Queen’s University Belfast has been awarded over £4m to accelerate the impact of our research across the world.

Known as Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAA), this funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will enable researchers at Queen’s to develop flexible, creative and tailored approaches to increase the impact of their research by building new, or developing existing partnerships locally and across the world.

IAAs also enable us to build skills and to enhance a culture of knowledge exchange within the University by supporting academics to apply their research to everything from medicine to manufacturing, and education to the economy.

An IAA is a block award made to research organisations, such as universities, to accelerate the impact of their research. They are awarded by Research Councils, in this case by:

• The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
• The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
• The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
• The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC);
• The Medical Research Council (MRC); and
• The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

IAAs allow research organisations to respond to impact opportunities in more flexible and creative ways and to make their own decisions about how to invest IAA funding in ways that best suit institutional strategies and opportunities. IAAs also build capacity and create opportunities for collaboration across disciplines to improve outcomes and ultimately the impact of research on the wider world.