EPSRC IAA 2022-2025

Project Eligibility

EPSRC IAA projects are no longer required to cite underpinning EPSRC funded research to be eligible for funding, however all projects must be within the EPSRC remit. EPSRC fund research into chemistry, engineering, information and communications technologies, materials, mathematical sciences and physics. Please follow the following links for details on EPSRC research areas and priority themes.

The scheme will not fund new research projects, but rather the translation of research towards impact. Applicants must explain how their project fits within the remit of EPSRC and provide a short overview of the underpinning research upon which the project builds. This should be work undertaken at the University of Glasgow or work that the applicant has had some involvement with at a previous institution. The PI for an IAA application does not necessarily need to be (or have been) the PI or collaborator on the underpinning research. PhD projects are also eligible as underpinning research.

Typically, eligible partners are companies in the UK or elsewhere in the world, trade bodies, local or regional or national government bodies, other public sector organisations including the NHS, charities, NGO's and other third sector organisations. Note that you will be required to put in place a formal collaboration agreement with external partners before commencing your project. It is recommended that you discuss this with your partner at an early stage of the proposal development.

Proposals must:

• describe the area of knowledge, capability or technology to be developed;
• have a single, named PI who is responsible for the project, who must be a member of staff at the University of Glasgow;
• provide a title by which the project will be known;
• state the proposed start date and duration of the proposed project;
• briefly outline the research base on which it builds;
• describe the current stage of development and how it will be moved forward by the proposed IAA project;
• provide details on the opportunity that will be addressed by this project, backed up by evidence of demand from the market and / or stakeholders and any other impact drivers
• outline the current barriers to exploitation/application;
• fully justify the nature and cost of all resources requested;
• provide details of anticipated project outcomes and impacts, including how they will be achieved, within what timescales, what mechanisms might be adopted to realise them, and how they will be measured;
• address projects risks and outline mitigation strategies;
• demonstrate that an appropriate IP strategy is being adopted;
• outline how Responsible Innovation, sustainability and ED&I principals will be incorporated in to your project.

Proposals which obviously do not address these criteria will be deemed ineligible and be rejected without going to the review panel. It is strongly recommended that you discuss your proposal with the EPSRC IAA Manager Keith Dingwall or an IAA Knowledge Exchange Associate prior to submitting a proposal.

All projects must be complete before 31 March 2026.

Individual Eligibility

All University of Glasgow staff are eligible to apply for EPSRC IAA funding and hold an IAA award. Applicants must comply with the standard EPSRC eligibility criteria. Note that we have additional requirements for RA Calls.

If you have received a previous IAA award you must have submitted a final report on that project to be eligible for further funding. IAA reporting forms are available at IAA Resources - Before, During and After your Project.

All staff wishing to receive an IAA award must have completed the University's online training courses "Equality & Diversity Essentials". If your project involves line managing staff you must have completed the course "Implementing Reasonable Adjustments (for staff)". If your project involves recruiting staff you must have completed the course "Understanding Unconscious Bias". All courses are housed on the Equality and Diversity Unit’s Moodle portal which all staff have access to, using their GUID and password.

Research Associates and research fellows can apply for standard IAA funding as the principal investigator of a project. In this case applicants should ensure that they have the approval of their line manager. In addition, RA applicants should provide a statement outlining how leading an IAA project will enhance their career. However, RAs may prefer to apply to one of our dedicated RA calls.

For secondment projects, all secondees must comply with visa and immigration requirements. Please check with your local HR team.

Impact Acceleration Account – Proposal Submission deadlines

The next IAA standard proposal submission deadline is Tuesday, 28 May 2024 at 10am. Please note the following criteria for this call:

• Projects are expected to commence promptly once awarded and must be complete by 31 March 2026.
• Research Associates, Research Fellows as well as all other staff are welcome to apply to this call, but please note that we also have calls targeted specifically at RAs which have their own, ring-fenced budget.

Applications should be submitted no later than 10am on the deadline day and should be submitted by email.

