Dr. Eric Jensen

Funding

Since 2007, Prof. Jensen has led 100+ research, evaluation or impact projects or work packages as PI, co-PI or co-I, worth about $7.3 million to his institutions (total value of these projects is around $37.3 million). These projects have involved leadership responsibilities for research and survey design, data collection methods, and reporting for non-expert stakeholders.

He has worked with a wide range of funders, including the National Science Foundation (USA), Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (USA), The Brinson Foundation (USA), European Commission (EU), UK Research and Innovation (Arts & Humanities Research Council; Economic and Social Research Council), National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (UK), UK government departments (inc. Defra; DCMS), the Nuffield Foundation (UK-based), Sciencewise, Arts Council England, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, Disney Conservation Fund, Science Foundation Ireland, the German government (BMBF – education ministry), Brazilian government (federal and state of Sao Paulo) and UNESCO, among others.

Publications

Prof. Jensen has an extensive publication profile featuring 200+ articles (with 3000+ citations) in peer-reviewed journals such as PLOS ONE, Public Understanding of Science, PNAS and Nature, books by publishers such as Cambridge University Press and SAGE, chapters in edited volumes with publishers such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Springer and Palgrave and reports for organizations such as UNESCO and the European Space Agency.

Training and capacity building

Invited trainer (and training via the registered charity he co-founded) for numerous research and innovation institutions and governments around the world on topics relating to informal learning, evaluation and evidence-based practice (Trained >15000 researchers, policymakers, learning and impact professionals from >1000 institutions in > 75 countries, including on the ground in 30 countries, delivered in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese).

Impact (recent highlights)

– Undertook a global consultation survey to collect and analyze feedback from the target audience and relevant stakeholders of the UNESCO Science Report and developed a series of structured recommendations on the best way forward for the next edition and the longer-term future.

– Developed detailed methodological framework for the UNESCO Recommendation on Science & Scientific Researchers formal monitoring process, as well as piloting the new process in six African UNESCO Member States (Consultancy project conducted in 2022). UNESCO’s Executive Board adopted the drafted survey as the monitoring tool that will be used by Member States from Spring 2025 forward.

– Designed and published indicators framework for the UNESCO Recommendation on Science & Scientific Researchers in collaboration with UNESCO permanent staff.

– Author of the global report for the first formal monitoring point for the UNESCO Recommendation on Science & Scientific Researchers, analyzing and synthesizing national reports submitted from all over the world and preparing a report with recommendations for the UNESCO Executive Board.

– Lead author of the national reports on the state of science submitted to UNESCO for the quadrennial monitoring of the Recommendation on Science & Scientific Researchers for South Africa, Lithuania, and Serbia.

1. Policy Engagement Training (2023-2025)

The Policy Engagement Training Programme was developed by the Institute for Methods Innovation, Fast Track Impact and Walcott Communications on behalf of UKRI (NERC & ESRC) to train close to 1000 researchers to engage with public policy (including self-paced trainees). The four modules have successfully equipped participants with the tools to identify policy windows and engage relevant stakeholders.

2. University of York Evidence Synthesis Training (2023-2024)

The University of York Policy Engine contracted the Institute for Methods Innovation to provide a training program on evidence synthesis to increase the university’s policy engagement capacity. Over six months, Prof. Eric Jensen from the Institute for Methods Innovation and Prof. Mark Reed from Fast Track Impact provided specialized training on evidence synthesis development, policy briefs and the publication of evidence syntheses to participants from the University of York.

3. PrePARED Project (2023)

PrePARED is a collaborative project funded by the Offshore Wind Evidence & Change program and Crown Estate Scotland, working with a team of experts from government, academia, nature conservation agencies and industry and will address critical knowledge gaps that currently are barriers to sustainable offshore wind development.

Along with Prof. Mark Reed of Fast Track Impact, the Institute for Methods Innovation team, led by Prof. Eric Jensen, identified key project stakeholders, analyzed stakeholder networks, and informed the development of an effective communication plan to disseminate and impact the project results.

4. Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters Impact Evaluation (2022-2023)

In partnership with Prof. Mark Reed from Fast Track Impact, the Institute for Methods Innovation was commissioned by CREW to investigate, showcase and explain how CREW projects develop impact. In addition, this strategic impact review was aimed at making evidence-based recommendations to enhance CREW’s future impact.

The results of the impact evaluation gave clear evidence of CREW’s impact on policy and benefits of CREW projects to wider stakeholders and society. Impact activities, enabling factors, intermediate outcomes, and actual benefits at different stages within the CREW project lifecycle were identified and summarised in high-level theories of change diagrams that can be found in the CREW Programme Report 2016-2022. Recommendations from the evaluation will inform further improvements to the Centre’s operations and formalise pathways to impact in the next Programme.