How do you turn research into impact? ‘Impact’ has become one of the buzzwords of the social sciences; but what does it mean, especially in relation to government policy and practice? Beyond lists of ‘recommendation’, how do researchers plan pathways to societal and economic transformation? The session will bring together three academics who have all successfully influenced public policy in their research: Prof. Abigail Adams-Prassl, an economist who works on consumer and family choice, whose research on employment tribunal fees led to the UK Supreme Court declaring them unlawful in 2017; Dr Michelle Meadows (tbc) from Education, whose research has shaped the landscape of school examinations across the UK; and Prof. Tom Hale (tbc) from BSG whose research has shaped how governments engage with climate change and COVID-19