Please contact The Translational Funding Team for enquiries:
Please contact The Translational Funding Team for enquiries:
Translational Funding
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Each fund in the University of Exeter Translational Funding portfolio shares the same overarching goal; to accelerate and increase the non-academic impact of university research; we aim to get research out of the labs, libraries and offices and into the real world where it can have a positive effect and demonstrable impact.
We aim to achieve this goal by providing CPD training and networking opportunities for academics at all career stages, and by funding collaborative projects with non-academic partners.
On these webpages, you will find full details of our current funding opportunities, case studies, event information, training opportunities and essential information on how to apply.
Funding Opportunities
The aim of the ESRC IAA is to enable Social Scientists to work with partners from all sectors to apply social sciences knowledge to challenges in society. It also facilitates the creation of networks and contacts between University of Exeter social scientists and research users and agencies outside of the academic sector. The University of Exeter ESRC IAA offers the following funding opportunities:
|
Funding Stream |
Aim |
Maximum amount Available |
|
Impact Cultivation |
To enable initiation and development of contacts, networks, and engagement between researchers/collaborators from beyond the academic sector to developing co-created impact projects. The rapid response element of this fund supports reasonable risk-taking and enables academics to respond quickly to urgent or rare events, taking advantage of time-limited opportunities. |
£5,000 |
|
Policy Impact Imagination |
To stimulate blue skies, innovative thinking around the application of social scientific knowledge, understanding, and skills for policy. Supports reasonable risk-taking, and continuous improvement. Proposals may be for proof-of-concept ideas, experiments or prototypes but must be geared toward an output of a demonstrable policy challenge and context. Outputs must be deliverable within the term of the award. |
£10,000 |
|
Impact Co-creation |
To enable collaborative approaches with one or more non-academic partners to the exploration, development, and implementation of findings from UoE research. It aims to generate significant social or economic benefits through co-created outputs. Projects will deepen existing relationships between UoE social scientists and external partners to create wider benefits over benefits term. |
£30,000 |
|
Knowledge Exchange Fellowship |
To deepen links between researchers and non-academic bodies through short-term, virtual, or physical staff placements (inbound or outbound). KE Fellows will act as change agents, enabling the free flow of knowledge and expertise between the organisations, thus accelerating impact. |
£30,000 |
|
Strategic Initiative Fund |
To develop challenge-focused interdisciplinary projects that align with strategic priorities. These projects will deliver increased social sciences engagement in the Plan for Growth, leveraged funding (business and Governmental), socioeconomic benefits, and an increase in R&D investment. | £30,000 |
How to apply and top tips
The aim of the EPSRC IAA is to support and enable knowledge exchange (KE) and impact from their research that falls within the EPSRC remit, allowing researchers to respond to opportunities in flexible, responsive and creative way. The University of Exeter EPSRC IAA offers the following funding opportunities:
|
Funding Stream |
Purpose |
Maximum amount Available |
|
Impact Cultivation |
To enable the initiation and development of contacts, networks and engagement between academic researchers and potential collaborators from beyond the academic sector. |
£10,000 |
|
Impact Co-Creation |
To support the exploration, development and implementation of findings from academic research with committed non-academic partners though co-created impact projects. |
£35,000 |
|
Knowledge Exchange Fellowship
|
To deepen existing links between researchers and non-academic organisations by enabling inbound and outbound fellowships. This stream will enable a collaborative approach with non-academic partners and is targeted at the exploration, development and implementation of prior findings from UoE research. It aims to generate significant social or economic benefits through co-created outputs. |
£35,000 |
|
Impact Visionary |
To support interdisciplinary, curiosity driven, innovative and creative proposals for translating the outcomes of prior UoE engineering and physical science research into positive real world impact that will make significant contributions to regional, national or international challenges. |
£60,000 |
How to apply and top tips
The aims of the AHRC IAA are to drive the application of arts and humanities research across a range of contemporary challenges and to enable Arts and Humanities engagement with industry and policy engagement in sectors such as, the creative industries, government departments and cultural institutions. The University of Exeter AHRC IAA offers the following funding opportunities:
|
Funding Stream |
Purpose |
Maximum amount Available |
|
Impact Cultivation |
To enable the initiation and development of contacts, networks and engagement between academic researchers, SMEs, third sector organisations and policy makers. |
£5,000 |
|
Creative Invention |
To stimulate and support new blue-skies applications of Arts and Humanities knowledge, understanding and skill for Creative Industries outputs. |
£20,000 |
|
Humane Policy |
To enable Arts & Humanities researchers to develop or deepen a KE relationship with government and/or NGO/Third Sector in order to produce a short-term outcome to inform policy-making. |
