The global and societal climates are deteriorating, with declining respect for research at the core. While this can be deterring, scholars in international studies—broadly understood—need to engage in societal impact work to help reverse troubling trends in economic development, democracy, climate, and security. Scholars are often driven by such a desire—or even a moral responsibility. To be successful, engagement requires acquiring specialized competencies—what we in this forum term impact competencies. As we point out, many scholars also pursue research-societal impact career pathways—careers that involve sustained policy engagement to promote the use of research in the production of societal goods. However, at present, there is a lack of recognition of both impact competencies and career pathways, resulting in limited opportunities for career progression.
To improve recognition, the forum exemplifies the competencies involved, what forms careers can take, and the tradeoffs such career pathways can entail. Based on this, the forum seeks to guide researchers, especially early-career scholars, and engage employers of societal impact professionals to facilitate progressive career pathways. Through this, the forum seeks to enable societies to fully benefit from the contributions engaged researchers can make to address current challenges.
