Current impact funding opportunities
The IAA is organised as a stage-gate model. Within this model there are four Stages at which awards are offered, providing for knowledge exchange activities at different levels of development.
Projects supported by the IAA might start at a small scale, or at a very early point (for example, funding for initial conversations with partners). Award Stages 1-4 will support the project as it grows, through piloting to carrying out a fully developed impact project (if agreed outcomes are well met and appropriate continuation activity is planned, as judged by the IAA Review Panel). However, projects may come to the fund at any point in their development and enter the programme at any Stage, subject to guidance from the IAA Manager.

Please contact us to discuss potential projects: esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk. We can guide you as to which stage to apply for first, advise you about eligibility and assist you in developing a project proposal which suits IAA funding.
For more information on projects funded through our first round of IAA funding, 2014-19, please look at our ESRC IAA funded project summaries.
Applications are welcomed from Social Sciences researchers from any Department.
Knowledge Exchange (KE) Dialogues is intended to provide small amounts of funding (up to £2,500) to bring together academics with external stakeholders (public, private, civil society) in meaningful and productive two-way discussions.
- Are there a couple of key organisations that you want to get to know better?
- Do you want to do some sector wide engagement to get different perspectives on the topic of your research?
- Have you identified some individuals from outside the academy that could help with your research?
- Or maybe you want to check with stakeholders that your research is helping them in the way you intended?
Through this call we aim to fund a number of social sciences focused knowledge exchange forum and dialogue events. These are intended to bring together, in conversation, academic researchers with external stakeholders (policymakers, practitioners, professionals, and users) to share their differing knowledge, experiences and perspectives on a topic/theme of common interest.
There is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so this funding is designed to be flexible to your needs. With a maximum budget of £2,500 you can apply for a single forum event, a series of dialogues (or a combination of both), or the funding could enable researchers to start smaller scale conversations with key external stakeholders to enable a larger event.
We encourage applications for collaborations with our O2RB regional partners: Oxford Brookes, Reading, and Open Universities.
How to Apply
Submit your application via IRAMS.
Applications requesting up to £1,000 will be reviewed immediately upon receipt and a decision will be communicated to the applicant by email within 10 working days. There is no fixed deadline for submission. Please email us to let us know you have submitted your application on IRAMS to avoid any unnecessary delays with the review process.
Applications requesting between £1,000 and £2,500 will be reviewed by the ESRC IAA panel after the next IAA deadline, which is: 12:00 noon on 19 September 2022.
Important note: this scheme comes to an end on 31 March 2023. All projects must complete by that date. No extensions are possible.
Guidance
Download the current call guidance and case for support template from Sharepoint.
Support
Please contact us to discuss a potential project: esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk. We can guide you as to which Stage to apply for first, advise you about eligibility and assist you in developing a project proposal which suits the IAA programme of funding.
Applications are welcomed from Social Sciences researchers from any Department.
Kick-starting Impact Awards are small flexible grants (up to £10,000) which are intended to facilitate new KE projects. They may be used, for example, to fund pilot-scale projects or stakeholder engagement activities which lay the foundation for future collaborations or engage existing partners in new KE activities.
Activities, organised collaboratively with partners, might include:
- workshops/seminars
- policy briefings
- policy/practice conferences with non-academic partners
- co-producing audience specific written outputs
- setting up online platforms/portals
- creating resources/training materials
We encourage applications for collaborations with our O2RB regional partners: Oxford Brookes, Reading, and Open Universities.
Funding
This funding is not for primary research. Please see call guidance for each scheme for eligibility and eligible costs (including salary costs).
How to Apply
Submit your application via IRAMS.
Deadline for applications: 12:00 noon on 19 September 2022.
Important note: this scheme comes to an end on 31 March 2023. All projects must complete by that date. No extensions are possible.
Guidance
Download the Call Guidance and Case for Support template from Sharepoint.
Support
Please contact us to discuss a potential project: esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk. We can guide you as to which Stage to apply for first, advise you about eligibility and assist you in developing a project proposal which suits the IAA programme of funding.
Applications are welcomed from Social Sciences researchers from any Department.
This scheme is intended for KE projects which may be a continuation of a previous project or a new initiative and aim to drive activity that will encourage impact from excellent research.
This funding (up to £25,000) is flexible and can cover a wide array of activities which have the potential to generate or accelerate research impact. We encourage innovative ideas.
The review panel will look favourably on collaborative applications with our O2RB regional partners: Oxford Brookes, Reading, and Open Universities.
Funding
This funding is not for primary research. Please see call guidance for each scheme for eligibility and eligible costs (including salary costs).
How to Apply
Submit your application via IRAMS.
Deadline for applications: 12:00 noon on 19 September 2022.
Important note: this scheme comes to an end on 31 March 2023. All projects must complete by that date. No extensions are possible.
Guidance
Download the Call Guidance and Case for Support template from Sharepoint.
Support
Please contact us to discuss a potential project: esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk. We can guide you as to which Stage to apply for first, advise you about eligibility and assist you in developing a project proposal which suits the IAA programme of funding.
This scheme is only open to researchers who have held a previous IAA grant.
Its purpose is to provide continuation funding (up to £10,000) where a project is going well, achieving and exceeding its outcomes and there is opportunity to achieve impact of demonstrably greater reach (with different partners, for example) or to deepen the impact and make it more sustainable.
Funding
This funding is not for primary research. Please see call guidance for each scheme for eligibility and eligible costs (including salary costs).
How to Apply
Submit your application via IRAMS.
Deadline for applications: 12:00 noon on 19 September 2022.
Important note: this scheme comes to an end on 31 March 2023. All projects must complete by that date. No extensions are possible.
Guidance
Download the Call Guidance and Case for Support template from Sharepoint.
Support
Please contact us to discuss a potential project: esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk. We can guide you as to which Stage to apply for first, advise you about eligibility and assist you in developing a project proposal which suits the IAA programme of funding.