The University of Northampton (UON) has established the ‘Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Support Programme’, supported by funding allocations from Research England (QR and HEIF and RIF). This programme of funding seeks to support the development of knowledge exchange and enterprise across the institution, and to build capability to work with research users, policy makers and communities to bring about meaningful change in society.

As part of programme activities, a proportion of funding for 2023/2024 has been allocated to deliver and support a suite of ‘Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise projects that reflect the diversity of KE activities.

What is knowledge exchange?

Knowledge exchange (KE) brings together academic staff, users of research, and wider groups and communities to increase the impact of research. The process encourages the sharing of ideas, data, experience, and expertise, which is mutually beneficial to all parties involved.

Engaging with external organisations often generates new ideas, creating opportunities to explore new avenues for research. It can also make teaching more relevant to students’ job prospects, improve teaching practise, and provide additional funding sources.

There is a growing recognition that universities have a vital role to play in the economic prosperity, quality of life and cultural enrichment of their communities. Engaging in KE helps us meet the increasing expectations of Government, policy makers, the public, funding bodies and the Research Councils.

Why do knowledge exchange?

Knowledge exchange activities help increase the impact of research. Impact is defined as the ‘demonstrable contribution of research to changes that bring benefits to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life’.

Collaborating with external partners, whether from the public, private or third sectors, or from other academic institutions, can give your research an advantage.

There are many benefits to engaging in KE activity including:

• Making a difference to society
• Testing the practical application of your research
• Gaining access to the latest technology and facilities
• Developing mutually beneficial links with leading external contacts
• Gaining new ideas and insights for cutting edge research projects
• Strengthening your academic profile
• Providing opportunities for students to engage in Knowledge Exchange
• Contributing to the success of our economy

Aim and objectives of KE funding programme

A key aim of the programme is to support collaboration and projects with non-academic partners, including local, regional, national, and international organisations (including central government and their agencies, devolved administrations, local government, health and education bodies, the justice system, and other regulatory organisations), businesses and communities (including formal and informal community groups).

We want to support different ways of working with users of research to bring about a positive change in our world.

• To enable the aims of the university’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy
• To be an agile, flexible scheme that supports Knowledge Exchange and enterprise activities.
• To support new KE and impact activities or further develop work already underway, connecting into other sources of funding and support as and where appropriate.
• To champion transdisciplinary and innovative ways of working across UON.
• To develop individual KE and impact skills and experience in relation to how researchers work with research users.
• To contribute to raising the profile of University of Northampton regionally, nationally, and internationally.

What we’re looking for in the KE application

The funding is open to academics and professional service staff working in all disciplines and at all levels.

We are interested in projects that are focussed on “making change together” and generating ‘value’.

Applications should meet the definitions of Knowledge Exchange and contribute to at least one of the strategic objectives of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy outlined below:

1. Invest in creating a healthy, sustainable and supportive research, enterprise and innovation environment where diverse and dynamic people can flourish. (People)
2. Embed an open, responsible, rigorous, and sustainable quality-led research and innovation culture. (Quality)
3. Support and enhance collaborative public, community and business engagement in research and innovation that focuses on local, regional, national, and international priorities. (Place)
4. Increase and diversify our research income with a strategic alignment of research and enterprise initiatives to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), wider funder priorities and external stakeholders. (Income)
5. Build operational excellence into our research and enterprise systems, processes, and support. (Environment)
6. Raise the profile of UON research and knowledge exchange activity. (Engagement)

Funding

The funding can be used to build on new activity or ones already underway; for new strands of activity related to existing research and projects, exploring innovative ways of working, and to build capacity for future activity. The following 5 categories of funding are available:

KE Voucher (up to 8k)

This can be used to cover academic time and to access an intern to develop a project. The intern/placement is a student role. The £8.0k is the total allocation for the KE activity for the company. The companies will be SME’s, based in Northamptonshire and employ around 50 employees.

Enterprise (£7K) 

Support the development of enterprise ideas, students, and staff within the University, are invited to transform their idea into a business up to the value of £7k.

Innovation and Commercialisation (£15K)

Exploring commercialisation as a pathway to impact. Establishing new paths to achieving research impact through its adoption on a commercially sustainable basis. Work with internal experts and external partners to develop novel products and services that maximise the adoption of your innovation in the most economically sustainable way.

