Research evaluation

Like other funding organisations, we are accountable to our stakeholders, and therefore we need to monitor the outcomes of the research we fund on a regular basis. 

It is also important that we can provide our supporters with evidence that the research we fund is translated into advances for patients.

BHF is a signatory to the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and has always valued the wider outputs of research. 

Researchfish

We use Researchfish, an online survey database developed from MRC e-Val, to gather information about research outputs and outcomes. It allows us to capture the broader impact of your work, from publications to collaborations, engagement activities, influence on policy, and more.

You can use Researchfish to record all your research outputs and outcomes once only, in a format that allows easy submission of this information to individual funding organisations. In implementing Researchfish, we have worked together with other funders to address the increasing administrative burden faced by researchers because of the many separate initiatives to collect research output data.

We use the Researchfish system to collect data on outcomes and impacts arising from all our awards (with the exception of Infrastructure Grants, Strategic Initiatives and BHF Centres of Regenerative Medicine). We ask for information during the lifetime of the award and for 5 years thereafter.

What you will need to do

You should enter the relevant information into distinct output types and sections in your Researchfish portfolio. You or a nominated delegate can add, edit and delete entries, which can then be quickly and easily attributed to one or more grant awards you hold with us or with any of the other funding organisations that use Researchfish.

Our BHF Researchfish guidance briefly outlines what we want to know in each section of Researchfish. Researchfish has organised training sessions in the form of webinars for researchers, and a short video on their website also demonstrates how to enter, attribute and submit data for a particular grant. Visit Researchfish for further information.

When to submit

We will ask you to submit BHF-related grant evaluation data once a year, during a defined submission period.

The next BHF Researchfish submission period opens 3 February until 13 March 2025

After the submission period, you can enter, amend and update information in your portfolio at any time throughout the year. However, we ask that you complete the annual Researchfish submissions during the lifetime of the award and for five years after the end of the award. We will retain the data submitted to us in Researchfish indefinitely.

Condition of grant

Submitting Researchfish data is a Condition of Grant. You will no longer need to submit a grant Annual Report unless otherwise specified, but you will still need to submit a Final Report within 3 months of the end of your grant in addition to submitting Researchfish data. For further information about Annual and Final Reports, see Reporting Progress.

How we are using Researchfish data

The yearly Researchfish submission period is an opportunity for you to highlight the achievements and implications of the research that BHF has supported. The data are analysed in aggregate and are not used to evaluate the productivity of individual researchers not specific research projects.

The information provided allows us to assess, review and share the impact of the research that we fund. It helps us develop a series of compelling narratives that inform our supporters, the public and policy-makers of the progress our scientists are making towards Breaking Heartbreak Forever. It allows us to be accountable to our supporters and share the impact arising from the research funded thanks to their generous donations.

BHF Research Evaluation Report

Our Research Evaluation Report draws on data from the latest Researchfish submission and also includes BHF funding statistics, a bibliometric analysis of BHF funded publications, and case studies showcasing our outstanding researchers and their achievements.  As we outlined in our strategy we will continue to annually track and evaluate the impact of our funded research using Researchfish.

The BHF complies with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 with regard to the collection, storage, processing and disclosure of personal information and is committed to upholding the Act’s core data protection principles.

Queries

Further updates will follow as needed on this website.

Check our list of frequently asked questions (PDF) to see if your query can be resolved there.

For technical queries please contact the Researchfish support team. For any other queries, please email [email protected].