Area of investment and support

BBSRC impact acceleration accounts

Impact acceleration accounts (IAAs) are strategic awards providing funding to research organisations to use creatively for a wide range of impact activities.

• Budget: Since 2018, BBSRC has awarded 14 IAAs worth £4.5 million.
• Duration: This is an ongoing initiative with funding rounds every three years.
• Partners involved: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Other councils involved: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC), Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

The scope and what we're doing

IAAs are strategic awards provided to research organisations so they can respond to impact opportunities in more flexible, responsive and creative ways.

The research organisation is responsible for managing IAAs, to design and deliver activities that best suit their institutional strategies and opportunities.

The awards are intended to add value to existing funding, and take advantage of new or unforeseen opportunities that will create impact.

Why we're doing it

Research councils using the IAA mechanism have agreed to the following common IAA objectives, to:

• strengthen user engagement
• strengthen the exchange of knowledge through culture and capability development, including through the development of skills for knowledge exchange activity
• support knowledge exchange and commercialisation at early stages of progressing research outputs and outcomes to the point when they would be supported by other funding
• support new, innovative and imaginative approaches to knowledge exchange and impact, including processes that enable ‘fast failure’ and appropriate learning
• support activities that enable impact to be achieved in an effective and timely manner, including secondments and people exchange.

Opportunities, support and resources available

The latest call for IAAs at UKRI level has now closed.

You may still be able to access opportunities through IAAs from organisations with a current award. Check ‘Past projects, outcomes and impact’ (below) for a list of organisations with a current award.

Past projects, outcomes and impact

Funds have been awarded via a competitive process, where research organisations that have substantial levels of BBSRC investment were invited to apply.

Current awards

The following 14 organisations were successful in attaining a four-year IAA award, beginning 1 April 2018. If you are a partner interested in accessing and developing opportunities through IAAs, you should approach these organisations directly:

• University of Birmingham
• University of Cambridge
• The University of Edinburgh and The Roslin Institute
• University of Glasgow
• Imperial College London
• University of Liverpool
• The University of Manchester
• University of Nottingham
• University of Oxford
• The Pirbright Institute
• Quadram Institute
• The University of Sheffield
• The University of Warwick
• University of York.

Who to contact

James Sundquist

Email: impact.awards@bbsrc.ukri.org

Telephone: 01793 411611