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ESRC Impact Acceleration Account Funding

Newcastle University has secured a £1,250,000 ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (ESRC IAA) grant for 2023-2028. This funding is intended to maximise the social and economic impact of social science research.

The grant translates as an annual allocation of £250,000. We'll use this funding to:

  • support the delivery of high-impact projects
  • foster collaborative partnerships and networks
  • accelerate challenge-led commercial innovation
  • provide training and capacity-building opportunities for researchers and our partners
Economic and Social Research Council logo

Our interdisciplinary approach

The overarching aim for our ESRC IAA is to mobilise our social science researchers to drive future solutions to economic and societal challenges.

These challenges are complex and interconnected. We believe that they can only be met by moving beyond siloed approaches to generating research impact.

To achieve this, we’ll support our social scientists to surpass disciplinary boundaries and collaborate in ways that bring together diverse expertise.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

At Newcastle University, we are committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive impact culture.

We’re embedding EDI in the Impact Acceleration Account by breaking down the barriers that drive underrepresentation in impact activities. We'll also support our researchers to build equity, diversity, and inclusivity in every stage of the research impact cycle.

Our vision for the Impact Acceleration Account

The IAA will focus on fostering ambitious projects with the potential for creating actionable change.

A portion of this funding will be aligned with our designated Strategic Priorities. These priorities reflect the five thematic research strengths across the University. They also represent our greatest areas of untapped potential.

These Strategic Priorities are:

  • ageing and vitality
  • data and digital
  • childhood and youth
  • sustainable futures
  • cities
  • rural enterprise and innovation
  • electrification

Information about how researchers, organisations, professionals, groups, and communities can get involved in the IAA will follow shortly.

In the meantime, any enquiries can be sent to esrciaa@newcastle.ac.uk.