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Funding opportunities for engagement and impact

Funds to support engagement and impact activities based on LSE research and expertise, as well as evaluation and evidence

 
Supporting knowledge exchange throughout the research lifecycle

Funding opportunities for engagement and impact (or KEI) activities at LSE will be listed below. Internal funding opportunities are primarily supported by LSE's Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) allocation.

Please contact the research engagement and impact team if you'd like to discuss any form of knowledge exchange and impact activity. You can also subscribe to Research Briefing to receive a monthly update from LSE Research and Innovation

Internal Funding

Central internal funding schemes for researchers

All LSE internal funding schemes have been updated for the 2024/25 academic year to support the full research and innovation lifecycle, facilitating easier navigation to distinct outcomes and achievements for applicants in alignment with the objectives outlined in our Research for the World Strategy. All schemes will open on Sunday 1 September 2024 and the first round will close on Friday 11 October 2024.  Going forward, funds will have a termly deadline.

A guidance document has been developed which explains the process of applying to the School's internal funding schemes. For advice on applying for these schemes for KEI activities, please contact research.kei@lse.ac.uk.

Pilot research, dissemination and impact fund (formerly Research and impact support fund, RISF) - projects up to £20k for up to 1 year

This scheme aims to fund world-class research undertaken to acquire new knowledge and early-stage impact activity linked to the research that is known at the time of application. Successful proposals will have new and larger scale research ideas for external funding, that raise awareness and visibility of research, and develop research management skills.

Please click HERE for guidance on making an application to the LSE Pilot Research, Dissemination and Impact Fund

Engagement and partnerships development fund - projects up to £20k for up to 1 year

This scheme aims to fund new non-academic and academic partner scoping, development of emerging connections for engagement and collaboration, or growth of existing relationships into more strategic and sustainable partnerships. Successful proposals will establish new partnerships in external funding and strategic ventures in-line with LSE strategy, opening novel impact pathways, and developing networking skills.

Please click HERE for guidance on making an application to the LSE Engagement and Partnerships Development Fund.

Impact development and evaluation fund (formerly KEI large bid fund) - projects up to £20k for up to 1 year *updated*

This scheme aims to fund world-class knowledge exchange undertaken with beneficiaries and partners to develop, evaluate and evidence impact locally, nationally and internationally, which may be new or as a follow-on from existing research. Successful proposals will see the development of impact and engagement pathways and evidence, or impact generation skills.

For this scheme, there is the potential to apply for larger projects over £20k and over 1 year in length. Please contact research.kei@lse.ac.uk to discuss projects that may require additional resource.

Please click HERE for guidance on making an application to the LSE Impact Development and Evaluation Fund.

Innovation fund

This scheme aims to fund novel and ambitious innovation activity based on LSE research and early-stage impact, that seeks to translate research into new products, processes, and services for a target audience or customer. Successful proposals will have ideas for innovative products, processes, and services, or the development of innovation pathways and evidence, and business and commercial skills.

Please click HERE for guidance on making an application to the LSE Innovation Fund. 

KEI funds for Departments

Departmental KEI allocations are renewed annually (subject to the continuation of HEIF funding). Funding for 2024/25 must be spent by 31 July 2025 and will be awarded on the following conditions:

  1. Departments will be offered up to £5,000 of funding towards strategic KEI activities, which advance either their own KEI goals (in line with their REF environment statements) or with the wider Research for the World strategy. Funding should therefore focus on activities that would benefit the department as a whole, rather than individual academics. (See suggested areas below).
  2. Funding will be made available subject to approval of plans by the KEI Integrated Service (via Louise Jones, research.kei@lse.ac.uk). The KEI Integrated Service will work with departments to develop and support plans.
  3. At the end of this period a short report on spending will be required. Funding will not be made available for future years unless the report has been submitted.

Suggested areas

  • Use of funding to update departmental websites or content used to engage external audiences with LSE research including research films, animations, infographics.
  • Activities to build partnerships or connections with relevant external groups, e.g. businesses, policy makers, heritage sector, local communities, schools.
  • Activities to support the development of impact case studies for REF 2028.
  • Activities and initiatives that engage students with KEI, connecting research impact, teaching and the student experience.
  • Training in skills required for effective KEI in your discipline, if not covered by the central training programme.
  • Funding to support monitoring and evaluation of KEI across the department.

