A Shift In Purpose


Shifting the purpose of impact asks us to think and feel across and outside disciplinary boundaries. Getting curious about what intrinsically motivates you will help make this shift. Is your personal sense of purpose defined by a commitment to serve a specific global challenge, like childhood obesity or a development goal, like quality education for girls? Is your commitment to a group of people, say migrant workers', or to people defined by geography, like remote communities in the Northern Territories? Are you motivated by a methodological contribution, like adopting a decolonial approach to research, or an ethical principle, like democratising data? The motivating contexts and audiences for your work might have shifted away from the primary audience of your discipline peers, but the contribution you bring will continue to be steeped in your disciplinary expertise.