SDG Impact Fund

The ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) is the third block grant provided by the Economic and Social Research Council to the University of Oxford. It is managed by the Social Sciences Division’s Research, Impact & Engagement (RIE) Team. The IAA provides flexible funding options for a wide range of Knowledge Exchange (KE) and capacity building activities, with the intention of enhancing the impact of excellent social science research. We are partnering with Oxford Brookes University on this IAA, drawing on our shared and complementary research and engagement capabilities, connections and commitment.

University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University have global ambitions but with deep roots locally and nationally. This IAA aims to maximise impact from our ‘Global to Local’ social sciences research by addressing key societal challenges - working with other disciplines and relevant stakeholders to build richer collaborative partnerships and effective engagement pathways that will enable uptake of research to support delivery of the SDGs. By adopting the framework of the SDGs for the new IAA, we will build on our global research strengths and improve the lives of those most in need.

We are looking for creative, practical and innovative projects delivering knowledge exchange activity arising from excellent social science research and contributing to the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This annual call is designed to support researchers from University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University to deliver SDG-focused KE projects involving non-academic partners. We aim to harness the diversity of our research and encourage inter- or multi-disciplinary collaboration, regardless of the research’s scale or location. Projects may address one or more of the SDGs, through a social sciences lens.

The funding aims to provide support for either new KE activity or follow-on support for pre-existing KE activities. Applications building on previous activity must clearly demonstrate that the potential exists for ‘timely’ impact generation for which funding has not already been allocated.

Proposals must focus on clearly defined KE activities (A.6) and outcomes rather than on research outcomes (although depending on the context these may still be acceptable alongside KE outcomes).

Proposed partnerships should clearly extend beyond the academy. The funding can be used to support new collaborative partnerships and/or support the further development of pre-existing collaborations with non-academic partners.

We are seeking projects that include substantive user engagement or demonstrate genuine collaboration, co-design and co-delivery with non-academic partners. Activities which only analyse material from user groups or disseminate findings to user groups without substantive collaboration are unlikely to be prioritised.

Two funding options are available under this scheme. Applicants should apply for one of these:

Option 1 Emerging Impact Projects

Flexible awards of up to £5k to develop relationships with non-academic partners and test out ideas, with a view to kick-starting your impact.

Projects may be used for stakeholder engagement activities that lay the foundation for future collaborations, or engage existing partners in new KE activities.

Activities might include (but are not limited to): workshops or other events with non-academic partners and other stakeholders; co-production of outputs, which may be preliminary, pilot or small scale, such as professional toolkits or training materials, policy briefings, or outputs aimed at non-professional audiences (e.g. resources for parents or patients).

Option 2 Accelerating Impact Projects

Awards of up to £15k for more substantial KE and co-production projects with clear impact aims. These may be a continuation of a previous project or a new initiative.

The funding can be used to cover a programme of activities that have the potential to generate or accelerate research impact. Projects aimed at facilitating the scaling and/or sustaining of existing impact are also encouraged.

In both options, the activities must be carried out in a genuinely collaborative manner, with significant contribution from at least one named non-academic partner. Please see section A6 for further details of eligible activities.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future.

The 17 Goals provide a unifying framework for addressing a range of major global challenges. Adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, they represent an urgent call to action for all countries to work together to end poverty, improve health and education, reduce inequality, and build socio-economic opportunity, while supporting a healthy planet. The SDGs apply to all countries, with all sectors playing a role in supporting their delivery. The UK is responsible for achieving the Goals domestically and for supporting their attainment internationally.

Beyond governments, many non-state actors, including businesses are committed to delivering the SDGs. Universities also have an important role to play. Central to delivering all the SDGs is the idea of partnership. The SDGs offer a shared common language through which we can empower our academic community and external partners to collectively deliver solutions to major global challenges.