Problem Solving (£3K)

We are looking for innovative ideas that address real-world problems that exist in industrial, commercial, and social sectors. This includes private, public, and third sectors. This seed funding is for feasibility, proof of concept, and pump-priming for further funding and project growth.

Infrastructure

One-off cost for software/staff capacity building, for KE, e.g., formal training, mentoring, sharing best practice and engagement in relevant networks and communities.

To gain access to Funding Institutional, use your usual staff University login details and then click on Sign in via your institution (University of Northampton).

Eligible activity types:

Facilitating value generating opportunities in research/commercialisation/problem solving

• Collaboration and Partnership with non-academic stakeholders e.g., activities demonstrating collective problem-solving with external stakeholders.
• Innovation in product development (new services and goods) to provide solutions in the marketplace.
• Improvements in public health, justice and public safety, the economy, or the environment.
• Scoping or pilot for a proof of concept: demonstrating the extent to which a research area will be explored. A small-scale market research project to test its effectiveness before investing more time and money into a large-scale project.
• Exploring commercialisation as a pathway towards Impact.
• Enabling your innovation to be widely adopted and self-sustaining, including establishing new enterprises and generation of revenue from commercialisation.
• Activities that support engagement with more entrepreneurial ways sustaining your impact work e.g., ideation workshops.
• Exhibiting at an industry-specific event to showcase potential collaboration opportunities or translational research activities.
• Advertorial, podcast or interview for an industry or professional body publication, website
• Sandpit or hackathon style event to explore industry challenges and academic solution in specific industry or research area, to generate future consultancy/commercialisation.
• Generation of IP, patents and licensing that establish expertise and have potential to contribute social/economic value.
• Initial market research and end-user engagement.
• Acquiring an understanding of the value to the end-user of the proposed solution.
• Establishing partnerships and potential co-development opportunities.
• Focus groups to gather feedback from a wider range of end-users and stakeholders.
• Scoping the competitive landscape.
• Searching for prior art for IP purposes.
• Testing a product or service that is already useable.
• Offering free trials to potential customers.
• Prototyping.
• Funding for 3D printing of e.g., a mock-up of a consumable product.

Knowledge exchange and business productivity

• Business or industry needs analysis project, including systems, training, development, and workforce reviews.
• Raising awareness and understanding of important issues and discoveries, generating emotional connection with issues of importance, learning from stakeholders (alumni/professional networks, staff, general public).
• Student placements with explicit knowledge exchange purpose.

Infrastructure Development

• Activities/tools that accelerate/enable KE to take place – e.g., software.
• Capability Building e.g., workshops, training, and knowledge transfer/exchange events.
• Activity and training to better equip academics, to communicate effectively with policymakers.
• Partnerships and collaborations aimed at supporting evidence-based policymaking.
• The exchange of people – e.g., short-term placements, exchange schemes.

Enterprise Activity

• New or existing project ideas from staff/students that require seed corn funding.
• Can include small capital purchases.
• Developing a consultancy/CPD offer to take to external market.

For an initial discussion, please contact Knowledge.exchange@northampton.ac.uk with the funding area you are applying to in the Email Subject Line. All questions on the application form require a response, except where indicated.

Full Guidance Notes can be found here

To apply, please complete the appropriate Application Form (download a copy to your computer from SharePoint. Go to file, Save as)

For support with your costings, please contact your faculty accountant

Important note: Costs are not on a Full Economic Costing basis. All funds must be spent by 31st July 2024.

Finding the internal call to create the Pure Application workflow process.

Complete the application form and submit for approval on Pure Award Management allowing 2-3 days for approval to meet the deadline of 11.59pm, 21^st February 2024.

If you do not have access to PURE, please email application to Knowledge.exchange@northampton.ac.uk

The University of Northampton (UON) has established the ‘Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Support Programme’, supported by funding allocations from Research England (QR and HEIF and RIF). This programme of funding seeks to support the development of knowledge exchange and enterprise across the institution, and to build capability to work with research users, policy makers and communities to bring about meaningful change in society.

As part of programme activities, a proportion of funding for 2023/2024 has been allocated to deliver and support a suite of ‘Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise projects that reflect the diversity of KE activities.

