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UKRI Harmonised Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) – updates

18 Jun 2024

Proposals submission deadline is Wednesday, 24 July

The Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) is a combination of grants awarded to the University to support the research and innovation ecosystem to develop wider impacts from research through fast and flexible funding for knowledge exchange activities.

IAA grants available to academics from AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC and STFC.

The UoM Knowledge Exchange Partnerships Team, part of Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange, has renamed and updated the three core IAA mechanisms to introduce more flexibility in impact delivery.

The University also has a one-year funded extension to its IAA, which will now run until 31 March 2026.

Further information on the new schemes is available in the University’s IAA Scope Guide.

This is the seventh call for proposals and comes under the following mechanisms:

1. Starter (up to £10,000)

Fostering new relationships and initiation of small impact projects between external partners and academic researchers, creating opportunities for longer-term collaboration and exchange of knowledge and skills.

2. Pilot (up to £30,000)

Flexible support for the very early stage of transforming research outputs into impactful opportunities, in collaboration with an external partner, through support for the development of an early evaluation prototype, initial trials, scoping exercises and feasibility studies.

3. Advance (up to £60,000)

Flexible support for collaboration between the University and external organisations to focus on the creation and development of impactful outcomes. This scheme also helps us to extend the culture and skills for business engagement, knowledge exchange and innovation at the University. In/out Secondments during the project are encouraged but not mandatory.

Eligibility

IAA projects are no longer required to be directly related to previous funded research, but must fall within the remit and priorities of one or more of the relevant Research Councils: AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, STFC.

Multidisciplinary projects may be jointly funded by more than one research council as appropriate.

Eligible collaborators are UK-based businesses (including UK sites of international businesses), UK charities, and UK public sector organisations such as the NHS. Non-UK based businesses may be eligible where there is demonstrable evidence of the intention for inward investment during or beyond the lifetime of the project (e.g. establishing a UK site, job creation). If you have any queries regarding user organisation eligibility, please contact the Knowledge Exchange Partnerships Team.

Do you have a potential project? 

The Knowledge Exchange Partnerships Team provide active support for the development of IAA submissions. Please contact us at kepartnerships@manchester.ac.uk at least one month before the call closing date: Wednesday, 24 July.

For more information, download the IAA Handbook