via animated sign language. Tools exploiting our research into automatic generation of human motion, especially for sign language, are used in several ways:

• as a mechanism for face-to-face communication between deaf and hearing people;
• for the provision of public information in sign language in a semi-automatic way;
• to display the content of web sites in sign language;
• to provide sign language for TV programmes.

The same avatar (animated character) technology has also been applied in two other arenas: as a foreign language learning resource for primary school children and to add value to cultural heritage presentations.

Summary of the impact

Conservation of migratory bird species is an inherently international endeavour, because the fate of these species depends upon the actions of nations throughout their migratory ranges.

Research into migratory wading bird populations by Jennifer Gill and colleagues at UEA has had the following impacts:

• directly influenced the development of International Species Action Plans published by the European Union and the Convention on Migratory Species;
• determined appropriate actions for individual nations, including site protection, habitat restoration and management and a moratorium on hunting;
• developed techniques for wet grassland restoration and management (to benefit ground- nesting birds) that are being implemented as agri-environment initiatives throughout lowland England.

Summary of the impact

Interdisciplinary research conducted in the School of International Development (2003-4) demonstrated for the first time high HIV prevalence and AIDS incidence among 0.5 billion people in fishing-dependent communities across the world. Subsequent research analysed the causes and suggested new strategies for development assistance and health service delivery. Dissemination of these insights to stakeholders generated significant post-2008 impacts on national government, international agency and NGO policies and programmes, contributing to improved access to prevention, treatment and care for hundreds of thousands of people. The research improved HIV/AIDS mainstreaming in natural resource sector governance and development programmes via training manuals, toolkits and policy briefs.

Summary of the impact

Social pensions targeting poor households have emerged as a major anti-poverty policy for developing countries. Since 2008, programmes have been established or extended in Bangladesh, Mexico, Peru, Uganda and the Philippines. Collectively, these programmes provide regular cash payments to at least six million households not previously covered by formal social protection. DEV research significantly contributed to this by (i) raising awareness of social pensions among NGOs, UN agencies and key policy makers; (ii) providing robust evidence of the effects of existing social pension programmes; and (iii) more recently, identifying limitations of existing schemes and the need for complementary interventions.

Summary of the impact

Since 1995 Richard Hodges and a team from the School of World Art Studies (ART, UEA) have guided the development of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Butrint, Albania, a major Adriatic port and fortress, occupied from c.600 BC until its abandonment from around 1500 AD. The impacts centre on (i) excavation, interpretation and publishing, (ii) the protection of cultural heritage, (iii) job-creation and capacity building, (iv) establishing a standard for the management of related assets in Albania, and (v) tourism, visitor figures having risen from under 1000 per year in the 1990s to 281,441 during the REF period.

Summary of the impact

Current Defra policy on river catchment management has been informed by our interdisciplinary research over a 10-year period, much of it addressing the challenges posed by the EU Water Framework Directive. Outcomes from our research are reflected in the policies proposed in the 2011 Water for Life White Paper and also in the multi-million pound investment plans of water companies. We have also influenced a whole-community framework for catchment management in the UK that was piloted in 2011 and has now been extended to 100 catchments across England.

Summary of the impact

Many hand surgical units worldwide have routinely used night-time splints in all patients after Dupuytren's contracture fasciectomy and dermo-fasciectomy, despite the lack of robust evidence to support its use.

Jerosch-Herold's programme of research identified that routine night-time splinting for all patients after fasciectomy or dermo-fasciectomy surgical treatments for Dupuytren's contracture is not beneficial. This finding is changing clinical practice, and informing guidelines and policies in the UK, New Zealand and the USA. As a result, health care organisations are ceasing to prescribe routine night-time splinting. This reduces inconvenience and discomfort for patients, relieves pressure on services and generates financial savings, all whilst maintaining equally good clinical outcomes.

The reach of the research findings impact is high, as Dupuytren's contracture is a common disorder of people of Northern European ancestry which results in surgical interventions for thousands of people annually (13,000 pa in the UK alone).

Summary of the impact

The case study addresses the impact of the project `Children Decide: power, participation and purpose in the primary classroom' (2004-6) regarding its two aims: developing collaborative approaches to decision-making in schools, and advancing methodological understanding of children as action researchers. The project made a subsequent methodological contribution (children as researchers) to educational evaluation and policy in two international organisations. Since 2008, the project has had a direct and significant impact on children's participation in decision-making in Norfolk schools, as reported by the teachers and those who attended dissemination conferences and professional development initiatives, and nationally by educators who used the published report.