Distinguish between goals, objectives, results, outcomes and impacts in Horizon Europe health applications

Introduction

As an experienced grant writer with two decades of assisting health and biomedical researchers, I understand the challenges many face when applying for European research funding programs.

One common struggle is distinguishing between project goals, objectives, results, outcomes and impacts. This confusion often leads to these project components being mismatched and provided in the wrong sections of the application form, disrupting the logical flow of information.

This misalignment of information can hinder the clarity and effectiveness of the grant proposal, by anticipating concepts the reviewer is not ready to understand too early in the document or, on the contrary, providing them too late.

In this blog post, I will delve into the differences between these terms and provide practical tips to help researchers understand these concepts and articulate them properly and effectively in the application form.

Distinguishing between goals, objectives, results, outcomes and impacts

To begin with, let's define the key terms we will be discussing in this blog post:

Goals

At the heart of any project lies its goal, which sums up the overarching purpose of the project. When formulating the goal, it is essential to identify the primary challenge or problem that the project aims to address. The goal acts as the guiding light throughout the project, providing a clear vision and direction for all activities.

Objectives

Objectives are specific statements that outline precisely what the project intends to achieve. Unlike goals, which offer a broad perspective, objectives are more focused and tangible, representing the concrete changes the project seeks to bring about through its implementation.

Results

Results are the tangible outputs that demonstrate the achievement of the project objectives. They are the immediate and direct consequences of your activities, demonstrating what your project will produce or deliver.

Results could include: the know-how, innovative solutions, algorithms, software, protocols, new business models, policy recommendations, experimental findings, or new methodologies developed during the project.

Outcomes

Project’s outcomes are the expected effects, over the medium term, of projects supported under a given topic. The results of a project should contribute to these outcomes, fostered in particular by the dissemination and exploitation measures. This may include the uptake, diffusion, deployment, and/or use of the project’s results by direct target groups. Outcomes generally occur during or shortly after the end of the project.

Impacts

This is the horizon you are striving for— the broader long-term effects, benefits or changes that result from achieving the objectives and disseminating the results of the research. They extend beyond the immediate outcomes, illustrating how your research could advance scientific knowledge in your field, improve clinical practice or inform policy decisions.

Example

To better understand these concepts, let's consider a research project focused on developing a new drug for the treatment of a specific disease.

The goal of the research project may be to address the primary challenge of finding an effective and safe treatment option for patients.

The objectives of the project might include identifying potential drug targets, synthesizing new compounds, and testing the efficacy of the drug in preclinical models.

The results of the project would include data on the identified drug targets, the chemical structures of the synthesized compounds, and the results of the preclinical efficacy studies.

The anticipated outcomes involve the successful completion of clinical trials, approval for marketing by regulatory agencies, and ultimately, the availability of a new treatment option for patients.

The impacts of the project could include improvements in patient outcomes, advancements in the understanding of the disease mechanism, potential changes in clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of the disease and the reduction of the healthcare costs.

Practical suggestions for articulating objectives, results, and impacts

Now that we have a better understanding of these concepts, let's explore some practical suggestions for how researchers can effectively articulate these reseearch project components in their grant applications:

1. Be specific and measurable: Clearly define your objectives in a way that allows for easy evaluation of success. For example, if you are researching a new drug for hypertension, your objective should not be just “To assess the efficacy of drug”, but instead, your objective should be something like "To assess the efficacy of Drug X in reducing systolic blood pressure by at least 15 mmHg in 80% of the trial participants over a 6-month period." Use quantifiable metrics where possible to track your progress and demonstrate your project’s success.
2. Use the correct lexicon. The way in which researchers articulate their toughts about these research project components and use the lexicon often reveal that they are confused about the different terms. I know that researchers are confused about the difference between objectives, results and impacts if, by asking them to detail the results of their projects, they answer "If I will be able to achieve this...”. Objectives usually start with a verb, while results usually start with a noun (see the example above). So, next time you are writing a research project, pay attention to the language used to articulate the different components.
3. Connect the dots: Ensure that all the components are aligned and connected. You define a goal, that is detailed in objectives, that produce results and than produce outcomes and impacts. Therefore, when describing the results of your research project, make sure they link back to your stated objectives. Provide concrete examples of how your findings will solve the problem and needs that inspired your project and of how they will able to produce the expected changes to obtain the desired impacts.

Conclusion

With a clear understanding of goals, objectives, results, outcomes and impacts, and a strategic approach to articulating them, you can craft grant applications that stand out. Remember, your research has the potential to transform lives and societies; it's time to ensure your grant application reflects that transformative power.

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