£20,000 |
|
Knowledge Exchange Fellowship |
To deepen existing links between researchers and non-academic organisations by enabling inbound and/or outbound Fellowships. |
£30,000 |
How to apply and top tips
The aim of the MRC IAA is to accelerate the transition from discovery science to the early stages of therapeutic and biomarker development and rapidly de-risk projects across the translational lifecycle, so that they become competitive for substantial funding bids from competitions or other sources. The University of Exeter MRC IAA offers the following funding opportunities:
|
Funding Stream |
Purpose |
Maximum amount Available |
|
Impact Cultivation |
To enable the initiation and development of contacts, networks and engagement between researchers and collaborators from beyond the academic sector (e.g. health departments, the NHS and charities) with a view to developing partnerships for health and economic impact. |
£10,000 |
|
Impact Co-Creation |
To provide support for the exploration, development, and implementation of findings from academic research with committed non-academic partners (NHS, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, digital & technology companies). The aims are to de-risk and accelerate medical interventions, enhancing the use of research evidence in policy development, and develop pathways to commercialisation; and to generate significant social or economic benefits through co-created outputs. |
£30,000 |
|
Knowledge Exchange Fellowship
|
To deepen existing links between researchers and non-academic organisations (NHS, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, digital & technology companies) by enabling inbound and outbound fellowships. This stream will enable a collaborative approach with non-academic partners and is targeted at the exploration, development, and implementation of prior findings from UoE research. |
£30,000 |
|
Impact Visionary |
To support interdisciplinary curiosity driven, innovative and creative proposals for translating the outcomes of UoE Medicine and health research into positive real world impact that will make significant contributions to regional, national or international challenges |
£30,000 |
How to apply and top tips
Financed by Research England’s Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), the Open Innovation Platform (OIP) provides financial support for University of Exeter staff to accelerate the translation of research into economic and societal benefit by engaging and collaborating with external partners or by facilitating commercialisation. The OIP offers the following funding opportunities:
|
Funding Stream |
Purpose |
Maximum amount Available |
|
Link Fund |
To support the creation of links with new external organisations where there are clear opportunities for collaboration or to develop innovative ways of engaging with existing partners |
£5,000 |
|
Collaboration Fund |
To support short-term collaborations with external organisations to translate existing research into advances in new or existing products, services, policies or practice. |
£20,000 |
How to apply and top tips
We are very pleased to announce that applications are now welcome for events as part of the ESRC’s Festival of Social Science (FoSS) 2026. This year the FoSS will run from Saturday 17th October – Saturday 7th November 2026.
- Award Available: Up to £1k to hold an event during the festival that promotes social science and brings it to life for a non-academic audience. These can be in person, online or hybrid events such as talks, exhibitions, quizzes, performances, craft activities, debates, pop-up stalls.
- Theme: The 2026 Festival theme is ‘Money, Finance and the Cost of Living’ and we are aiming for at least 25% of our events to be based on this theme. However all ideas and topics are welcome in addition to this.
We are not limited to the festival theme and we will welcome applications for events on any economic/social science topics likely to be of interest to the target audience for which they are designed.
All colleagues with a project within ESRC remit including PHD students are welcome to apply.
Application Form: In the first instance please complete the online application form.
Guidance: ESRC Festival of Social Science 2026 - Applicant Guidance
Deadline: Monday 20th July 2026
Contact: ESRCFestival@exeter.ac.uk
See live funding opportunities on the Internal Funding Page
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
To quickly access a the list of funds currently open to applications and to download guidance and application forms please visit the Internal Funding Page.
For general enquiries or to request a chat about your proposal please contact the Translational Funding team using relevant email address:
- ESRC IAA – esrc-iaa@exeter.ac.uk
- EPSRC IAA – epsrc-iaa@exeter.ac.uk
- AHRC IAA – AHRC-IAA@exeter.ac.uk
- MRC IAA – MRC@exeter.ac.uk
- Open Innovation Platform (OIP) – openinnovation@exeter.ac.uk
Outputs, Outcomes and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
When applying for Translational Funding you will be asked to provide details of your project’s Outputs and Outcomes, and of your project’s KPIs. The following guidance is intended help you to understand why we ask for these details and what type of thing you should include. It may be helpful to think of Outputs and outcomes as representing what you want do, and of the KPIs as representing why you want to do it.
Outputs and Outcomes:
Outputs are the necessary activities that take place, or the required products that are created as part of your project. Outcomes are what happens as a result of those activities taking place or products being created. We ask for these details as they provide evidence of a well-developed project plan, with feasible delivery goals and mile stones.