Find out more here: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

The panel will consider the following criteria when reviewing the applications:

• Design and methods – Effectiveness of project/activity design and methods, particularly involvement of non-academic partners/users at all stages of the project. (Co-design, co-delivery and user involvement in dissemination are encouraged.)
• Usefulness – Timeliness of the outcomes for non-academic partners/potential users and the ability of the project/activities to meet non-academic partners’/users’ needs.
• Contribution – Contribution to knowledge for non-academic partners/users beyond the academy and likely importance of the research expertise to those partners/users.
• Responsible Knowledge Exchange, Engagement and Impact – Projects should demonstrate a responsible and inclusive approach to working with partners/users.
• Value for money – An appropriate and well-justified plan for expenditure, with careful consideration of costs, including demonstrable investment (cash or in-kind) by non-academic partners/users, if appropriate.
• Sustainability – Potential for project/activity to lead to further development of a sustained relationship with non-academic partners/users and scaling of impact in the longer term. This may include future joint funding bids or consideration of commercialisation routes, where appropriate.
• Collaboration - Proposals that include, where appropriate and feasible, collaboration between Oxford and Oxford Brookes University, are encouraged.

Our normal assessment process is that multiple reviewers score applications against the published criteria and their feedback is discussed at a panel meeting where the highest scoring applications are selected for funding. However, we reserve the right to apply a ‘portfolio’ approach to funding projects in this scheme. The Review Panel Chair will ensure that funds are allocated to high quality applications, as identified by the review process above, spread across areas identified as relevant to the scope of the call, including: research disciplines, project size and location, partner type, and anticipated impact type. This may mean that a proposal that scores slightly less than yours is successful.

• Applications are welcomed from social scientists from any department, school or faculty at the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes University. Head of Department approval is required in all cases.
• Many departments have internal eligibility criteria, approval processes and other guidelines to which their applicants should adhere. Please consult your departmental administrator as early as possible.

• Applicants may only be named as PI or Co-I on one application submitted in this round.

• All applications must include at least one external non-academic partner.
• Interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary applications are welcome, as long as 50% of the research fits into the ESRC remit (see A.8). Prior funding awards from the ESRC are not required. Researchers funded through ESRC Centres are not eligible for this scheme.
  • The Lead Researcher must be a current employee of the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes University, holding an academic or research post that includes responsibility for developing their own research agenda.
  • A Lead Researcher on a fixed term research contract must have a current contract that extends for at least six months beyond the proposed project end date.
  • ECRs may apply as a Co-Lead Researcher, alongside an established academic researcher. Note: ECRs are defined as being within five years of the submission of their doctoral thesis
    

    (or within five years of submission, if not yet awarded). The five year post-thesis window may be extended in particular circumstances e.g., extended periods of illness, parental leave, etc.).

  • Current postgraduate students are not eligible to apply; however, postgraduate students who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting examination are eligible to apply as ECRs.
  • Retired, Emeritus and Visiting Fellows are not eligible to apply.
  • Oxford only: College-based academics and those from GLAM who wish to serve as Lead Researcher must apply via a department/faculty. Awards can only be held in departments/faculties, not in colleges.

NB: If you move to another university during the course of your project, your IAA funding will not transfer with you. If, however, your new institution is an ESRC IAA holder, you can enter into negotiations with them to provide support for your project from their ESRC IAA allocation.

This scheme funds knowledge exchange, co-productive forms of research and engagement with an impact aim. You can read about how ESRC defines impact and its pathways here: https://www.ukri.org/councils/esrc/impact-toolkit-for-economic-and-social-sciences/defining-impact/

Activities enabling a two-way exchange between researchers and non-academic partners / users to share ideas, research evidence, experiences and skills are welcomed.

Examples of the types of activities that may be supported include (but are not limited to):

• Academic placements/exchange with a civil society, business or public sector organisation
• High-level stakeholder meetings; practitioner meetings/workshops; policy or evidence seminars
• Activities to facilitate the development and management of relationships with non-academic stakeholders / users
• The co-development of tools and resources that emerge from research that can maximise the use of research outputs in practitioner communities
• User-led and co-produced research, where researchers are engaging directly with users in jointly shaping the research agenda and in applying social science to current issues relating to policy, strategy or practice
• Development and delivery of research-based training, CPD and work-place learning
• Involvement of intermediaries and knowledge brokers as translators, amplifiers, network providers
• User-led public engagement activities, where researchers are engaging directly with the public to inform and inspire, consult and listen or collaborate with them – exhibitions, public events, participatory research, citizen science, etc.

