Impact Acceleration Account (IAA)
Pilot IAA call for proposals January 2013 now open
Please contact Dr Mark Rushforth (m.rushforth@lancaster.ac.uk ) if you are thinking of applying to the Pilot Call for guidance with your application. This will ensure that applications remained aligned to the objectives of the IAA and have the best chance of success. Researchers from ANY faculty can apply, providing their area falls within the remit of the EPSRC.
The university has been awarded £600,000 from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to fund a range of activities designed to promote impact from research areas that fall within their remit.
Impact is described as "the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy" and the Lancaster Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) funding will be used to:
- Address barriers in university/SME collaboration
- Use novel approaches to develop proposals to exploit EPSRC funded research
- Enhance the capacity of targeted SMEs to take up outcomes from EPSRC funded research
- Provide SMEs access to research infrastructure
- Provide flexible support measures for accelerating impact
- Evaluate and develop models to enhance impact of EPSRC funded research on SME Sector
The IAA award will run for 3 years from October 2012.
A presentation was given by Professor Trevor McMillan (PVC Research) Dr Mark Bacon (Faculty of Science & Technology Director of Business Partnerships) to EPSRC funded PIs and their research teams on 13th December 2012 and this is available for download below.
Lancaster University researchers can apply for funding to facilitate interaction with businesses on a number of levels. The focus of the IAA is SME engagement but initially any industrial engagement is considered. Any level of researcher can apply for IAA funding (PhD students to EPSRC PIs).
Main proposal outlines
The IAA account is focussed around three different types of industrial engagement as detailed below
Stage 1 – Cultural change in academic and industry staff
Day long secondments between University and Industry staff will enable them to appreciate each other’s environment and provide a greater understanding of the context of each other's work. Funding will be available to cover travel costs (up to £100) of each exchange and anyone wishing to avail of funding will be expected to participate in workshops designed to share experiences and lessons learned.
Stage 2 – Co-design of innovative early –stage ideas to explore potential opportunities for impact
Seed funding of up to £5000 will be available to explore opportunities for academic and industry colleagues to collaborate on the exploitation of EPSRC funded research outcomes. This funding will be available throughout the duration of the IAA in addition to targeted events designed to facilitate university and industry idea generation and collaborative working.
Stage 3 – Support for the early stage of turning research outputs into a commercial proposition
For those collaborations with evidenced potential, flexible support will be provided to enable the outcomes of EPSRC research to be developed into a full commercial proposition. There are five mechanisms to do this with support from £5k to £20k.
- Post-Doctoral Impact Fellowships
- Post-Graduate Impact Fellowships
- Technology Access Vouchers
- Business Incubation & Investment
- Rapid Response Fund
If you are a company and would like to know more about these schemes and how to work with Lancaster University researchers then please follow the link below.
The IAA follows on from the previous EPSRC Pathways to Impact funding. This encouraged EPSRC grant holders to develop innovative proposals (via a competitive internal process) for taking forward knowledge transfer and impact activities from their EPSRC funded research. Case studies showcasing Pathways to Impact projects are available below.