Internal Research and Impact Funding

The University of Birmingham offers a number of internally-managed funds to support research, impact, and knowledge-exchange activities.

Internally-managed funding is often allocated through internal competitive processes and various funding streams. Funding may be either institutional external awards that are then internally distributed through competitive processes, or funding directly from the University itself. 

Impact Acceleration Accounts 

Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAAs) support impact, knowledge-exchange, and translational activity within each respective funder's remit. Funding is awarded to the University as an institution by each research council and then distributed via internal competition through various funding streams.

Birmingham Institutional Impact Fund

The Birmingham Institutional Impact Fund is an internal fund designed to support high qualtiy, academic-led, research impact projects. Research Impact is a crucial part of the University’s Birmingham Strategic Framework 2030, reflecting the University’s commitment to creating meaningful change in the world beyond academia by demonstrably improving the economy, society, the environment, and contributing to human health and wellbeing.

Learn more about the Birmingham Institutional Impact Fund

Other internally-managed funds

Gender Equality Research Funding

About

The IGI's Gender Equality research theme has launched an open call for seedcorn funds of up to £10,000. Projects must be interdisciplinary, align with or be complementary to existing Gender Equality theme research and take place by June 2024.  The deadline for applications is 6 October 2023.

Scope

This scheme can support pilot projects, research activities, research bid development, or engagement and impact in areas of strategic interest to the Gender theme (see application form for list of areas of strategic interest). ​Respectful maternity care, from patient and health workers’ perspectives

  • Respectful maternity care, including knowledge and experiences of Gender-Based Violence in reproductive and maternal health
  • Understanding gendered experiences throughout the life course, especially in relation to education, work, and equality of opportunity
  • Understanding contexts of miscarriage and changing attitudes
  • Interdisciplinary explorations of issues related to postpartum haemorrhage
  • Addressing challenges to fertility care and reproductive rights
  • Traditional knowledge in maternal care and histories of women’s care

Queries

If unsure, please get in touch, we’d love to work with you on your ideas. Questions regarding the fund can be directed to Leah Fitzsimmons.

How to apply:

A maximum of £10,000 per project is available. Further details are available in the scheme application form, linked below. Completed application forms should be sent to Leah Fitzsimmons or complete the online application form.

The deadline for applications is 6 October 2023.

Full details and application form

IAS Workshops and Fellowships

IAS Workshops

The Institute of Advanced Studies and Institute for Global Innovation are pleased to make support available to University of Birmingham researchers to bring together expertise from across the breadth of our university. Workshop topics should be interdisciplinary and include substantial input from at least two Colleges. Consideration should be given to what might eventually be the benefits to UoB in terms of engagement, impact, high quality publications and grant income generation.

How to apply
To apply for a Workshop, please complete the IAS Workshop Proposal Form

Deadlines
8 January; 12 February; 11 March; 13 May; 10 June; 2 September; 14 October; 11 November 2024

IAS Distinguished Visiting Fellows

This programme aims to attract outstanding researchers, operating at the cutting edge of their disciplines, to work collaboratively with colleagues at the University of Birmingham. We hope to support new collaborations on topics that are timely, relevant, address national and international priorities, and cross disciplinary boundaries. Fellows are normally expected to spend a period of between 4 and 8 weeks on campus, depending on the panel’s assessment of the proposed activity. We particularly welcome visits that enable new, rather than already established collaborations. Consideration should be given to what might eventually be the benefits to UoB in terms of engagement, impact, high quality publications and grant income generation.

Proposing an IAS Distinguished Visiting Fellow
Please complete the IAS Distinguished Visiting Fellow Proposal Form.

Deadlines
8 January; 12 February; 11 March; 13 May; 10 June; 2 September; 14 October; 11 November 2024

IAS Vanguard Visiting Fellows

This programme aims to attract outstanding early and mid-career researchers, operating at the cutting edge of their disciplines, to work collaboratively with colleagues at the University of Birmingham. We hope to support new collaborations on topics that are timely, relevant, address national and international priorities, and cross disciplinary boundaries. Fellows are normally expected to spend a period of between 4 and 8 weeks on campus, depending on the panel’s assessment of the proposed activity. We particularly welcome visits that enable new, rather than already established collaborations. Consideration should be given to what might eventually be the benefits to UoB in terms of engagement, impact, high quality publications and grant income generation.

Proposing an IAS Vanguard Visiting Fellow:
Please complete the IAS Vanguard Visiting Fellow Proposal Form.

Deadlines
8 January; 12 February; 11 March; 13 May; 10 June; 2 September; 14 October; 11 November 2024

More information

Please contact Sue Gilligan if you have questions about these programmes.

Institutional Research England QR Funding

Internal grants up to a maximum of £100,000 are available to support research culture, research that informs policy, and participatory research.  Eligible research projects must deliver and spend during the period 1 January 2023 to 1 June 2024. Three different funding streams are available and applications are invited on a short online application form which should be submitted by 5pm Friday 4 November.

Find out more about Institutional Research England QR funding

MRC Proximity to Discovery

The MRC Proximity to Discovery and Impact Fund (P2D) aims to support individual mobility and discovery days to enable early engagement with industry, as well as other non-commercial partners such as charities. In addition, the P2D scheme supports proof of principle projects with collaborators that could accelerate the translational potential of your work. 

In contrast to previous MRC P2D rounds, the scope of the fund has been broadened to include non-commercial partners and projects or activities with a clear translational impact such as patient benefit or knowledge exchange. All work supported by the P2D fund should be aligned to biomedical science areas of interest to the MRC, as stated on the MRC website.

There are several streams within P2D:

Rapid Response Mobility (RRM)

RRM supports flexible funding requests for individual mobility to enable early engagement with industry or non-commercial partners. Researchers may visit partners anywhere in the world for face-to-face meetings to pursue early interactions. 

Up to £2,000 per project. RRM is an open call with no submission deadlines.

Knowledge Exchange & Dissemination (KE&D)

KE&D can support a discovery day seminar programme on discoveries, technologies and methodologies to transfer knowledge between academic institutions and other partners to inspire new collaborations.

Up to £2,000 per activity. K&ED is a competitive funding call with quarterly deadlines.

Exchange & Explore (E&E)

E&E supports flexible interactions with colaborators that could accelerate the translational potential of your work and support longer-term relationships, through delivery of short term, initial proof of principle work around mutual areas of interest.

Up to £6,000 per project. E&E is a competitive funding call with quarterly deadlines.

How to Apply

KE&D and E&E submission deadline: 12 noon, Wednesday 29th May 2024

RRM: Open call

The P2D institutional fund is managed by the Translational Research Team, part of the MDS Research Office. General enquiries should be directed to TranslationalResearch@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Find out more about translational research at Birmingham

Birmingham International Engagement Fund (BIEF)

The Birmingham International Engagement Fund (BIEF) offers travel awards to facilitate collaboration with international partners. Further information about the scheme and details about how to apply can be found on the Birmingham Global intranet pages.

 

Colleges

Professional Services