Project

Advice & support to the elaboration of an impact-oriented monitoring system at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) funds research stays (fellowships & awards) in Germany for top international researchers. These AvH-fellows are integrated into the AvH network.

In order to keep a long-term and continuous eye on the development of its funding activities, an impact-oriented monitoring (IOMS) was set up, both for the programme level and the foundation’s overall funding portfolio.

Fraunhofer ISI provided advise to the AvH Foundation in the creation of its impact-oriented monitoring.

Fraunhofer ISI supported and advised the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) in the creation of an impact-oriented monitoring system (IOMS). For this purpose, an overarching pathway model, integrating all funding activities of the AvH was developed first, then programme specific pathway models were revised in order to fit to the categories of the overarching impact pathway model. A central component of the monitoring was the development of suitable and manageable indicators. Indicators were developed in a participatory manner, i.e. the relevant departments of the foundation were consulted. The team conducted several training sessions during the monitoring process. The development of the impact pathways of specific funding programmes and the indicators were developed in workshops gathering the persons responsible for the programmes and the evaluation team.

Another activity of the project was to revise and streamline existing data collection instruments with the aim of integrating existing and new data collection instruments into the new IOMS. The existing ex-post activity survey to funded researchers was adapted in order to be rolled out to the all programmes. This survey should allow to collect and systematically analyse data on outcomes of the funding.

  • Workshops
  • Interviews
  • Impact pathway modelling
  • Indicator development

Impact-oriented monitoring concept (IOMS), Impact pathways, indicators, data collection instruments and reporting templates (dashboards).

Duration

5.2022-3.2024

Clients

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung

Partners

VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH