Abstract
The societal impact of research is not only a fundamental part of academic contribution but also a complex goal that needs to be achieved and assessed. Several different frameworks are in place worldwide. Nevertheless, given their variety of areas, goals, and approaches, it is unclear which fundamentals they are based on. Thus, this developmental paper aims to identify the building blocks that constitute the key characteristics of project-level societal impact frameworks. In doing so, we will give particular attention to how frameworks conceptualise, measure, manage, and evaluate research impact in different contexts.