EPSRC IAA Fast Track proposals can be submitted at any time to the same email address.

It is preferable that collaborative partners will contribute cash to the project, although “tangible” material contributions from industrial collaborators may also be considered. Acceptable equivalent value partner in-kind contributions could be in the form of specific staff time undertaking part of the project, access to equipment, provision of materials, consumables, or other items. These commitments should be backed up by a letter of support which should be submitted along with your proposal.

IAA projects must specify a proposed start date and project duration. If you think that your project is going to overrun and would like to request a no-cost extension please contact the IAA Project Manager Keith Dingwall.

IAA funding is only awarded internally to University of Glasgow staff. External organisations cannot be a recipient of IAA funding, although they can be paid for services provided and goods supplied.

All projects must be completed by 31 March 2026. Extensions beyond this date are not possible.

Ownership and use of any new intellectual property developed during an IAA project will be negotiated by the University in consultation with the applicants. If an external partner organisation is involved a signed Collaboration Agreement will need to be in place prior to the project starting - please contact the University contracts team for advice and assistance with this.

Where projects involve partnership-building or collaborative working that lies outwith the scope of a formal collaboration agreement (i.e. through the Contracts team), the external collaborator should have sight of the application, workplan and budget in advance of submission.

The following presentation slides provide a basic introduction to the contracts for staff at the University of Glasgow - Contracts - An Overview.

Please also see our resources page on contracts and agreements (including non-disclosure agreements and material transfer agreements) for further advice.

All commercialisation projects should be developed in consultation with the University IP and Commercialisation team.

Eligible Costs

For standard IAA projects you can apply for a grant of up to £50,000, with the value of the award dependent on the scope, stage and scale of the project. Fast track projects can be up to £5,000 in value. While IAA funding does not include FEC, it is designed to be flexible and can cover items such as:

• University staff to undertake the project (Researchers and other staff, but not PI or Co-I time)
• consumables, travel and subsistence
• costs associated with secondments between academia and industry
• costs associated with external partner engagement such as travel to visit an industry partner or attend an industry event.
• IAAs will support 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
• small capital equipment items. Any single item purchased using an IAA award must be less than £10,000 in value (inc. VAT). IAA funds cannot be used to make a contribution to the cost of an individual item of equipment which costs £10,000 or more (inc. VAT)
• cost for the use of and access to specialist facilities at Glasgow and elsewhere (see note on JWNC below)
• sub-contracting costs
• training costs (for training directly related to impact generation activities only)
• commissioning expert consultants to undertake specialist tasks such as market research / analysis, product design, industry engagement or a commercial champion to support the development of impact.

The following items are not eligible for IAA funding:

• New, fundamental research
• PI and Co-I salary costs
• Indirect and estates costs
• Undergraduate activities, Masters training
• academic research or the development of tools exclusively for use in further research
• costs for staff employed by other academic institutions
• academic publication costs
• academic conference attendance
• costs for the delivery of research conferences targeted solely at an academic audience
• costs which solely benefit an external partner company, including university spin out companies
• IP and patent costs - any costs relating to Intellectual Property protection including but not limited to registering, maintaining or supporting patents or property rights
• Projects designed to bridge the gap between research projects
• Projects with the sole aim of retaining a member of University staff such as a research associate
• PhD's and costs directly associated with studentships
• standard desktop, laptop and tablet computers and associated IT equipment
• single items of equipment with a value of £10,000 or more (inc. VAT)
• contributions to the cost of purchasing equipment with a value of £10,000 or more (inc. VAT).

Other Points to note on project costs

In line with the sustainability goals of the University and EPSRC, all travel undertaken using IAA funds must be fully justified and done using the most appropriate mode available, taking into account cost, circumstances and sustainability.

All resources purchased for IAA projects must done in line with university policy, in particular, taking account of purchasing thresholds. See the Procurement Office webpages for details.

Projects making use of the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre facilities should ensure that the costs included are up to date and accurate. Please use the new JWNC Access Form (note that this link requires the VPN to be accessed off campus).

