Aston University has been awarded its first Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC). The IAA, now totalling £564,000, runs from April 2022 to March 2026 and will be invested in helping our researchers to maximise the economic, environmental and social impact potential of their research. In particular, we will use the Award to:
- Broaden the pool of Aston researchers engaged in impact generation, especially those at an early stage in their career
- Nurture an inclusive team approach to accelerating impact
- Enable researchers to make a real ‘step change’ in realising the impact potential of their research
A wide range of activities can be funded through the different streams and examples are illustrated below along with the different types of awards that can be made.
| Award Type | Example of Fundable Activities | Example of Deliverables |
| Impact Builder £35K max 3-4 per year | Access engineering support within EPS to design and build a prototype suitable for manufacture Hiring a specialist to focus on a particular impact development for a short period of time | Tangible demonstrator or prototype Demonstrator, case study or other asset that can be used to facilitate impact |
| Impact Primer 7K Up to 5 per year | National or international travel with the specific focus of further developing impactful partnerships or gathering data of impact Creation of marketing material (web, video, animations etc.) to engage the public or other end users | Data sets leading to a case study. Submission of collaborative grant proposals Live website/video with usage statistics and/or feedback |
| Impact Workshops | Training to enable impact - participate in one of our training workshops in 3D printing, CAD, design for manufacture, impact creation etc | Feedback |
- Upcoming Calls and Deadlines
No further calls are currently planned as all available funds have been allocated.
- Who can participate?
If you’re an Aston researcher, you don’t need to have previously received an EPSRC award in order to be eligible to apply for funding from our EPSRC IAA or to participate in activities funded by it. Your research should fall within the EPSRC’s disciplinary remit which is a broad one, and interdisciplinary proposals are welcomed. Find more details about the areas of research supported by the EPSRC.
Our Awards are open to all academic, research and teaching staff who undertake relevant research, while our events are open to both staff and PhD students who carry out or support research within the EPSRC’s remit.
Please note: All those receiving EPSRC IAA funds will be required to participate in our reporting and impact tracking process for the EPSRC, both during the period of their award and after it has concluded. Applicants must be willing to commit to this process if they apply for any awards from the IAA.
Our EPSRC IAA supports a range of activities which include capacity-building events, sabbaticals, and individual and team projects. Find out more about our IAA events and funding programmes below.
- Impact Builder Awards (up to £35k each) CLOSED
We want to support applied research which has already demonstrated initial impact potential through an early-stage ‘proof of concept’ trial or scoping exercise, and which is now at the stage where an investment of up to £35,000 could make a real ‘step change’ in terms of impact. For example, this might be through the development or further refinement of a prototype, collaboration on development with external partners, or the expansion of a research-based professional or community training programme.
The deadline for the 2024-25 call is 17:00, Monday 16th September 2024, and applications can be submitted at any time up to that date. Download our guidance notes for applicants and complete the following application form. If you have difficulty using an online application form, please request a Word version from the EPSRC IAA Team.
We strongly advise that you contact the Research Impact Team, at least a month before the applications deadline, to discuss your proposal. Contact us and please mark your email ‘EPSRC IAA query’. Please also ensure you get any labour costs properly costed by contacting Roshan Dandiker in Research Finance.
- Impact Primer Awards (up to £7K each) - CLOSED
Could a small amount of funding make a big difference to accelerating your research impact? Impact Primer Awards can be used to accelerate impact work over a broad range of activities., including the purchase of consumables, meetings with potential non-academic collaborators or policy makers, or to engage Aston’s engineering team in low-level rapid prototyping work.
This is a rolling call, without a set deadline, and you’re welcome to apply at any time. Download our guidance notes for applicants and click on the following application form. If you’d like to apply, please contact the Research Impact Team to discuss your proposal. Contact us and please mark your email ‘EPSRC IAA query’.