ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit
The resources and tools on this site are designed to help Researchers and BI Professionals develop projects and partnerships that will satisfy the Broader Impact requirement of National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals, and help you fulfill your interest in communicating your science.
This site is brought to you by the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) and Rutgers University.
Guiding Principles
What does NSF require?
Get a high-level overview of societally relevant outcomes and review criteria specified by NSF
Planning Checklist
What elements are needed in a BI project?
Use this list to review the key elements of an effective BI project proposal
BI Wizard
How do I develop my BI project proposal?
Our wizard will walk you through all of the key steps to building partnerships and effective projects
BI Project Rubric
How do I assess my project's potential?
Use this rubric to help you evaluate a Broader Impact project plan
Toolkit Quickstart and F.A.Q.
How do I use the tools in the ARIS BI Toolkit?
Learn about the various ways you can use the ARIS Toolkit to help you develop BI plans, review the BI plans of others, and communicate the societal impacts of your research.
BI Rubric Tutorial
Practice using the BI Rubric with an example plan
Use our example case study to practice evaluating a broader impacts plan using the BI Rubric. Then review our suggested ratings to see how all of the Toolkit tools can help you build a complete BI plan proposal.
As you go through the BI Wizard and other toolkit tools on this site, there are questions that ask you to record your thoughts for later reflection. This information is only saved locally in your web browser and is not shared with our server.
Where should I start?
The ARIS BI Toolkit features four key components, each of which can support different phases of the proposal-development process. Here is a quick guide on the best tool for each step.
Learn more about implementing the ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit
Whether your a Broader Impact professional or a researcher looking to learn more about BI projects, we encourage you to check out this special issue of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship that highlights the ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit Project.
Special Issue on the ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit Project
Explore how the Toolkit supported 10 different institutions
The Implementation and Evaluation of the ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit project is designed to advance the understanding of mechanisms and supports needed to develop effective Broader Impacts (BI) statements. We partnered with ten universities to pilot test a suite of tools developed by the NSF-funded ARIS Center and conduct research on use cases of the ARIS Toolkit. The ARIS Toolkit is a suite of digital documents and interactive web tools designed to provide guidance and effective practices aimed at improving BI outcomes and impacts for researchers and their collaborating partners.
The special issue contains case study examples of how the ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit was used by 10 different institutions to engage and support their researchers in broader impact projects. These case studies provide insights into the practical application of the toolkit and its effectiveness in enhancing broader impact outcomes.