University salary scales are available online - for IAA projects the gross salary figure should be used.

Please contact Jaclyn McCann or Keith Dingwall for advice on preparing your IAA project costing.

The EPSRC IAA can support both outgoing and incoming secondments of staff with external partner organisations. It can also be used to enable placements, internships, and co-location of partner organisations on-campus. Secondment are flexible - they can be short and focused or can be a component of a larger project. Secondments can also be part time. The IAA will cover the salary costs for university staff seconded to external organisations for the time spent with the host. IAA funds can also be used to fund travel and subsistence costs, as well as any other resources required by the secondment project.

Enterprise secondments can enable a member of staff to take up a post with a university spinout company, and can be delivered in tandem with an Enterprise Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Please note that there are institutional rules and processes relating to formal staff secondments which must be adhered with. In particular, the visa and immigration status of the proposed secondee must be considered. If you are unsure please contact your local HR Advisor for advice.

If you have a project that you think would be suitable for any of these types of activity please contact Keith Dingwall to discuss further. 

Project applications will be assessed by the IAA Review Panel, a multi-disciplinary group comprising of both academics and experienced industrialists. Applicants should write their proposal for a non-specialist audience and avoid using discipline-specific terminology and acronyms.

Application assessment will take into account (not listed in any priority order):

• The link to the research base to be exploited, its quality, and the potential scope and likelihood for impact to be realised (i.e., new products or processes, jobs created or safeguarded, cost savings, increased profits, new policies, improved healthcare, etc.);
• A clear explanation of how funding will be used to achieve impact from research output;
• Strength of involvement of external partners;
• Potential benefits to the University of Glasgow, project partners, external stakeholders and end users;
• Quality of the business case for the project, including:
  • evidence of demand from companies, stakeholders or end-users;
  • a definition of the requirement or need;
  • a plan of activities, outcomes and project milestones explaining how they will contribute to meeting that requirement or need;
  • a clear plan for follow-on activities and details on how they may be funded;
  • a defined vision for the products, processes or services being developed or technology to be created;
• Proposed project implementation including project plan, tasks / activities, outputs, milestones and how their achievement will be measured;
• Potential for securing or leveraging additional funding or investment;
• Risks involved in the project and how they are mitigated - a high level of risk is not necessarily a bad thing if the potential impact is high;
• Value for money including justification of resources requested and contributions in cash or in kind from partners;
• Implementation of good practice in Responsible Innovation, Sustainability and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Outputs, outcomes & impact table - This table provides examples of the types of outputs, outcomes and impacts on which the success of the Impact Acceleration Account will be assessed. Please consider these when completing your IAA application form.

You can also read case studies of previous IAA projects for examples of impactful projects.

All EPSRC IAA projects must ensure that they take into account Responsible Innovation. Please see the EPSRC Responsible Innovation Anticipate, reflect, engage and act (AREA) framework and our new Responsible Innovation IAA Framework for guidance.

In line with funder expectations and institutional policy we expect all IAA projects to consider how they can be more sustainable in their approach. Please consult the relevant university policies.

Similarly, we expect all IAA projects to apply best practice in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Please refer to University policy on Equality and Diversity and HR policies on Equality and Diversity. In addition, all staff wishing to receive an IAA award must have completed the University's online training courses "Equality & Diversity Essentials". If your project involves line managing staff you must have completed the course "Implementing Reasonable Adjustments (for staff)". If your project involves recruiting staff you must have completed the course "Understanding Unconscious Bias". All courses are housed on the Equality and Diversity Unit’s Moodle portal which all staff have access to, using their GUID and password.

As the success of an IAA project will be based on the quality of the impact of the activities funded, the IAA Project Manager and the KE Associate Team will work closely with all projects to ensure objectives are achieved, monitoring progress against pre-defined milestones. Upon finishing your project, a completed IAA Project Final Report Form, agreed and signed by all partners, will be required. In addition, you may also be asked to help develop a case study on your project in consultation with the IAA team which will focus on the outcomes and benefits of the work undertaken. Failure to submit a final project report means you will not be eligible for subsequent IAA funding.

