The ESRC has awarded The University of Manchester over £1m to deliver the Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) until 31 March 2023. The IAA is being used to fund knowledge exchange activities to accelerate the impact of research in the social sciences across the University.  

Our 2020 annual competition is currently paused because of difficulties in progressing general research and impact activities during the current lockdown. We will keep this under regular review and will resume this as soon as circumstances allow.

To support the University of Manchester research community during this difficult time, we have developed a new tranche of funding linked to Rapid Response: Covid-19 Rapid Response Fund. This will support projects that are able to begin immediately and operate throughout the crisis, with an upper limit of £10k per project. This fund will operate alongside Rapid Response and is open to all, although we may prioritise applicants who have not held significant ESRC IAA funding previously.

Covid-19 Rapid Response Call

The Covid-19 pandemic affects individuals, communities, and society in the UK and globally, with economic, social and cultural effects that are far reaching. This strand of the IAA will fund impact initiatives that draw on social science research relevant to the pandemic. This could include initiatives relating to economic, health and wellbeing, behavioural, social, political, and communications implications.  Activities could include:

• Harnessing existing expertise to deliver a significant impact on the understanding of, and response to, the Covid-19 pandemic
• Working in multidisciplinary teams to scope new and emerging areas of work related to the pandemic
• Developing targeted solutions for stakeholders to help them mitigate against the economic and social challenges posed by the pandemic

This call is open on a rolling basis until further notice.

Please note:

• Awards of any value up to £10K will be considered
• Activity should start immediately and be able to be carried out despite the current stay-at-home regulations
• The standard ESRC IAA guidelines and eligibility requirements apply
• This scheme will run alongside our regular Rapid Response Stream, which funds small scale activities up to £1,000 to enable academics to respond quickly to any eligible opportunities
• Whilst all applications will be considered, we may prioritise applicants who have not had substantial IAA funding to date

For more information on how to apply, please contact us.

Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

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