KPIs:
KPIs are indicators of the overall success of your project, and your KPIs should demonstrate that your project has achieved it’s overarching aims. You will be required to provide demonstrable evidence that your KPIs have been met, so it is worth giving some thought to how you will capture evidence of the impact you achieve. The Translational Funding team can provide you with a guide to impact evidence capture.
Example:
| Project |
01/01/2024 – 31/12/2024 - Improving quality of life and welfare for domestic goldfish. |
| Partners |
UK Goldfish Fancier Association and National Association of Aquarium Keepers. |
| Output |
Outcome |
| 01/01/2024 – 01/03/2024: 8 workshops with partners to discuss and agree target audience and content and layout of new website to provide free information and guidance to domestic Goldfish keepers. |
· Target audience and means of reaching them identified · Content and roles and responsibilities for creating and delivering content agreed · Design and layout of the website agreed |
| 01/03/2024 – 01/04/2024: · Specification for website formalised · 3 Quotes from website developers obtained · Website creation contract awarded |
Suitable website developer identified and engaged in line with UoE procurement requirements |
| 01/04/2024 – 01/10/2024: · Website content created and edited according to roles and responsibilities set out in Output 1. · Website designer provided with content. |
All website content provided to Website designer enabling to construct website. |
| 01/10/2024 – 01/12/2024: · Website designed and built · Final website approved by all partners · Any snagging issues for website resolved |
Website created, approved and ready to launch |
| 01/12/2024 – 31/12/2024: Completed website launched and targeted advertising campaign delivered |
New website to provide free information and guidance to domestic Goldfish keepers aimed at improving quality of life and welfare for domestic goldfish created. |
| KPI |
Method of KPI Evidence Capture. |
| New academic/non-academic Goldfish welfare network created, and members committed to collaborating on future projects. |
· Emails or letters from partner organisations demonstrating commitment to collaborating on future projects · Draft proposal for new collaborative endeavor |
| Over 1000 domestic Goldfish owners aware of and accessing online website/toolkit that provides domestic goldfish keepers with the knowledge and understanding required to improve the welfare of their goldfish and |
· Number of website hits · Numbers of downloads of documents or other media and details of those who have downloaded it |
| Increased Goldfish welfare knowledge and understanding among domestic goldfish owners leading to change in practices and therefore improvements to goldfish welfare. |
· Feedback and evaluation from members of the public accessing the online resources |
For the most accurate and up to date advice regarding purchase orders please contact the Procurement Operations Team. Their email addresses are:
- For Exeter - procurement-operations@exeter.ac.uk
- For Cornwall - cornwall-purchasing@exeter.ac.uk
The UoE procedures and rules for purchasing goods or services, including requirements for obtaining quotations, can be found here .
For the most accurate and up to date advice regarding invoices please contact the Financial Operations Team. Their email addresses are:
- Accounts payable - accountspayableenquiries@exeter.ac.uk
- Accounts receivable - Accountsreceivable@exeter.ac.uk
The UoE procedures for paying or raising invoices can be found here.
For the most accurate and up to date advice regarding placing an order with new and existing suppliers please contact the Finance Helpdesk, their email address is financehelpdesk@exeter.ac.uk.
Information about placing an order with new and existing suppliers, including instructions for setting up a new supplier can be found here.
For the most accurate and up to date advice regarding HR, recruitment or payroll/eClaims please contact HR Services. Their email addresses are:
- General HR enquiries - humanresources@exeter.ac.uk.
- Payroll enquiries - payandbenefits@exeter.ac.uk.
- eClaims enquiries - e-claims@exeter.ac.uk
- Temporary Staff Bank- hr-temp@exeter.ac.uk
- Recruitment enquiries - recruitmentadmin@exeter.ac.uk.
- Immigration enquiries - hrimmigration@exeter.ac.uk.
For the most accurate and up to date advice regarding Expenses Claims please contact the Accounts Payable team, their email address is accountspayableenquiries@exeter.ac.uk.
Helpful information on making an expenses claim can be found here.
An extension may be possible in some cases. This is assessed on a case by case basis and is dependant on the terms and conditions of the award given. For me information please contact the relevant mailbox below:
- ESRC IAA – esrc-iaa@exeter.ac.uk
- EPSRC IAA – epsrc-iaa@exeter.ac.uk
- AHRC IAA – AHRC-IAA@exeter.ac.uk
- MRC IAA – MRC@exeter.ac.uk
- Open Innovation Platform (OIP) – openinnovation@exeter.ac.uk