Examples of activities that are not eligible include:

• Academic-led research
• Research consultancy
• Academic conferences or seminars with no clear KE component
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
• Studentships or internships for Research Council-funded DPhil students, where these are funded through Doctoral Training Programmes
• Activities related to commercialisation of research, as this will be funded through another IAA funding scheme

Eligible costs can include:

• Salary costs of project staff e.g. Research Assistants
• Travel and subsistence (for researchers, external partners, etc)
• Project costs (venue hire, catering, translation services, etc)
• Consultancy/professional fees
• Equipment (with prior approval)

Funding for the scheme is not provided on a full economic cost (FEC) basis. Directly allocated salary costs for Lead Researchers, estates and indirect costs are not eligible. Directly incurred costs will be paid at 100% of costs.

Lead Researcher / Co-Lead Researcher time for those on permanent academic contracts is not an eligible cost. However, we would consider salary costs for those on fixed term contracts.

Salary costs/day rates of non-academic partners will only be considered in cases with strong justification. It is not expected that more than 50% of any grant would be allocated to non-academic partners.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate in their proposal that there is a genuine commitment from project partner organisations. Whilst not essential, any combination of cash or (quantified) in-kind contributions to project costs is desirable, and particularly welcome from commercial partners.

Efficiency, cost-effectiveness and value for money should be clearly demonstrated in the application, as well as a balance of budget between academics and partners.

Payments will not be made for miscellaneous expenses or unspecified items. If you are unsure about the eligibility of a specific expense, please contact esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk for further guidance.

Applications to this fund must relate to social science research that falls under the ESRC’s remit. Please see list below. Interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary applications are welcome as long as around 50% of the research fits into the ESRC remit. If in doubt, please contact esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk to discuss.

• Demography and social statistics, methods and computing
• Development studies, human geography and environmental planning
• Economics, management and business studies
• Education, social anthropology, and linguistics
• Law
• Economic and social history
• Politics and international relations
• Psychology and sociology
• Science and technology studies
• Social policy and social work

For more information on the disciplines covered by the ESRC remit visit: https://www.ukri.org/councils/esrc/remit-portfolio-and-priorities/.

University of Oxford applicants should first contact the ESRC IAA Manager at esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk. We advise that you also seek guidance from your departmental/faculty administrator as soon as you are considering making an application, for confirmation of their approval procedures and any internal deadlines. For bids including academic collaborators, please also check the procedures in collaborating departments or partner universities. Applications led by University of Oxford researchers must be submitted via IRAMS, the University’s online Internal Research Award Management System, unless the Lead researcher has agreed an alternative submission route in advance with the ESRC IAA Manager, due to accessibility requirements.

Oxford Brookes University applicants should contact their Impact Manager, Lauren Davenport at ldavenport@brookes.ac.uk or their local Impact Champion in the first instance to request an intent to submit form. Applications led by Oxford Brookes University researchers must be submitted via Brookes’ Impact Manager, not by the Lead Researcher or their department.

Submissions should include ALL of the following components and be submitted as a single combined PDF:

• Case for Support
• 2-page project proposal (Arial 11pt or similar, 2cm margins, single spacing minimum)
• Letter(s) of support from non-academic partners
• Letter of support from Head of Department
• FEC breakdown of costs presented as X5 admin output (for University of Oxford applicants) or Worktribe output (for Oxford Brookes applicants)

Key information

• The earliest start date under this call is 1 June 2026.
• Projects typically will not exceed 12 months in length.

1. Case for Support

• Please complete all relevant sections of the Case for Support form.
• Co-Lead details | Please complete for Co-Leads. For ECRs the date of their Doctoral Award or, if not yet awarded, the date of their thesis submission, should be completed to confirm their eligibility (since this fund is not open to students). Please also complete for Co-Leads from other Universities.
• External Partners | Please provide details of the external partner organisations here. If you need to list more than three please attach a separate sheet providing the requested information.
• List of publications | Applicants should provide a list of five publications relevant to the proposed project to demonstrate their experience and the quality of their research in this area (an applicant’s career stage will be taken into consideration when assessing relevant experience). 
  

  Both PI and Co-I publications may be included, as appropriate.