PhD KEI Funds 2024/25

A competitive funding pot for PhD students looking to increase the chances of their research having an impact through engagement with non-academic audiences. Termly deadline for applications for projects up to £5k, lasting up to 1 year. 

Please send expressions of interest to research.kei@lse.ac.uk. The KEI Integrated Service will work with PhD candidates to develop their ideas and complete an application form - this process will likely take a few weeks, so please allow sufficient time. Before submission, applications have to be supported by PhD supervisors. Applications are then considered and approved by a panel of reviewers. Decisions are made by the end of the term of application.

Autumn Term deadline - Friday 8 November 2024

Winter Term deadline - Friday 14 February 2025

Spring Term deadline - Friday 16 May 2025

100x Impact Accelerator Research Grants

Established in 2022, 100x Impact Accelerator identifies, invests in, and accelerates the most promising social enterprises that are addressing the world’s most pressing social problems.

In order to leverage LSE’s research rigour, 100x are dedicating up to £500,000 each year to support evidence-based research at LSE in the form of Research Grants. These Grants will directly connect 100x with the wider LSE community and provide a link between LSE researchers and visionary social entrepreneurs working to solve the world’s most challenging issues.

Research Streams 

There are three research streams eligible for funding:

Social Venture Partnership Stream

Accelerator Impact Stream

Impact Economy Stream (coming soon)

The next call for applications will open in October 2024, more information here.

 

External Funding

External funding opportunities for impact and engagement projects will be included here, contact your Research Development Manager if you are considering applying for any of these schemes.

British Academy - Innovation and Global Innovation Fellowships 2024/25

Route B - Policy-Led (FCDO)

The FCDO has specialised research requirements, operating in a context where timely access to high-quality evidence-based analysis can mean the difference between success and failure. Exerting influence, negotiating and leveraging others’ power at precisely the right moment is at a premium. This can make it difficult for researchers operating outside the FCDO to have a significant impact. These Fellowships will provide an opportunity to change that by enabling close interaction with FCDO policymakers directly in the heart of this government department’s work.

The Academy and the FCDO invite applications for Fellowships in any of the following areas.

  1. India
  2. The politics of energy transition and climate change in Africa
  3. The role of technology in shaping citizen-state relations in Africa

Application Deadline: 27 November 2024

Starting period of award: Awards are expected to commence no earlier than 1 January 2025 and no later than 31 March 2025. The start date of the fellowship award will depend on the successful completion of the security check and signature of the agreement. Applicants are expected to provide information requested by FCDO in a timely manner to enable the fellowship to begin promptly.

Duration of award: awards are for a period of 12 months.

Level of award: The Academy is able to offer awards of up to £120,000 for 12 months in duration (with Full Economic Costing at 80%).

Full information

ODA Global Innovation Fellowships

The objective of the ODA (Official Development Assistance) Global Innovation Fellowships is to provide opportunities to UK-based early- and mid-career researchers from across the humanities and social sciences to develop their skills, networks and careers in the creative and cultural, public, private and policy sectors to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions.

This opportunity will enable award holders to embed themselves and be based in a partner organisation. The partner organisation must be based in any of the following countries: Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and any country from this list of Least Developed Countries. Applications are invited in any of the following areas:

  • Environment, sustainability and nature
  • Transformative technologies
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Cities and urbanisation
  • Global order, geopolitics and international affairs

Successful candidates will be selected on the basis of the quality and interest of the activity or range of activities and outputs proposed in the application. Award-holders will be expected to play a role in promoting the approaches and methods that are the focus of their award and consider the potential for engagement between academic and non-academic environments.

Application Deadline: 6 November 2024.

Duration of award: awards are for a period of 12 months.

Level of award: The Academy is able to offer awards of up to £150,000 for 12 months in duration (with Full Economic Costing at 80%).