What is knowledge exchange?

Knowledge exchange (KE) brings together academic staff, users of research, and wider groups and communities to increase the impact of research. The process encourages the sharing of ideas, data, experience, and expertise, which is mutually beneficial to all parties involved.

Engaging with external organisations often generates new ideas, creating opportunities to explore new avenues for research. It can also make teaching more relevant to students’ job prospects, improve teaching practise, and provide additional funding sources.

There is a growing recognition that universities have a vital role to play in the economic prosperity, quality of life and cultural enrichment of their communities. Engaging in KE helps us meet the increasing expectations of Government, policy makers, the public, funding bodies and the Research Councils.

Why do knowledge exchange?

Knowledge exchange activities help increase the impact of research. Impact is defined as the ‘demonstrable contribution of research to changes that bring benefits to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life’.

Collaborating with external partners, whether from the public, private or third sectors, or from other academic institutions, can give your research an advantage.

There are many benefits to engaging in KE activity including:

• Making a difference to society
• Testing the practical application of your research
• Gaining access to the latest technology and facilities
• Developing mutually beneficial links with leading external contacts
• Gaining new ideas and insights for cutting edge research projects
• Strengthening your academic profile
• Providing opportunities for students to engage in Knowledge Exchange
• Contributing to the success of our economy

Aim and objectives of KE funding programme

A key aim of the programme is to support collaboration and projects with non-academic partners, including local, regional, national, and international organisations (including central government and their agencies, devolved administrations, local government, health and education bodies, the justice system, and other regulatory organisations), businesses and communities (including formal and informal community groups).

We want to support different ways of working with users of research to bring about a positive change in our world.

• To enable the aims of the university’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy;
• To be an agile, flexible scheme that supports Knowledge Exchange and enterprise activities.
• To support new KE and impact activities or further develop work already underway, connecting into other sources of funding and support as and where appropriate.
• To champion transdisciplinary and innovative ways of working across UON.
• To develop individual KE and impact skills and experience in relation to how researchers work with research users.
• To contribute to raising the profile of University of Northampton regionally, nationally, and internationally.

What we’re looking for in the KE application

The funding is open to academics and professional service staff working in all disciplines and at all levels.

We are interested in projects that are focussed on “making change together” and generating ‘value’.

Applications should meet the definitions of Knowledge Exchange and contribute to at least one of the strategic objectives of the Research and Knowledge Exchange strategy outlined below:

1. Invest in creating a healthy, sustainable and supportive research, enterprise and innovation environment where diverse and dynamic people can flourish. (People)
2. Embed an open, responsible, rigorous, and sustainable quality-led research and innovation culture. (Quality)
3. Support and enhance collaborative public, community and business engagement in research and innovation that focuses on local, regional, national, and international priorities. (Place)
4. Increase and diversify our research income with a strategic alignment of research and enterprise initiatives to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), wider funder priorities and external stakeholders. (Income)
5. Build operational excellence into our research and enterprise systems, processes, and support. (Environment)
6. Raise the profile of UON research and knowledge exchange activity. (Engagement)

Funding

The funding can be used to build on new activity or ones already underway; for new strands of activity related to existing research and projects, exploring innovative ways of working, and to build capacity for future activity. The following 5 categories of funding are available:

KE Voucher (up to 8k)

This can be used to cover academic time and to access an intern to develop a project. The intern/placement is a student role. The £8.0k is the total allocation for the KE activity for the company. The companies will be SME’s, based in Northamptonshire and employ around 50 employees.

Enterprise (£7K) 

Support the development of enterprise ideas, students, and staff within the University, are invited to transform their idea into a business up to the value of £7k.

Innovation and Commercialisation (£15K)

Exploring commercialisation as a pathway to impact. Establishing new paths to achieving research impact through its adoption on a commercially sustainable basis. Work with internal experts and external partners to develop novel products and services that maximise the adoption of your innovation in the most economically sustainable way.

Problem Solving (£3K)

We are looking for innovative ideas that address real-world problems that exist in industrial, commercial, and social sectors. This includes private, public, and third sectors. This seed funding is for feasibility, proof of concept, and pump-priming for further funding and project growth.

Infrastructure

One-off cost for software/staff capacity building, for KE, e.g., formal training, mentoring, sharing best practice and engagement in relevant networks and communities.