• Additional budget information |
  • Please provide a detailed list of expected costs. Provide enough detail in the description to enable a fair assessment by the panel. The TOTAL of requested resources should match the PRICE on the costing output (see below).
  • Provide information about any additional funds sought/received from other sources. If any of your partner organisations has stated a willingness to provide additional contributions (cash or in-kind) for the project, please state the details of this in the relevant section. If they are contributing to the project in-kind, where possible please estimate the monetary value of this contribution.
  • If your department has stated a willingness to provide additional contributions (cash or in-kind) for the project, please state the details of this in the relevant section. If they are contributing to the project in-kind, where possible please estimate the monetary value of this contribution.
• Disciplinary focus | Please specify if your project is Multidisciplinary (people from different disciplines working together, each drawing on their own disciplinary knowledge); Interdisciplinary (integrating knowledge and methods from different disciplines, using a synthesis of approaches); or Single Discipline. Co-funding across disciplinary IAAs at Oxford (e.g. EPSRC, MRC, STFC) is also possible. Please speak to us if you think this may be relevant to your proposal.
• SDG question | It is a requirement that your project addresses at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The project may be domestic (UK) or international, and may be of any scale. Please indicate which of the SDGs your project works towards (this may be more than one). Explain briefly (max. 200 words) but specifically how the project will work towards the goals. You may wish to refer to the SDG global indicator framework (optional).
• Official Development Assistance | Please specify if your project is classed as Official Development Assistance. For definitions please see OECD or UK government websites.
• Current UKRI funding | If the Lead Researcher or any Co-Lead Researcher is a current holder of ESRC funding, please provide project title, project dates; award value; grant number. A record of this funding enables us to report to ESRC on connected grants but has no bearing on the review process. As outlined above, researchers funded through ESRC Centres are not eligible for this scheme.
• Declaration of Interest | Please use the space provided on the form to disclose activities/relationships with any of the external organisations/suppliers named in your project plan that might give rise to conflicts of interest or the perception of conflicts, and describe how, if necessary, they will be managed or avoided. Conflicts of interest may be financial or non-financial or both. 
• Ethics/CUREC/UREC | All IAA awards must, in addition, meet the current requirements and policy concerning research integrity and ethics of the Lead Researcher’s institution. If your project involves human participants or personal data, you should ensure that an ethical review is completed prior to commencing your project.
• Plain English Summary | Please provide a brief paragraph (max. 100 words) outlining the key points of your proposal (e.g. what is the problem/challenge/opportunity you aim to address? what are your major activities and planed outcomes?). It should be accessible to someone who is not familiar with your area of research. A repeat of the first paragraph of your proposal is unlikely to be suitable.

2. Project proposal

• The project proposal should be 2 sides, maximum (Arial 11pt or similar, 2cm margins, single spacing minimum).
• It should outline the nature of the work you plan to undertake in conjunction with the non-academic partner organisation and cover the following points:
  • Rationale and research background – Outline the rationale for this work (what is the real-world problem, challenge or opportunity you are hoping to address, and why now?); the background to the proposed partnership; and how your research relates to and supports this proposal.
  • Aims and objectives – Explain what you hope to achieve from this collaboration and what impact you hope to have. Make certain to include some project-specific objectives.
  • Description of planned activities – Briefly outline what you plan to do, how the partners will contribute, the timetable, and key outputs of the project.
  • Justification of the resources – Outline in brief how you intend to spend the budget allocated to your project. This justification will help reviewers to make an informed judgement on whether the resources requested are appropriate for the activities proposed.
  • Outcomes, benefits and impacts – Include details of the desired outcomes from the project, including an explanation of the anticipated benefits to academic and non-academic partners/users and the potential impacts. If possible, include details of what the next steps might be and how the collaboration might develop beyond this funding.
• Please be mindful that reviewers will not necessarily be from your institution or area of study. Ensure all acronyms and abbreviations are spelled out on first use.

3. Letter(s) of support from non-academic partner(s)

• A letter of support not exceeding 1 A4 page should be provided by each of your key non-academic partner organisation(s) with whom the project is proposed. The organisation(s) should demonstrate an understanding of the proposed activities, their role and contribution.
• A named individual from the partner organisation will be required to be responsible for overseeing the project from their side. The letter should describe the support that will be provided to the named individual by the organisation.
• If you are organising an event such as a workshop with multiple stakeholders, it is not necessary to obtain a letter of support from each partner. Instead, you should demonstrate in the proposal any prior engagement or expressions of interest you have had from the partners.
• In instances where obtaining a support letter is particularly difficult/inappropriate at the proposal stage, we may accept applications without one, and subsequently offer a conditional award pending presentation of a letter of support. Please discuss with us prior to submission.

