ESRC IAA Round 3

ESRC Impact Acceleration Account 2023-2028
Warwick is one of 32 UK universities awarded funding by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for an Impact Acceleration Account (IAA). The award, worth £1.25m in total, runs until 31 March 2028.
Social Science research has a critical role to play in addressing regional, national, and global challenges – from improving outcomes for communities facing disadvantage, to guiding business innovation. Indeed, Warwick research is making a vital contribution to our understanding of human behaviour and the needs, choices and beliefs which underpin public services, educational progression, the uptake of environmental initiatives and cultural participation.
To optimise the potential for our research to improve lives, build skills, and empower communities across the world, Warwick’s ESRC IAA is now offering awards of up to £25,000 to support activities to maximise the non-academic impact of Social Science research.
Furthermore, through a broader programme of events and initiatives the IAA will also support the enhancement of skills and culture around knowledge exchange within Warwick's Social Science community, building on Warwick's success in developing innovative ways to deliver upon the benefits of Social Science research.
We are committed to working with a wide range of stakeholders to maximise the value and reach of Warwick’s research, and to do our bit to achieve a green future, better health and wellbeing, to create opportunities and to build a secure and resilient world.
Responsive Mode Funding:
The IAA offers two Responsive Mode funding pathways to enable the conversion of established research into impact by supporting engagement activities with non-academic stakeholders:


Main Fund: Evolving Impact
Awards of up to £25,000 to support activities to accelerate and maximise the real-world impact of Social Sciences research. This could include:
- Collaborations with non-academic partners
- Activities to inform policy
- Secondments with non-academic organisations
- Activities to strengthen research-user engagement
Rapid Response Funding
Awards of up to £5,000 to enable Social Scientists to respond quickly to emerging opportunities to act on the impact potential of their research or to undertake smaller-scale, short-term activities. This could include:
- Travel for events
- Short-term project support
- Opportunities to network with collaborators or research users
Funded Projects
Click here to see a list of projects currently supported by Responsive Mode funding.
Information webinars for prospective bids to the ESRC IAA
The Social Science Impact Team are holding two information webinars for researchers intending to apply for funding from the ESRC IAA.
These are scheduled for:
The webinars will cover the characteristics of a strong application and common application pitfalls, and will provide an opportunity for researchers to ask questions about the bid review process and the strategic objectives of the ESRC IAA.
Please click on the date of the webinar you wish to attend in order to register. You will then be sent a calendar invite for the session on Microsoft Teams nearer the time.


Postdoctoral Impact Fellowship Scheme
Details coming soon.
Other Activities
Social Sciences Policy Hub
Commercialising Social Science Research
Get in Touch
If you are thinking of applying to any of the above schemes or would like to discuss the impact potential of your research, please get in touch with your Research Impact Team supporting the Faculty of Social Sciences. We are here to offer support at all stages and in all aspects of the impact journey - from developing an idea and stakeholder mapping, to evaluation and evidence gathering.
Research Impact Managers
Dr Kathryn van de Wiel
Covering: Economics; School of Law; Politics and International Studies; Philosophy; the Institute for Employment Research; and Warwick Business School.
Dr Lesley Chikoore
Covering: Applied Linguistics; CIDD; Education Studies; Centre for Teacher Education; Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies; and Sociology.
Research Impact Coordinator
Working across the Faculty:
Claire Wragg
Kathryn, Lesley, and Claire are part of the university Research Impact Team in Research & Impact Services (R&IS), based in the University House Annexe. They are currently working from home on Tuesdays and Fridays, and on campus Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Thursdays, during term time they work from the Faculty in the Research Hub in S1.57 (Social Sciences Building).