Nancy Davenport
University Librarian
American University
Katherine Simpson
Director of Strategy and Communications, University Library
American University
On May 15, 2017, classes were over and commencement was finished but 125 American University faculty returned to campus for the Library’s first annual Conference on High Impact Research. The conference seeks to connect researchers, funders, and library and industry experts to discuss new developments in research and the significant and changing role of the scholar as policy influencer and public intellectual. The Library, which provides expertise in the creation of new knowledge, in the evaluation of resources, and in digital tools and services for research, is well suited to plan and host this conference which sits at the crossroads of new technologies, dissemination of knowledge, and the larger community of scholars. The sole plenary session addressed the significance to the scholar and the institution when research influences public policy and/or the scholar becomes a public intellectual. Helping the faculty fulfill a funding agency’s requirement to connect their research to the citizen public was a theme throughout. Topics included: Reverse Engineering an Abstract; Understanding Open Access and Author’s Rights; Maximizing Exposure through Your Online Research Identity; Measuring Scholarly and Public Impact; Managing Interactions with the Press; Influencing Policy Makers. This project briefing will share conference insights and information on the 2nd annual event scheduled for May 2018.