Stirling Social Science Impact Acceleration Account

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) at the University of Stirling involves:

• Five-year funding (2023-2028) from the ESRC.
• An institutional block award totalling £1.25 million, which we will use flexibly to build and amplify the impact of social science research across the university.
• Activities that enhance knowledge exchange, innovation, and commercialisation skills.
• Events that celebrate and engage the public with Stirling’s social science research, including as part of the UK-wide ESRC Festival of Social Science each year.

You can read more in the press release announcing and welcoming this new IAA funding.

The IAA focuses on upskilling and developing the capacity of academics and PhD researchers, promoting ideas and actions to bring about change, and benefiting the diverse range of people we work with.

The types of activities and opportunities within the Stirling Social Science IAA include:

• a training and capacity building programme: data analysis and decision-making, policy engagement, co-production, innovation, commercialisation and social entrepreneurship;
• interdisciplinary incubation events and crucibles: sparking ideas and connecting social scientists with a range of other disciplines, sectors and partners;
• an impact-accelerating funding programme that social scientists across Stirling can apply for;
• a people exchange scheme of placements and collaboration;
• an awards programme of high-profile lectures and impact innovation award prizes;
• an events programme and public engagement festivals celebrating social science.

The IAA Funding Programme offers a number of pathways to support impact development from an early exploratory phase to its maturity. We invite applications for activities including non-academic user engagement, impact acceleration, innovation and commercialisation as well as knowledge exchange and people movement. The first call for proposals under the IAA Funding Programme closed on 4 December 2023.

Themes and Focal Points in 2023-24

Through its funding calls in 2023-2024 the IAA seeks to support impact development under these key themes:   

• University Research and Innovation missions. We invite projects that align with the University Research and Innovation missions and priorities to make a difference to people through tangible improvements to quality of spaces, places and lives by 2034.
• UN Sustainable Development Goals. We encourage proposals that address one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Impact Without Borders. We invite applications that nurture internationalisation and advance the reach of our impact and knowledge exchange on a global scale.
• Commercialisation of social science. We invite projects that have the potential for both, Profit or Not-for-Profit, commercialisation.
• Open theme. We also seek to support impactful social sciences research that does not align to one of the above themes. It could be specific and bespoke, it could be strategic, it could be a game-changer for social change.