4. Statement of support from the Head(s) of Department

• A short statement of support from the Head of Department/Faculty (1 A4 page maximum) should be provided. It should explain the benefit of the project to both the applicant and the department/faculty and detail any contributions the department/faculty plan to make to the project.
• The department/faculty will be responsible for providing administrative and HR support throughout the project. This may include financial management, negotiating contracts, hiring new staff and/or providing desk space, as required.
• This statement must come from the Head of Department rather than the Head of Institute or Centre (where relevant) and should include a signature. Where the Head of Department is the Lead Researcher, the proposal should be approved by either a Deputy Head or Research Director.
• Where proposals include staff time for researchers based in a different department to the Lead Researcher, a statement should be provided by all departments involved.

5. Costing Output

• A detailed breakdown of the project costs, including Full Economic Costing (FEC) is required. Please ask your departmental research administrator/finance officer to produce the costing for you. This should be presented in the form of either an admin output from X5 (Oxford’s costing and pricing software) or an output from Worktribe (Brookes’ costing and pricing software).
• Call Document B provides further details.

Funding will be awarded competitively by a process of peer review. A selection panel made up of established researchers and research users with track records of KE expertise in the social sciences will make the final decisions, based on their assessment of the applications against the selection criteria outlined above [see A.4].

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately one month after the deadline. Results will be issued by email. Feedback from the panel review will be available on request.

We would like to invite successful applicants to share their experiences of being ESRC IAA award holders.

• We may ask awardees to participate in a briefing or training session, sharing ideas with other colleagues or helping to provide materials to raise the profile of research impact in the social sciences. We will contact applicants on an individual basis with requests for support when appropriate.
• We would like to use successful applications as exemplars for future applicants. Please bear this in mind if your application is successful. All sensitive data will be removed from applications before they are shared. Please let us know if you wish to opt-out of sharing your proposal.
• Short summaries of the awarded projects may be prepared in consultation with the Lead Researchers for communications purposes. These summaries are intended for a lay audience and are shared via the Social Sciences Division website and social media channels, and maybe shared with Oxford Brookes University for the same purposes. We would also make available these materials to award holders for their own use and to publicise their project via their departmental/personal websites.

In order to meet the conditions of their grants, award holders will need to submit periodic reports. Reports will be the key mechanism to collect critical information for reporting to the ESRC and will assist the SSD RIE Team in monitoring project progress and managing any issues that arise.

A schedule of reporting will be provided with award offer letters. Lead Researchers will be contacted with email reminders and instructions closer to the date that a particular report is due for submission.

• Mid-project report: For projects exceeding six months in length, a light touch progress report is required at the mid-point of activities. This report should outline progress with the delivery of the project, highlight any interim lessons learned, and outline any particular challenges with the project, partners or finances, which might delay or impede successful project completion. For awards shorter than six months, no mid-project report is required.
• End-of-project report: The end-of-project report should evaluate the project, demonstrate the impact and benefits for both the researcher(s) and the partner organisation, and detail any future plans for ongoing engagement with the partner organisation. This report should be submitted within one month of the end of the project.
• Impact report: The impact report should briefly outline further impacts achieved in the six months following the project’s completion.

• Email queries: esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk. Where appropriate, the ESRC IAA Manager may also put you in touch with Oxford Brookes’ Impact Manager, or one of University of Oxford’s Research Impact Facilitators, for further guidance.

Get some inspiration for your Knowledge Exchange and impact activities:

• Social Sciences Division impact – diverse examples of successful impact projects
• Oxford Impact case study series - filter to view Social Sciences Division case studies
• Oxford Brookes Impact Showcase – examples of REF2021 Impact Case Studies
• Social Science Impact Awards – watch winners’ impact videos

Other useful links:

• Oxford Brookes Knowledge Exchange pages
• University of Oxford’s Social Sciences Division Innovation pages
• Participatory Research Oxford