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Impact Grants 2022

This funding is available for short-term projects which will aim to create impact from prior EPSRC-funded research. Academic staff at University of Cambridge are eligible to apply for this scheme. 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.

A maximum of £40K 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 academic staff currently employed within a University department, currently or previously in receipt of EPSRC funding. Postdoctoral researchers who wish to apply for IAA funding should apply under the separate ECR impact grants scheme.
 


Project eligibility

Applications are invited for feasibility studies, proof of concept development, 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

All costs must relate to the development of impact from prior research, including engagement with non-academic stakeholders. Costs for postdoctoral staff time are eligible, but not UG or PG students due to EPSRC rules. 

Funding of up to £40,000 per project is available within the following categories of expenditure:

  • Staff costs for up to 3 months
  • Materials and consumables
  • Equipment access 
  • External consultancy e.g. 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.
 


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.