Funding Opportunities for KEI

The Knowledge Exchange and Impact (KEI) large bid fund is a competitive funding pot for ambitious knowledge exchange projects, with potential for significant impact and with a clear impact plan.  There will be two application calls in the Autumn (1st) and Spring (3rd) terms for projects from £20-100k lasting for up to a maximum of 2 years. Projects are invited on all research areas and applications will be reviewed by the School’s Research Development Panel (RDP).

Applications can be for any KEI activities (including public, community, policy and corporate engagement) but must relate to research undertaken at LSE. Applicants will be required to identify the non-academic groups they will be engaging with and how they will reach them; demonstrate the significance, timeliness and need of their project; and map out the intended outcomes and possible impacts. Staff costs (direct only) can be included in applications if justified, but the lead applicant must be able to demonstrate eligibility for a future REF impact case study (usually on a research contract of at least 0.2FTE). All applications must be supported by the applicant’s Head of Department, Institute or Centre Director. 

Please email research.kei@lse.ac.uk to let us know you are planning to apply in advance of the draft deadline and to check the eligibility of your project. You can download the application form and budget template. The KEI Integrated Service will work with applicants to develop their ideas and give guidance on costs, so you must submit a rough draft of your application and budget at least a month before the application deadline to allow for feedback.

Upcoming deadlines:

Autumn Term 2023 (for projects starting from 1 January 2024):
Deadline for draft application: 22 September 2023
Deadline for final application: 20 October 2023

Spring Term 2024 (for projects starting from 1 August 2024):
Deadline for draft application: 19 April 2024
Deadline for final application: 17 May 2024

A fund aimed to support world-class research and knowledge exchange by LSE academic faculty and researchers. LSE's Research Development Panel (RDP) will award up to £20,000 per project. This can include projects with a KEI focus or elements.

The most recent call closed in February 2023, we would expect the next call to be announced in the autumn of 2023.

Those awarded projects in the last round, note the timeline below:

Departmental KEI allocations are renewed annually (subject to the continuation of HEIF funding). Funding for 2023/24 must be spent by 31 July 2024 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.

Changes in funding allocation in 2021/22 were made in recognition that other sources of KEI funding now exist that fulfil some of the original purpose of these funds, particularly for individual academics (through the increased personal research funds and the new Research and KEI Support Fund) and for PhD students (through the KEI Fund for PhD students).

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.