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The impact of this on-going project has been to raise cultural awareness of Eastern European history and life behind the Iron Curtain by bringing together communities of former Eastern European citizens in Bristol. It has given those communities the opportunity to share their stories with a group with many common experiences. The project has also given them the opportunity to increase their awareness of other Eastern European countries. Public awareness has been raised through a series of events which have allowed project participants to voice their views and experiences, including a museum exhibition, a series of school workshops, and a set of resources for secondary school teachers.
The Bristol department of Classics and Ancient History has long been well known for its work on the reception of antiquity. In addition to scholarly publication it has sponsored a great many public events on reception topics, bringing aspects of the classical heritage to the attention of diverse audiences. The first aspect of the impact therefore relates to "creating and interpreting cultural capital" (Main Panel D Criteria, para 84). The second aspect is the influence this research has had on education during the REF period in HEIs both in the UK and North America with respect to the undergraduate curriculum.
Research conducted at the University of Bristol between 2002 and 2006 directly influenced a significant commercial decision about use of a food additive to aid appetite control, which protected consumers from an ineffective product. Concerns about increasing levels of obesity worldwide and the toll this takes not only on human health but on health care costs, have led to the development of food ingredients that satisfy hunger for longer (enhance satiety). One such major new ingredient, Fabuless, which is owned by DSM (Dutch State Mines), a leading global manufacturer of food ingredients, was being considered by Unilever for inclusion in its range of diet foods. DSM and Unilever contacted Professor Peter Rogers, who is known for his novel methods for the experimental study of appetite control, to test the effectiveness of Fabuless. Rogers demonstrated no satiety effect of Fabuless when consumed in realistic products, which caused Unilever to abandon Fabuless as a potential food ingredient in 2009. Publication of the research also meant that other food manufacturing companies and regulatory authorities were informed about the ineffectiveness of Fabuless.
This case study focuses on the impact of research carried out at the University of Cambridge into the history of evolution by Professor James Secord and co-workers, notably the impact of two research programmes: the Darwin Correspondence Project and Darwin Online. These projects have contributed to a substantial reorientation of public discourse on the history of evolution. The impact has been achieved through web resources; museum and library exhibitions; teaching materials for schools and universities; and radio and television programmes. These outputs have encouraged public understanding of the range of contributors to science, including women; an awareness of the diversity of positions in the evolutionary debate; and an appreciation of the complex relations between evolutionary science and faith. The projects have shown that the highest achievements of scholarship can be made freely accessible to a global audience.
The project's initial output was a book and website for the Institute of Historical Research's series `England's Past for Everyone'. The UWE project, alone among the 14 comparable Heritage Lottery Funded projects, focused on ethnicity, pioneering new approaches to researching urban history, providing material accessible to museums, community and minority groups, schools and artists, and helping Bristol's reorientation towards greater ethnic inclusivity. The research informed Bristol's M-Shed Museum, a £24 million HLF/City Council project; inspired community and media projects; informed public history debates in the UK and USA; and encouraged new approaches by historians and community groups (e.g. special edition of Midland History, 2011).
The University of Southampton's long-term archaeological research at Avebury forms the basis upon which national and international heritage organisations such as the National Trust and UNESCO manage and preserve one of the most important prehistoric landscapes in the world. Local councils have used the research findings to inform their own policy and planning decisions. Research disseminated through museum exhibitions, public engagement events and publications has resulted in increased public interest and understanding of the site, stimulating greater tourism and local economic benefit.
Politicians and diplomats in Britain and Latin America, together with descendants of the 7,000 British and Irish mercenaries who served under Simón Bolívar between 1810 and 1830, have benefited over the past five years from fresh insights into how Britain helped Colombia and Venezuela achieve independence from colonial rule. This more accurate understanding of historical relationships, gained through original research undertaken at the University of Bristol since 2005, has illuminated many personal histories, underpinned national bicentenary commemorations and helped to inform British foreign policy.
The Penguin Archive Project, funded by a major grant from the AHRC [7], produced an online catalogue of the Penguin Collection at the University of Bristol Library (launched in 2011). Penguin Books transformed the range and greatly extended the availability of books to a general readership in the twentieth century. The Penguin Archive located at the University of Bristol can therefore be conceived of as a record of the democratisation of reading in the UK in the twentieth century. As a result of the Penguin Archive Project impact has been realised in three main areas: improving access to the Penguin Archive and making it easier to use for a variety of non-academic users; raising awareness and understanding of the significance of the archive and the rich cultural heritage of Penguin books through public engagement and media activities including a major international conference in 2010; developing collaborative links with Penguin and contributing to their publishing practice. As a result, researchers, editors, authors, publishers and other users such as the Penguin Collectors Society now have access to this major resource.
The Stonehenge Riverside Project was carried out between 2003 and 2010, to determine the purpose of Stonehenge by investigating both the monument and the surrounding landscape. The project's reach and importance have been considerable, from training and inspiring the next generation of professional archaeologists to stimulating people worldwide with new knowledge about Stonehenge, providing artistic inspiration and changing perceptions and beliefs about the use of the site, leading to significant economic, cultural and technological benefits.