In addition to the final project report you should also record project outcomes in the University's Enlighten KE and Impact repository.

You are advised to contact the EPSRC IAA Manager or a KE Associate for advice and guidance prior to submitting your application. Electronic submissions are acceptable for proposal review purposes. Completed applications and any letters of support should be emailed to the CoSE-IAA mailbox.

Download the ‌‌‌EPSRC IAA 2022 Standard Application Form

Download the EPSRC IAA 2022 Fast Track Application Form for projects £5,000 or less.

• Are you Research Associate working the Engineering and Physical Sciences?
• Do you have a vision that could develop your research to create impact?
• Can you demonstrate the leadership skills to drive a project from funding application, through delivery to a successful outcome?

We have calls for proposals from Research Associates for projects which will develop impact based on their research.

The next submission deadline has not been set.

At each submission deadline we will fund up to three projects with a maximum value of £20,000 each (i.e. there is a total pot of up to £60,000 available at each deadline). These calls are exclusively open to research associates with the allocated funds entirely set aside for RA-led projects. Eligible costs include salary, travel, consumables, access to facilities and sub-contracting, and other eligible IAA costs. Project activities can include:

• Collaborative development in partnership with industry or other external stakeholder;
• Secondment into industry to take forward the application of research outputs
• Secondment of staff from an external partner to work on a project on-site at the university
• Proof of concept activity within the University
• Prototype / demonstrator development

These are just some examples of the type of work which could be undertaken through this funding - we strongly encourage innovative proposals. A previous example of an EPSRC IAA RA project includes the 6-degrees-of-freedom pen which is featured as one of our IAA case studies.  If you are unsure of your eligibility or any other aspect of your idea please get in touch with the CoSE IAA Team to discuss it further.

This aim of these calls is to provide RA’s with an opportunity to lead their own Knowledge Exchange and impact generating activities. The project is likely to be undertaken at the end of your current research project; however there can be flexibility in timing to suit the circumstances of the individuals and projects involved. Projects must be driven by the individual research associate leading the proposal and approval from your supervisor/research project PI is required. You will also be asked to outline to the IAA review panel how you expect that the award of this funding will support your career development. Where appropriate a suitable industry champion or KE mentor should be identified and incorporated into the proposal. If you are not able to identify someone, we will work with you to identify a suitable person.

One of the primary aims of the EPSRC IAA is to stimulate culture change by involving early career researchers in impact activity and to support them in the creation of industrial partnerships and development of non-academic networks. By leading an independent project RA’s will strengthen their track record, enhancing their chances when pursuing opportunities such as fellowships or positions outwith academia.

In addition to a completed EPSRC IAA 2022 Standard Application Form, please provide in the covering email with your submission a short statement outlining how you expect that the award of this funding will support your career development and confirmation that your line manager, supervisor, or main project PI are supportive of your application.

The schedule for EPSRC IAA RA Call submission deadlines is as follows:

• No upcoming deadlines have been announced at this time.

Applications should be submitted no later than 10am on the deadline day and should be submitted by email.

Please use the  for your proposal and refer to the standard eligibility criteria and assessment criteria outlined above. If you have an idea for a projects and would like to discuss it further please get in touch.

See our IAA Resources page for further advice on preparing your application.

Specialist support from the CoSE IAA team is also available for all applicants prior to proposal submission. Applicants are strongly encouraged to make use of this support - please contact a member of the IAA Team to discuss your proposal. Experience has shown that this creates stronger applications with better defined impact pathways which helps the applicant in their journey, the reviewers in assessing proposals, and impact support staff in their role. This also allows for a triage of projects that are not ready for IAA support but that can be developed through other channels before returning to IAA. Where resources for pre-submission support are limited, support is prioritised for Early Career Researchers and first-time applicants. There is an obligation on applicants to request support within a reasonable time frame prior to submission.