Research funders, and the universities they support,  want to maximize the societal benefits of the projects they support, but too often they’re asked to do this looking in the rear-view mirror. Traditional research impact assessments rely on retrospective data, useful, but too late to shape the outcomes of a project that has already run its course.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF), one of the world’s largest philanthropic funders, has taken a step in another direction. Instead of waiting for impact to materialize years down the line, they are building prospective impact frameworks: structured approaches to anticipate potential outputs, outcomes, and societal benefits before a grant is even awarded. A recent article titled Impact upfront: novel format for Novo Nordisk Foundation funding outlined how NNF made this shift. And the article also shows how Dimensions played a crucial role in this approach.

Beyond self reporting

Funders are not strangers to reporting platforms. Tools like Researchfish (also used in NNF study) collect structured, self-reported data directly from grantees. These datasets are invaluable for tracking what a funded project has produced.

But here’s the catch: self-reported data can only tell you what has already happened. It is inward-facing, tied to specific grantees, and sometimes constrained by the limits of how people report their own work.

To make informed, forward-looking funding decisions, funders need a broader lens, one that allows them to benchmark expected productivity and situate proposals within the wider research landscape. And in this context, Dimensions served as that lens in the NNF study, providing an external evidence base alongside internal reporting.

Using Dimensions for input–output analysis

In the NNF study, Dimensions was used to conduct input–output analyses during the early assessment of project proposals. By drawing on Dimensions’ integrated database of publications, grants, clinical trials, and patents, the Foundation could:

  • Estimate expected outputs by comparing proposed projects against similar initiatives worldwide.
  • Reassure decision-makers about productivity expectations, with evidence drawn from the global research record rather than just internal reporting.
  • Contrast different instruments of choice (for example, comparing the likely yield of different types of funding mechanisms).

In practical terms, this meant that when a new proposal came across the desk, the Foundation’s Impact Management team wasn’t just relying on a compelling narrative or applicants’ promises. They could cross-check those expectations against hard data from Dimensions, gaining confidence in how projects might unfold.

Why this matters for funders and universities

The implications go far beyond a single case study. Funders are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate value, justify allocation decisions, and anticipate societal returns. The days when retrospective reports alone were enough are fading fast. Stakeholders, from boards of directors to policymakers to the public, want to know: What difference will this funding make, and how soon?

By combining internal reporting tools like Researchfish with external, global evidence from Dimensions, funders can move from reporting to foresight:

  • Before funding: Benchmark proposals and forecast potential impact.
  • During funding: Track progress with both self-reported and independent data.
    After funding: Evaluate outcomes with confidence, informed by multiple perspectives.

For universities, the same data can be used to benchmark research strengths, strengthen grant applications, and demonstrate value to funders who are already looking at these metrics. In other words, Dimensions helps both sides of the funding equation speak the same language.

A new conversation

The NNF’s use of Dimensions is just one example of how the research funding landscape is changing. Their work shows what’s possible when funders stop asking “What impact did we have?” and start asking “What impact could we have,and how do we get there?”

For funding agencies everywhere, the message is clear. The tools to anticipate, compare, and maximize impact already exist. Curious how Dimensions can help your organization, whether funding or performing research, move from reporting to foresight? Get in touch with our team, let’s start the conversation.