The University of Edinburgh Has Been Awarded Further Funding for the EPSRC Impact Acceleration

The University of Edinburgh has been awarded further funding for the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA). These funds will support industry engagement and commercialisation activities from EPSRC funded research. The fund aims to increase, advance and accelerate the achievement of impact to the UK plc from EPSRC funded research. The funds are managed by Edinburgh Research and Innovation on behalf of the College of Science & Engineering.

1. Spend Period

All projects must take place in the spend period between1st August 2017and 31stJanuary 2020.The maximum project length will normally be 12 months. No extensions beyond this spend period will be permitted.

1. Proposal Criteria

• Applications must be directly linked to the outcomes from an EPSRC grant
• CDTs and previous IAA awards are not considered to be an original EPSRC grant
• TheR number and title of the award must be clearly stated
• The original EPSRC grant does not have to have been awarded whilst at the UoE.
• Applications must clearly state and justify why the project has not been enabled by, and is therefore is different or additional to, the pathways identified in the pathways to impact (PTI) statement on the original grant. EPSRC explicitly state that IAA funds cannot be used for work that should have been in an original grant, e.g. IAA funding should enable opportunities not anticipated, opportunities out of original scope, or further acceleration of the impact of outputs from the original PTI.
• Projects should have a clear knowledge exchange or commercialisation focus with the impact for the eligible user organisation being clearly identified.
• Eligible user organisations are UK-based businesses (or UK sites of international businesses), UK charities, and UK public sector organisations. Anticipated impact must be significant in the UK.
• Proposals should indicate any link to funding from other funding sources and outline how this could provide additional leverage. Proposals with a clear strategic link to UK strategic impact and innovation initiatives (e.g. Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund priority areas), and/or show clear capacity building towards these, will be considered to provide additional value.

The expectation is that partners will match IAA spend on projects. For collaborative projects IAA spend must be matched by the partner with a minimum 30% supported in cash and the remainder through in kind contributions such as staff time, equipment, consumables etc

• All proposals should be discussed and signed off with your local Business Development/Technology Transfer Executive (your local contact) prior to submission
• All proposals require a letter of support from the partner organisation including details of all matching funding.

1. Funding Streams
2. Collaborative Projects and Knowledge Exchange Activities

• This funding is available to develop impact from EPSRC early stage research outputs through collaborative projects with industry (or other stakeholders)
• The project must be clearly defined with the expected impacts detailed in the application.
• Each project must clearly articulate why the proposed activitieswere not included in, or are different to, those expressed in the pathways toimpact statement on the original grant.
• Visits to industry sector trade show or industry targeted conferences and events will be eligible where clear objectives and impact from the attendance can be demonstrated.
• The project duration is a maximum of 12 months. Exceptionally, where justification can be supplied, projects of a longer duration may be considered by the review panel.
• Funding support can be requested for advanced IP development e.g. to support a gap between Pathways to Impact and Proof of Principle funding
• Costs eligibility is summarised in the Table below:

• Equipment costs are not normally supported. In exceptional circumstances where a clear case for why the project cannot go ahead without the equipment being provided, equipment cost requests up to a maximum of £10k will be considered by the review panel.

1. Secondments, Placements and People Exchange

• The emphasis of thisstream is to transfer and exchange knowledge. Example activities include: product or process improvement; creating new techniques; helping to solve design issues; data mapping and data analysis work
• Exchanges could be in either direction: outward, with University researcher(s) visiting a stakeholder or inward, with University staff hosting a visitor from industry, a policy making body or another stakeholder. Exchanges can be for any period from weeks to months.
• For outward secondments/placements, UoE staff time, travel and subsistance will be covered. For inward company secondments/placements the IAA funds will cover the cost of travel and subsistance only.
• As a minimum, in kind contributions are expected to match the IAA spend.

1. Internships

• The Knowledge Exchange Internship (KEI) scheme offers the opportunity for a PhD student to work with industry.
• A KEI is a knowledge transfer collaboration in which the PhD student will transfer the knowledge, skills and experience from the EPSRC funded research in the PI group, to a company who will benefit from their expertise.
• Although this scheme is open to PhD students,it is the Supervisor who must make the application. It is the reponsibility of the Supervisor to ensure that all terms and conditions relating to the original funder of the studentship, and the School, are met.
• A company must be identified who would be willing to host the PhD student and the activity during the Knowledge Exchange Internship. This work should form part of a project which will deliver a real benefit to the business, their customers or society at large.

1. Costing of Projects

•Projects are to be costed on a full economic costing (FEC) basis.

•In addition to the cost rules summarised above, for all other costs standard EPSRC grant cost eligibility rules will apply

•The award will enable funding of 100% of all direct costs incurred.

• The expectation is that partners will match IAA spend on projects. For collaborative projects IAA spend must be matched by the partner with a minimum 30% supported in cash and the remainder through in kind contributions such as staff time, equipment, consumables etc.
• In previous IAA calls we have experienced a high demand for the funds. As funds are limited, in line with other Research Council funded grants, partnercash contributions will be looked upon most favorably, as this provides great added value and demonstrates commitment from partners.
• Undergraduate activities, core PhD training, Masters and CPD will not be supported.
• Public Engagement activity is only supported if itis clear that it could not have been included in the Pathways to Impact statement for the grant.

1. Assessment Process

All projects will be evaluated by the University’s EPSRC IAA panel. Panel members come from both scientific and commercial backgrounds and therefore applications should be written for a non-specialist audience. The panel will consider the:

• Viability of the proposed activities.
• Likelihood of achieving and the value of the impact outlined.
• Link and fit to previous EPSRC-funded research.
• Value of the contribution from the collaborative partner.
• Strategic benefit to the University of Edinburghand to the other parties (including potential for follow-on activities)
• Existing or potential leverage of funds from, and alignment to, other impact or industry funding streams, e.g. Innovate UK (UKRI), ISCF.

The award will not support:

• New basic research activity such as that covered by responsive mode grants from EPSRC
• Patent filing or similar costs associated directly to registering intellectual property rights

1. Award Conditions

Successful applicants will be required to:

•Report on progress, both in terms of output and spend, during the project at agreed intervals

•Provide a summary report and case study upon completion of the project, including providing and updating information in ResearchFish.

•Provide a spend forecast at the time of the application and ‘actual versus planned’ spend updates at agreed intervals during the project

•Work with their Business Development/Technology Transfer Executive to ensure knowledge exchange and commercialisation opportunities are maximised and IP is protected/managed where appropriate

•Ensure applications are properly costed (with only direct costs allowed) and have received approval through their usual departmental systems

•Highlight immediately any problems or issues that arise during the course of the project. This includes identified underspend in the project period; this is important as these funds need to be reallocated well within the spend period to prevent their loss to UoE.

1. Contact

Applications should be submitted pying in your Business Development or Technology Transfer Executive.For general advice and guidance on IAA funds please send an email to .

1. Business Development Contacts

V3 1017