Federal legislation mandates that applicants for research and development contracts in vocational education demonstrate a reasonable probability that the contract will result in improved teaching techniques or curriculum materials. To facilitate the impact of research activities, one must develop procedures to predict and assess research impact. At present, the responsibility for impact assessment usually lies with researchers. This causes difficulty for some researchers who fail to see how impact assessment of their individual projects pertains to overall state program goals. Beginning this assessment process with clarification of funding program rather than individual project goals would eliminate this difficulty and foster inter-project linkages. This approach helps eliminate the temptation to fund only low-risk, low-payoff projects, helps establish more realistic and attainable expectations, and encourages multiple-year efforts. Focusing on programs and program goals does not, however, eliminate the need for project designers to determine their own goals and methods for measuring impact. Intended immediate impact should be assessed during the funding life of the project, and long-range impact can be assessed as part of the evaluation of the success of the total program. (A proposed model impact statement is appended.) (MN)