Eligible activity types:

Facilitating value generating opportunities in research/commercialisation/problem solving

• Collaboration and Partnership with non-academic stakeholders e.g., activities demonstrating collective problem-solving with external stakeholders.
• Innovation in product development (new services and goods) to provide solutions in the marketplace.
• Improvements in public health, justice and public safety, the economy, or the environment.
• Scoping or pilot for a proof of concept: demonstrating the extent to which a research area will be explored. A small-scale market research project to test its effectiveness before investing more time and money into a large-scale project.
• Exploring commercialisation as a pathway towards Impact.
• Enabling your innovation to be widely adopted and self-sustaining, including establishing new enterprises and generation of revenue from commercialisation.
• Activities that support engagement with more entrepreneurial ways sustaining your impact work e.g., ideation workshops.
• Exhibiting at an industry-specific event to showcase potential collaboration opportunities or translational research activities.
• Advertorial, podcast or interview for an industry or professional body publication, website
• Sandpit or hackathon style event to explore industry challenges and academic solution in specific industry or research area, to generate future consultancy/commercialisation.
• Generation of IP, patents and licensing that establish expertise and have potential to contribute social/economic value.
• Initial market research and end-user engagement.
• Acquiring an understanding of the value to the end-user of the proposed solution.
• Establishing partnerships and potential co-development opportunities.
• Focus groups to gather feedback from a wider range of end-users and stakeholders.
• Scoping the competitive landscape.
• Searching for prior art for IP purposes.
• Testing a product or service that is already useable.
• Offering free trials to potential customers.
• Prototyping.
• Funding for 3D printing of e.g., a mock-up of a consumable product.

Knowledge exchange and business productivity

• Business or industry needs analysis project, including systems, training, development, and workforce reviews.
• Raising awareness and understanding of important issues and discoveries, generating emotional connection with issues of importance, learning from stakeholders (alumni/professional networks, staff, general public).
• Student placements with explicit knowledge exchange purpose.

Infrastructure Development

• Activities/tools that accelerate/enable KE to take place – e.g., software.
• Capability Building e.g., workshops, training, and knowledge transfer/exchange events.
• Activity and training to better equip academics, to communicate effectively with policymakers.
• Partnerships and collaborations aimed at supporting evidence-based policymaking.
• The exchange of people – e.g., short-term placements, exchange schemes.

Enterprise Activity

• New or existing project ideas from staff/students that require seed corn funding.
• Can include small capital purchases.
• Developing a consultancy/CPD offer to take to external market.

For an initial discussion, please contact Knowledge.exchange@northampton.ac.uk with the funding area you are applying to in the Email Subject Line. All questions on the application form require a response, except where indicated.

Full Guidance Notes can be found here

To apply, please complete an Application Form (download a copy to your computer from SharePoint. Go to file, Save as)

For support with your costings, please contact your faculty accountant

Important note: Costs are not on a Full Economic Costing basis. All funds must be spent by 31st July 2024. Refer to the Guidance Notes for additional costing requirements.

Finding the internal call to create the Pure Application workflow process.

Complete the application form and submit for approval on Pure Award Management allowing 2-3 days for approval to meet the deadline of 11.59pm, 24th November 2023.

The University of Northampton invites applications from university staff to the Public and Community Engagement & Participatory Research grants fund. Funding of up to £6,000 is available per project to support staff to delivering innovative research that is co-created to deliver wider benefits to the public and communities we engage with.

We will support a wide range of projects that might involve outreach work, patient-involvement, collaborative research, citizen science, participatory arts, lifelong learning, community engagement, and engagement with partners. In addition, we are happy to support projects that focus on community-based learning and widening participation. Our overall aim is to support projects that better connect the research and work of UON with our communities.

The fund can be pilot study research with the aim to build on this for future research projects or further development of an existing funded research project. The activities within the research proposal should be designed to inspire and inform, to evidence clear public and or community engagement and lead to demonstratable outcomes including, but not limited to, increasing knowledge and understanding, change in perspectives perceptions and or attitudes.

Who can apply?

Proposals may be submitted by any member of staff, at any career stage and we actively encourage individuals at all stages of academic career, including early career researchers.

