THE BBSRC IAA CALL IS CURRENTLY OPEN ON A ROLLING BASIS

Applicants do not need to have been a previous recipient of research council funding in order to be eligible to apply.

To discuss your proposal, please email iaa@qub.ac.uk and include 'BBSRC IAA' in the subject line.

Theme 1: IMPACT THROUGH COMMERCIALISATION

Fund: The Commercial Principle Push Fund

This Fund allows researchers to carry out early-stage commercialisation activities essential to realising the commercial potential of biotechnology and biological science-related research. Industrial partners are not a requirement, but external validation will be sought. Funding supports an individual/small team to develop and strengthen the commercial potential of an identified business opportunity (max. 3 months). A project lead should be identified to monitor progress. Awards can be spent flexibly, including on salary contribution, external validation/business model concept development and training/develop a pitch for the technology or to find a potential partner. To note, any costs relating to Intellectual Property protection including but not limited to registering, maintaining or supporting patents or property rights are not eligible for funding. (Max. award £10K)

This fund is open. All applications must be submitted via the online form. A downloadable version of the application form is available here to facilitate applications.

Theme 2: IMPACT THROUGH AWARENESS

Fund: The Impact Action Fund

This Fund will promote dissemination and awareness building for specific projects that require external interest to explore and fulfil their impact potential (includes economic/non-economic (environmental, societal and policy). This can include stakeholder showcase engagement events e.g. Academic-Industry Meeting days (AIMdays), public lectures, social media/website campaigns, press/media engagement or coverage, workshops and public event attendance complimenting key areas in the Queen’s institutional Engaged Research Action Plan.

Funding will support public engagement where interaction is key to informing the research impact such as user engagement as a critical pathway to achieving societal and/or economic impact.  To note, funded activities require pre/post activity stakeholder evaluation methodology (e.g knowledge survey) to ensure you as a researcher(s) gain a clearer understanding of the impact potential of your research. Standard max. award £2k (but up to £5k possible)

This fund is open. All applications must be submitted via the online form. A downloadable version of the application form is available here to facilitate future applications.

Theme 3: IMPACT THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

Fund: The Relationships Incubator Fund.

This Fund is aimed at activities that will support early findings that will help researchers build partnerships with organisations (businesses, academia, international bodies, Governments, NGOs, Policy makers) regionally, nationally or globally with which they have not previously worked or where there is an early partnership. There are 2 types of Award within this Fund:

1. Scoping Projects

Scoping Projects could include preliminary fast fail/pilot investigations for the translation of research outcomes or the development of preliminary data sets to support full follow-on funding applications. Some level of matched funding is expected from partners, this can be cash/in-kind/or a combination of both. To note, new fundamental research will not be funded. Activities under this Award are aimed at significantly de-risking the challenges to accelerate the time between the discovery of knowledge and the point at which it can deliver benefit. i.e.  Projects can be based on the translation of existing research within an industrial setting or existing research can be used in a pilot study with an industrial partner to gain data required for a future collaborative research bid. (Max. award £20K)

This fund is open. All applications must be submitted via the online form. A downloadable version of the application form is available here to facilitate future applications.

2. Partnership Projects

Partnership Projects awards support academics to travel to share their research (pandemic regulations permitting) with impact partners and for partners to come to Belfast to learn how the research can help them create impact, leading to future research collaborations, funded projects and long-term alliances and contributing to the University’s increasing portfolio of impact partners. (Max. award £5K).

This fund is open. All applications must be submitted via the online form. A downloadable version of the application form is available here to facilitate future applications.

 Fund: Visiting Fellowship Fund (Outgoing/Incoming)

Funding researcher mobility and flexible people exchanges between organisations and the University is a key way of exchanging skills and knowledge and developing longer-term relationships. This Fund will support increased engagement with external partners at a strategic level through establishing/developing relationships that have potential to lead to enduring collaborations and impact. These Fellowship awards should enable the  validation of research outcomes, knowledge exchange and technology transfer, information gathering and ideation, in the real world. Awards duration max. 2 weeks, open to all researchers and external practitioners. (Max award £5k)

This fund is open. All applications must be submitted via the online form.  A downloadable version of the application form is available here to facilitate future applications.