Early Career Researcher Impact Grants 2022
This funding scheme will enable early career researchers to investigate and develop early-stage opportunities for impact from their research. The scheme is open to postdoctoral researchers and recent PhD graduates at the University of Cambridge. Applications are invited for feasibility studies, proof of concept development, knowledge exchange collaborations with industry or other non-academic partners, or other projects which have potential for economic and/or social impact.
Successful applicants will also receive mentoring and development support as part of the scheme.
All projects must have a link to prior EPSRC-funded research. Priority will be given to projects which relate to the focus areas below:
- Working with and through the Alan Turing Institute, the Rosalind Franklin Institute, the Henry Royce Institute and their network of user partnerships.
- Support for activities which encourage business co-investment and enhance business/academic partnerships.
- Impact activities which contribute to regional/place agendas
- Public Engagement where interaction is key to informing the research impact such as user or patient engagement as a critical pathway to achieving societal and/or economic impact.
A maximum of £25K funding per project is available, for 100% direct costs only, for projects of up to 3 months duration. Projects must be completed and all expenditure incurred by 30th June 2022.
Applications will be assessed on a competitive basis and must be submitted on the application form to researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk by the deadline of 14th January 2022.
Who can apply
Applicants must be postdoctoral researchers, or have recently completed a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Recent PhD students must have submitted their thesis before starting the project.
Applicants must have the agreement of their Principal Investigator to undertake the project and should seek this at an early stage. The funding will be allocated to the PI for administrative purposes but must be used for the project outlined in the application.
Project eligibility
Applications are invited for feasibility studies, proof of concept development, knowledge exchange collaborations with industry or other non-academic partners, or other projects which have potential for economic and/or social impact.
Priority will be given to projects which relate to the focus areas below:
- Working with and through the Alan Turing Institute, the Rosalind Franklin Institute, the Henry Royce Institute and their network of user partnerships.
- Support for activities which encourage business co-investment and enhance business/academic partnerships.
- Impact activities which contribute to regional/place agendas
- Public Engagement where interaction is key to informing the research impact such as user or patient engagement as a critical pathway to achieving societal and/or economic impact
Eligible Costs
Funding of up to £25,000 per project is available within the following categories of expenditure:
- Staff costs for the applicant for up to 3 months
- Materials and consumables
- Equipment access
- External consultancy eg for market research or business planning
- Travel/subsistence
- Other costs where justified as necessary for the project
This grant pays 100% direct costs only, overhead costs are not eligible.
All projects must demonstrate a clear link to EPSRC-funded research and have a maximum duration of 3 months. Projects must be completed by 30th June 2022.
Successful applicants will be offered individual mentoring by an industry mentor through the Postdoc Academy mentoring scheme and will be expected to join three short development sessions across the timeframe of the grant, which will be held with other postdocs in the grant cohort.
Further information and advice
Guidance on planning impact projects is available at https://www.research-strategy.admin.cam.ac.uk/pathwaytoimpact/index.html.
For advice on public engagement projects, contact the Public Engagement team, publicengagement@admin.cam.ac.uk.
For advice on patient/clinican engagement projects, contact the Office of Translational Research, translation@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Departmental Knowledge Transfer/Research Facilitators can also provide advice on applying for IAA funding.
Please contact researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk with any specific queries about this scheme.
Application process
Proposals should be submitted on the application form to researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk by 5pm on 14th January 2022.
Please obtain an X5 costing for your proposal from your departmental research grants administrator or equivalent, and check if there is an internal deadline for departmental approval of your proposal before submission.