Collaborative programmes and industry-led research

These programmes foster collaboration between academia, industry and other sector partners. They help drive commercialisation to address industry needs and advance economic, technological and social progress.

Bringing together the unique skills of experts from a diverse range of disciplines, these collaborative programmes seek to tackle complex challenges and align research with practical industry requirements.

Our programmes also enhance the skills of UK researchers by providing insights into industry practices and valuable transferrable skills that are highly sought after in the job market.

Business and academia prosperity partnerships

Prosperity partnerships fund strategic research-based partnerships between businesses and academia.

They support business-led fundamental research, arising from an industrial need, and co-delivered by the business and academic partners.

Find out more from the last funding rounds of:

Knowledge transfer partnerships

Knowledge transfer partnerships (KTPs) allow business to access academic expertise to solve a problem they are facing.

Knowledge transfer partnerships are grants that bring together a business with an appropriate research organisation partner and a research associate to work on a specific innovation project.

Find out more about Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and how to apply or visit the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships website.

STFC Cross-cluster proof of concept funding

Up to £40,000 grant funding is available to support collaborative projects between businesses, organisations or universities where one partner is part of an STFC cluster.

The funding enables innovators to:

  • investigate the application of technology from another industry through cross-cluster engagement
  • access networks and STFC’s large-scale science facilities to develop and validate new ideas
  • de-risk exploratory projects

Contact the STFC clusters team to find out more about the scheme and future funding opportunities.

Email: crossclusterpoc@stfc.ac.uk

Last updated: 23 January 2024

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