Funding available for EPSRC and STFC Impact Acceleration Opportunities

In addition to the funding remaining on our EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA), we are pleased to announce that we have been successfully awarded £70,000 of new STFC IAA funding. The funding available is summarised below.

Please contact the IAA KE Manager via iaa@surrey.ac.uk to discuss any of these further and to request an application form.

Project Funding

STFC IAA Impact Generation Projects Fund
A maximum budget of £15,000-20,000 per project is available for impact generation projects that involve proof-of-concept, early prototyping, technology testing with external organisations or other knowledge exchange activities (exchange of staff/secondment etc.). Projects should de-risk the exploitation of STFC research outcomes. A continuation plan will be required at the end of each project as part of the reporting. Projects should be 3-6 months duration and must be completed by March 2020. Forthcoming deadlines for submission: Thursday 23rd May 2019 and Wednesday 17th July 2019

EPSRC IAA Impact Generation Projects Fund
The funding for IAA impact projects is currently fully committed and we are not accepting further proposals at this stage. Limited funding may be available in late 2019 for short, high-impact projects.

Placements Funding

EPSRC IAA PGR and ECR Placements Fund
Placements will support PGRs and ECRs associated with EPSRC research to work with industry for up to 3 months transferring knowledge and skills. There is a maximum budget of £12,000 per placement to cover all costs. Placements that seek to work in collaboration with local/regional SMEs are encouraged but the scheme is open to support placements hosted at any non-research organisation. Placements must be completed by the end of February 2020. A short, final report will be required.

Engagement Funding

EPSRC IAA Researcher Engagement Fund
Researchers can apply for up to £2,000 to develop and implement an action plan to test potential applications of research in industry contexts. The funding can also support attendance at trade shows, industry visits, funding for sandpits and initial external stakeholder engagement. Work must be completed by the end of February 2020.

STFC IAA Impact Exploration Projects Fund
A maximum budget of £3,000 per project is available to support impact exploration projects to identify partners and refine potential routes to exploit STFC research through market investigation, early-stage interactions with industry/policy makers etc. A continuation plan will be required at the end of each project which should include an external collaborative relationship. Projects should be 3-6 months duration and must be completed by March 2020.

Megan Beynon, Engagement Fund Manager, runs the “Designing Impact” Drop In, on Tuesdays 10am-12pm in Room 16BB04. This is an opportunity to discuss the impact pipeline of your project, gain a new perspective on where your work can have impact, and explore how to approach making it happen. Applications for Engagement Fund funding may arise from these sessions. Please drop in or contact m.beynon@surrey.ac.uk to arrange to book a slot at your convenience.