What could your research make possible?
A strong impact plan begins with the research itself. Rather than adding activities simply to satisfy a proposal requirement, consider who could benefit from the work, what meaningful change could result, and what activities or partnerships could help make that change possible.
For NSF proposals, these activities contribute to the proposal's Broader Impacts—the potential for the project to benefit society and contribute to desired societal outcomes. NSF considers Broader Impacts alongside Intellectual Merit in proposal review.
Research → Who benefits? → What could change? → How will you create that change? → How will you know?
1 — START WITH THE RESEARCH. What does your project uniquely make possible?
2 — IDENTIFY THE BENEFIT. Who could use, learn from, build upon, or otherwise benefit from the work?
3 — DEFINE THE CHANGE. What knowledge, capability, skill, practice, technology, resource, or other outcome could result?
4 — DESIGN THE ACTIVITY. What realistic activity will help translate the research into that benefit?
5 — PLAN FOR SUCCESS. What evidence will demonstrate that the activity accomplished what you intended?
TYPES OF IMPACT
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Student research experiences, curriculum development, educator development, mentoring, technical training.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Skills development, experiential learning, professional preparation, technical workforce pipelines.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT & COMMUNICATION
Public programs, exhibits, demonstrations, accessible research communication, citizen engagement.
PARTNERSHIPS & TRANSLATION
Industry collaborations, government partnerships, schools, nonprofits, Extension, technology transfer and implementation.
ECONOMIC & NATIONAL BENEFIT
Innovation, commercialization, U.S. competitiveness, national security, resilient systems and technologies.
RESEARCH CAPACITY & INFRASTRUCTURE
Shared tools, datasets, software, instrumentation, research networks, facilities and new institutional capabilities.
TIP: Don't promise an activity just because it sounds impressive. Reviewers are looking for a credible plan. Choose activities that make sense for the research, match the project's resources and expertise, and produce an outcome you can realistically assess.
Don't Go It Alone. Build on what MSU already does well.
Strong impact activities don't have to start from scratch. MSU has programs, facilities, expertise, partnerships, and outreach infrastructure that may help you turn an idea into an achievable plan.
Use the MSU Assets for Proposal Planning (MAPP) to identify university resources that align with your project's needs—from student engagement and education to partnerships, specialized expertise, facilities, communications, and more.
→ Explore MSU Assets with MAPP
→ Check out MSU Partner Profiles
PRO TIP: Start looking for partners and resources early. A strong impact plan doesn't just describe what you intend to do—it demonstrates that you have the people, capacity, and connections needed to make it happen.