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4.15 It is also noted that the operation has led to the production of academic outputs including publications and conference presentations, with further anticipated in the future from on- going or recently completed research. As noted in Section 3, comprehensive data on this was sought by the project team, however, the evidence provided by researchers/academics was not consistent, meaning that it is not possible to provide a definitive assessment at this Final Evaluation stage on the scale and nature of these wider research outputs. 4.16 Taken together, the evidence above suggest that the operation has made a positive contribution to research activity, both in terms of securing research income – demonstrating strong progress against Specific Objective 1.1 to increase the success of Welsh research institutions in attracting competitive and private research funding – and more broadly around the capacity, scope and quality of Legal Tech and Cyber Threats research in Swansea.
4.17 It is not possible assess quantitatively the additionality associated with the operation – with individual funding decisions subject to decisions by funders and a wide range of factors influencing research activity. 4.18 However, the evaluation evidence suggests that the operation has influenced positively the behaviours of academics in seeking research funding including in relation to the sources of funding and the processes of developing bids, helped to enable and facilitate engagement with new partners (both within the university and externally), and provided the infrastructure platform – both physical in the capital works, and
The profile, critical mass of expertise, and facilities at LILW … will continue to provide a basis for the
development of compelling and competitive bids
Academic consultee
in the additional research staff and Software Development team – that have helped to secure income that would not otherwise have been secured. The Cyber Threats Research Suite will also play an important role in enabling the University to deliver sensitive research activity in the future that was not previously possible. Whilst challenging to evidence formally, the consultations with both internal and external partners and stakeholders also suggest that the operation has played an important role in enhancing the ability of the University to attract and retain high calibre academics, through providing a broader portfolio of research work, enhancing the scale and critical mass of researchers, developing and embedding new partnerships and providing enhanced facilities for collaborative research going forward. 4.19 These are positive findings overall, particularly reflecting the challenging delivery context including in relation to researcher recruitment and retention, and the competitive nature of funding, which was highlighted as an important theme in the consultations, and which has influenced the scale of research income secured to date.
Legal Innovation Lab Wales
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