Leukaemia UK
Impact evaluation of the John Goldman Fellowship scheme
Leukaemia UK’s mission is to accelerate progress through the life-changing research that matters most to people affected by leukaemia. The charity’s John Goldman Fellowship (JGF) scheme has been running since 2015, named after the late eminent haematologist. The aim of the Fellowship is to support early-career researchers (clinical and non-clinical) to deliver excellent research on a pathway to research independence and leadership. To better understand and showcase the impact of this programme, Leukaemia UK commissioned a detailed analysis on 35 completed Fellowships, covering bibliometric evaluation, thematic mapping, and qualitative insights through extensive interviews.
This evaluation blended traditional research assessment with cutting-edge AI techniques, enabling both quantitative insights and accessible narratives of complex science. I conducted bibliometric analyses using open scientific databases including OpenAlex, Europe PMC and a bespoke funding dataset that covers all major research funders in the UK. I quantified the scientific outputs and collaborations of JGF Fellows, and employing large language models, I synthesised complex scientific information into accessible narratives about research impact to be used by Leukaemia UK. I also conducted interviews with some key Fellows, and prepared more in-depth case studies about them.
The analysis showcased the impressive productivity and influence of the Fellows. Among other things, it showed how during and after the Fellowship their networks expanded, how they progressed their science through the translational pipeline, and how they leveraged additional substantial funding from major funding bodies.
2D representation of title and abstract vector embeddings of JGF grants and Fellows’ publications. Documents are clustered based on their semantic meaning — in other words, grouped by how similar their topics are. In red, JGF grants. In light gray, Fellows’ publications before the start date of their respective Fellowships. In dark gray, Fellows’ publications after the start date of their respective Fellowships. These visualisations help analyse the thematic impact that specific grants have on researcher’s scientific trajectories. They can also help easily identify specific findings directly related to the grant.
The project’s outcomes included:
Detailed Fellow profiles, including semi-structured interviews, for a number of Fellows highlighted through the quantitative analysis.
Scientific and lay narratives summarising discoveries funded by the grants
Strategic recommendations to enhance future monitoring and engagement processes.
Dr Simon Ridley, Director of Research and Advocacy at Leukaemia UK:
“Jorge’s innovative analysis and helpful approach were very useful to us in evaluating the impact of our John Goldman Fellowship programme. I would highly recommended working with him”
This in-depth evaluation confirmed the JGF’s role as a cornerstone in the UK's leukaemia research ecosystem, nurturing future scientific leaders, promoting new areas of research, and facilitating the translation of discoveries that can lead to clinical impact.
It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Leukaemia UK, an organisation dedicated to transforming leukaemia research through strategic support of early-career researchers at key points in their careers. I want to thank Tom and Simon for the easy interactions throughout the project, and for their trust in me to complete this piece of work.