Research impact funding now available

A fresh round of funding is available to support the research impact of projects.

Funding is available for projects to deliver engagement, knowledge exchange and commercialisation projects with non-academic partners to maximise the impact of research, knowledge and skills on policymakers, practitioners, business, the public and to enhance student employability.

Funds can be used for all scales of project, from providing funding for visits or secondments to non-academic stakeholders to larger scale exploration of the commercial potential of research work.

In the previous round, a number of projects from all project types were funded, including:

• Increasing adoption of making cocoa pod husk compost with farmers in Ghana
• Demonstrating market potential for an online health eating app
• Co-designing a toolkit with non-academic practitioners
• Travel and conference funding to support knowledge exchange with international policymakers, including the UN

How to apply

The deadline is 6 October and there is one single application form for all project types.

Individual guidance for each type is available via the links below. Full details can be found on the Research Services webpage: Research Engagement, Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Fund.

What projects can be supported?

Depending on the focus, there are different project types that can be supported:

• Policy engagement 
• Knowledge exchange
• Early-stage commercialisation
• Impact evaluation 
• Strategic projects

If you are unclear which of the projects types is suitable for your application, please contact your Impact Development Manager or Business Relationship Manager in Research Services in the first instance.

Assessment criteria and approvals

Proposals will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Potential for delivery of impact
• Strategic importance
• Novelty and timeliness of proposed activities
• Quality, feasibility and appropriateness of approach
• Cost effectiveness and appropriate use of funds

Drop-in sessions

Two virtual drop-in sessions will be hosted for potential applicants to ask any questions they might have. These will be on:

• 13 September 13:00-14:00 – Join the session
• 20 September 12:00-13:00 – Join the session