Eligibility
- This call is invite-only to researchers who are part of the winter 2025 Nuclear Catalyst cohort.
- Though projects should be a collaboration between the business and the researcher, we require the LU researcher to be Principle Investigator (PI) and to manage the IAA funding. This ensures adherence to Lancaster's financial regulations and original IAA terms & conditions from UK Research & Innovation. However, we can make payments to third-parties to enable projects to be delivered (though we'd typically expect the partner to provide in-kind support).
- The PI does not need to have received funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to be eligible to apply. However, there should be pre-existing engineering and physical sciences based research underpinning the IAA project.
- The IAA is not intended to support 'engaged research', nor is it a vehicle for consultancy projects - there must be genuine collaboration, exchange of knowledge, and mutually agreed outcomes and impacts with an external non-academic partner.
- Proposals should align to EPSRC remits - further details about this are below. An explanation of alignment should be provided within the application. If you are not sure then contact the IAA Manager to discuss, who can confirm alignment or otherwise prior to application.
- All proposals must involve working with an external, non-academic partner.
- The PI may supervise and involve other staff (e.g., RAs or Post-Doctoral Researchers) in the delivery of IAA projects, but they remain the PI.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
We encourage Early Career Researchers to apply, under whichever definition is appropriate to your circumstances. The IAA may be able to cover costs related to parental leave, and we have made allowance for childcare costs to also be claimed via the IAA project.
Our data on previous LU IAA applicants has demonstrated that certain groups are less likely to apply for an IAA, and though we won’t ask specific questions about protected characteristics, we do encourage applications from individuals representing any of the following groups:
- Individuals who identify as female
- Individuals with a declared disability
- Individuals are representative of ethnic groups other than white.
Scope
Though we expect a broad range of ideas, activity types, and partner representatives, proposals must:
i) Include activity aligning to at least one of the following activity streams:
- Strengthen knowledge exchange through culture change, including through the development of skills for knowledge exchange activity
- Strengthen research organisation and researcher–research user engagement
- Support knowledge exchange – including at early stages of progressing research outputs and outcomes to the point when they can be supported by other funding
- Support new, innovative and imaginative approaches to KE 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
ii) Evidence alignment to EPSRC remits
Your project must align to at least one of the EPSRC research areas. For clarity on which discipline areas are eligible, please see the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 'list of research areas'.
In your application you will be asked to state the research area(s) that your proposal aligns to, and to expand on remit alignment in your written application.
iii) Work with at least one external partner
It is mandatory that you have an external (non-academic) partner for this funding scheme. We welcome projects with cash match where available. For projects citing cash match (not in-kind) from your external partner(s), a signed collaboration agreement will be required outlining payment terms and intellectual property ownership. A template of this agreement can be supplied to the partner as part of the preparation of the proposal as this will potentially save time later.
Duration
Projects must conclude by October 2026.
Eligible Costs
- Grants can be up to £20,000 but smaller awards of ~£5,000 also encouraged. Amounts over £20,000 will be considered on an exceptional basis (with expectation of 1:1 cash match). Please discuss with the IAA Manager prior to application if >£20k.
- Full Economic Costs are not applicable/eligible (i.e. estates and indirect costs, permanent staff time etc.)
- We are looking to support the new direct costs of projects through this call – so additional Research Assistant/Post-Doctoral Researcher time, travel, consumables, payments to facilitate partner involvement and small items of equipment. Any equipment purchases must be <£10K.
- Costs and approvals do not need to go through the Research Support Office, though we advise seeking assistance with staff costs from RSO, if applicable. See https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/research/research-services/pre-award-development/costing-and-pricing/
- Other support costs to enable project delivery (such as childcare costs for working away etc.) are allowable.
- Do consider costs and services which would incur VAT (such as payments made to partners for delivery of specific services), and factor these into your budgets.
How to apply
There are three funding levels offered via this closed IAA call:
- Seed funding for up to £10,000 per project, intended for short 3-6 month duration projects to enable initial researcher and external partner collaborations or for critical, emerging opportunities.
- Growth funding for up to £20,000 per project, intended to support researchers and partners with clear routes to accelerate, deepen or broaden impact over 6-12 months.
- Accelerator funding for over £20,000, intended to support teams of researchers make substantive advances with an external partner along the impact pathway. This must include cash match from your external partner (not in-kind).
To apply, please submit an application by using online form, which will be circulated to researchers and businesses involved in the Nuclear Catalyst. To review the questions to be asked and the associated guidance you can review a MS word version here (TBC)
To support applications we will also run an online webinar w/c 6th January. Please note, you will be required to upload Head of Department approval emails via the online application form.
Applications will need to be submitted by the deadline of 28th January 2026, 5.00pm.
Proposals will be scored against the weightings outlined in the application form, ranked, and then funding allocated based on available funds and panel discussions.
EPSRC Panel (TBC 30th January): Associate Director, Research & Innovation (Mark Rushforth), FST Impact Development Manager, Associate Dean (TBC), Senior Researcher (TBC).
Panel secretary: Jamie Hodge (IAA Manager)
- To maintain their impartiality, panel members are asked to not provide detailed advice to prospective applicants. For example, they can advise informally about the IAA scheme (though be mindful of capacity) but cannot review drafts or heavily influence proposal development.
- More detailed advice can be sought from the relevant Partnership or Business Development Manager for your faculty area (depending on capacity and being mindful of the relatively short turnaround).
- Outcomes are expected to be communicated at the event on 3rd February though we aim to inform applicants prior. Detailed feedback will follow but won’t be provided immediately.
- Technical queries to IAA Manager (j.p.hodge@lancaster.ac.uk).