Webinar: 12 September 2024; 10:00 – 11:00 am, please contact: international@thebritishacademy.ac.uk

Full information

Global Innovation Fellowships: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

This opportunity will enable award holders to embed themselves and be based in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (specifically in the USA, with possibilities to engage in other regions as appropriate). Awards from the first round can be seen here. The aim is to have a mutually beneficial partnership between the fellowship award holder and Carnegie with each able to take advantage of fresh perspectives and expand their networks and reach. It will enable the award holder to strengthen and create new links across policy and academia, enabling knowledge mobilisation and translation, and the opportunity to develop new approaches and solutions to policy challenges through providing a different perspective. 

Applications are invited in any of the following five areas:

  • Sustainability, Climate and Geopolitics.
  • Technology and International Affairs.
  • Democracy, Conflict & Governance.
  • Global Order and Institutions.
  • Nuclear Policy.
  • Political Economy and Trade.

The Academy is offering up to two one-year fellowships hosted in Carnegie’s offices in the USA (Washington DC or California). 

Application Deadline: 27 November 2024.

Starting period of award: Global Innovation Fellowships are expected to commence by September 2025. An earlier start date of March or April 2025 may be possible, in this case the applicant will need to explain how they will plan and manage their relocation on this faster timeline.

Duration of award: awards are for a period of 12 months.

Level of award: The Academy is able to offer awards of up to £150,000 for 12 months in duration (with Full Economic Costing at 80%).

Full information

ODA Global Innovation Fellowships - South African Institute of International Affairs

This opportunity will enable award holders to embed themselves with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), in their South Africa office (Johannesburg or Cape Town). The aim is to have a mutually beneficial partnership between the fellowship award holder and Carnegie with each able to take advantage of fresh perspectives and expand their networks and reach. It will enable the award holder to strengthen and create new links across policy and academia, enabling knowledge mobilisation and translation, and the opportunity to develop new approaches and solutions to policy challenges through providing a different perspective. 

Applications are invited in any of the following five areas:

  • Democracy and Governance in Africa
  • Climate Finance
  • Critical Minerals
  • Re-imagining Democracy and Building Anticipatory Governance in Africa

Application Deadline: 6 November 2024.

Starting period of award: Global Innovation Fellowships are expected to commence by September 2025. An earlier start date of March or April 2025 may be possible, in this case the applicant will need to explain how they will plan and manage their relocation on this faster timeline.

Duration of award: awards are for a period of 12 months.

Level of award: The Academy is able to offer awards of up to £150,000 for 12 months in duration (with Full Economic Costing at 80%). The award is intended to be made on a full-time basis. The cost of relocation, visas and any associated costs for the applicant and their dependants are eligible under this programme.

Full information

Pre-announcement: Locally Unlocking Culture through Inclusive Access (LUCIA)

Apply for funding to form a community-driven research network to enhance access to culture. Funded networks will create partnerships across communities, researchers, and policymakers, to promote urban cultural renewal.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funding.

The full economic cost (FEC) of your network can be up to £100,000 and AHRC will fund 80% of the FEC.

Networks must start by 1 April 2026, and will be funded for 12 months.

*This is a pre-announcement and the information may change. The funding opportunity will open on 16 September 2024.*

Full information

*NEW* Overton policy impact grants

Supporting researchers and practitioners who are trying to expand understanding of the policy landscape, and who are developing best practices for the responsible use of evidence in policy.

  • Maximum award for each project: £5,000 out of a total of £13,000
  • Deadline: 6 December 2024
  • Decision: 10 January 2025
  • Projects must be completed within 12 weeks maximum and start no later than 2 months after receipt of the grant.

Projects can be exploratory or explanatory, but they are particularly interested in how policymakers assess academic research, and are keen to support work that identifies pathways for the research community to change public behaviour and opinion. The successful applicants will also get free access to Overton's data, as well as training and support to ensure best use of the platform.

While the funding call is open to everyone, they are especially keen to support researchers in the early stage of their career and professional staff who don't perform research full time. It would also be suitable for those looking to establish themselves better in the fields of scientometrics, bibliometrics and research evaluation.

More information

 

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Impact stories Examples of engagement and impact funded activities at LSE