Research & Innovation Services

The Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund (GKEF) is an internal investment fund established by the University of Glasgow in 2012 to support high-quality knowledge exchange activities and impact generation from UofG research.

The fund has five broad aims:

1. To support an informed and collaborative approach to the development, implementation, adoption and exploitation of research outcomes, leading to the development of technological, economic, policy, community, creative, or health and wellbeing outcomes and impacts.
2. To support researchers in building sustained and strategic relationships of co-creation and knowledge exchange with non-academic partners, including, for example, laying the groundwork for future collaborations, applications to collaborative funding schemes, or helping to leverage funds from the private or public sector.
3. To provide early-stage investment in technologies destined for commercialisation (i.e. technical proof of concept and commercial proof of market) by supporting the de-risking of these opportunities.
4. To support research-based community and public engagement initiatives, locally and globally; to drive mutually beneficial interactions around research and the creation of strong, well-evidenced impact.
5. To nurture a sustainable body of impactful work from across the University in support of an institutional REF impact case study pipeline and additional strategic objectives.

The GKEF is dynamic and responsive, adapting to the wider funding landscape and institutional priorities while consistently aligning with these aims. The fund’s priorities are identified on an annual basis by the GKEF Management Group. 

At present, the GKEF consists of 4 funding streams: GKE Flexible Fund, GKE Enabling Fund, GKE Impact Acceleration Fund and GKE Small Grants. Explore the different funding streams. 

The GKEF is managed by the Research Impact and Engagment Team on behalf of the University of Glasgow Senior Management Group. 

Learn more about projects funded by the GKEF and the difference these are making

Our approach

Dynamic funding priorities

Alongside the GKEF, University of Glasgow has the fourth largest portfolio of UKRI Impact Acceleration Accounts in the UK. Since 2022, we have won approximately £12 million in impact acceleration funding across six IAAs and since 2024 we are coordinating a Photonics and Quantum Place worth £5.1 million (total) together with three other Scottish institutions.

In comparison, the scale of GKEF funding is modest, but because of its dynamic nature it plays a vital role in the funding landscape at University of Glasgow. The GKEF allows us to support activities not eligible for IAA funding, for example the evidencing and evaluation of REF impact case studies, or projects that don’t fit within IAA priority areas. Furthermore GKEF increases IAA financial capacity by funding or co-funding projects that are eligible for IAA funding but where IAA funds are insufficient to meet demand, thereby improving parity in access to funding across the institution.  

Annual funding priorities are agreed by the GKEF Management Group, which consists of the VP for Research & KE and Deans from all four Colleges.

Applying as a capacity building activity

Applicants to the GKEF are provided support with the development of their project and funding application from colleagues with knowledge exchange expertise.

We regularly deliver online and/or in-person information session and workshops to support applications and one-to-one conversations with researchers with prospective projects, drawing on the expertise of colleagues in institutional and College based roles with relevant expertise in, for example, commercialisation or public engagement, with the intention to strengthen project ideas and workplans in advance of application. In addition to improving quality of projects plans and applications, this helps build knowledge exchange capacity across the institution. ​

The pre-application meetings also help potential applicants understand whether their proposed project is eligible for the available funding and ensure that research staff whose knowledge exchange ideas are not eligible for funding or not mature or developed enough to be successful at that time do not waste their efforts, while supporting their general capacity for project development.

The review process is designed to ensure that all applicants receive constructive feedback that can help them strengthen their prospective projective, regardless of whether the application is successful or not.

Review and funding allocation 

We aim for the Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund to be managed through a robust and transparent process of review and funding allocation. Some good practice we deploy includes:

Use of peer-reviewers who assess applications but are separate from the funding allocation panel.

• The current reviewer pool is drawn from across the whole University and includes colleagues in wide range of disciplines and career stages. This brings a range of perspectives to the review​.
• The funding allocation panel consists of the VP for Research and Knowledge Exchange and Deans of Research or External Engagement from all four Colleges.
• Separating the review from the funding decision increases the robustness of the process and allows moderation of reviewer scores if needed.

Transparency and clear communication of criteria upon which applications are assessed.

• The criteria used in review is available to the applicants ahead of application. Applicants understand what they will be assessed against, increasing transparency​.
• By having pre-defined criteria, each reviewer is working to the same scope which increases the fairness of the process​.

Ensuring that the reviewer workload is manageable and that reviewing feels like meaningful work from which the reviewer benefits.

• By having a large and diverse pool of reviewers, we can manage workload and thereby increase the diligence/attention paid to each application. 
• Reviewers are provided with training before and throughout their role as reviewers. They are also invited as observers to funding allocation panel meetings. Previous reviewers have told us that the role have made them more confident with and skilled at developing their own funding applications.

We are recruiting additional reviewers to the GKEF reviewer pool