Eligibility Requirements

Proposals may be submitted by any member of staff, at any career stage and we actively encourage individuals at all stages of academic career, including early career researchers.

For an initial discussion, please contact research@northampton.ac.uk with “UON Public and Community Engagement & Participatory Research funding query” in Email Subject Line. All questions on the application form require a response, except where indicated.

Full Guidance Notes can be found here

To apply, please complete an Application Form (download a copy to your computer from SharePoint. Go to file, Save as)

For support with your costings, please contact your faculty accountant

Important note: Costs are not on a Full Economic Costing basis.  All funds must be spent by 31st July 2024. Refer to the Guidance Notes for additional costing requirements.

Finding the internal call to create the Pure Application workflow process.

Complete the application form and submit for approval on Pure Award Management allowing 2-3 days for approval to meet the deadline of 11.59pm, 24^th November.

The University of Northampton invites applications from university staff to the Research Impact and Engagement fund.

The Research Impact Fund is designed to support engagement and impact activities which will help you to:

• Generate, enhance and accelerate the impact of your research, including supporting engagement and knowledge exchange activities likely to lead to impact.
• Evidence the impact of your research, including through evaluation activities.

The aim of this fund is to ensure that the ‘real world’ impact potential of UON’s research is fully optimised, and that our research impact is robustly evidenced.

We are looking to provide funding of up to £5,000. We will consider larger applications though additional costs above £5,000 must be fully justified. This will be monitored at regular intervals to ensure the projects are on course to deliver the stated outcomes.

As there are limitations to the funding available, projects that will be, or have potential to be, included in the REF will be prioritised. We encourage all academics who wish to expand the impact of their research to apply.

What are we looking for?

All proposals must demonstrate how the planned engagement and impact activities link to existing or ongoing research produced by staff at UON. This could be research produced recently with the impact in the early stage of development or to enhance the impact of an existing research project.

We are looking for proposals which are carefully considered, and well-designed. They should contain a feasible and credible plan for generating, enhancing and/or evidencing research impact.
We especially welcome proposals which can potentially be matched to external research awards or bids. Where concurrent bids are made to both the Research Impact Fund and another internal fund, we would ask that the proposals complement rather than duplicate each other.

Application

For queries relating to the call, please contact research@northampton.ac.uk with “UON Research Impact and Engagement Funding Query” in Email Subject Line. All questions on the application form require a response, except where indicated.

Full Guidance Notes can be found here

To apply, please complete an Application Form (download a copy to your computer from SharePoint. Go to file, Save as)

For support with your costings, please contact your faculty accountant

Important note: Costs are not on a Full Economic Costing basis.  All funds must be spent by 31st July 2024. Refer to the Guidance Notes for additional costing requirements.

Finding the internal call to create the Pure Application workflow process.

Complete the application form and submit for approval on Pure Award Management allowing 2-3 days for approval to meet the deadline of 11.59pm, 17^th November.

Our Small Grants Scheme for Early Career Researchers is one of the University’s most popular internal grant schemes and we are delighted to announce our Autumn 2023 round.

Applications are invited from our ECR community for funding up to £5,000 per project to support the next generation of talented researchers delivering on innovative research.

For this round of funding, we particularly invite proposals that address one or more of the following priorities:

• Involve interdisciplinary collaboration between ECR staff in different Faculties and Institutes.
• Pilot study research with the aim to build on this for future research projects.
• Further development on an existing funded research project.
• Aim to embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) within the research design.
• Aim to achieve research impact (through scholarly output, public engagement, influence on policy or similar).

We encourage ECRs to submit project proposals that align with these priorities and research activities can include:

• costs associated with a pilot study
• costs associated with a specific project e.g., research assistant time
• career development opportunities
• hosting and dissemination events (research conference, workshop, seminar, etc)
• public engagement activities
• travel and subsistence (e.g., attending conferences), which should not exceed 10% of the total funding being requested or £1000, whichever is lower.

Please note that funding will not be allocated to projects where the funds are solely to be used for project materials and/or equipment.

Eligibility Requirements

Only ECRs can apply. Refer to the University’s definition here

For an initial discussion, please contact Sharon.Lewis@northampton.ac.uk

Full Guidance Notes can be found here

To apply, please complete an Application Form

For support with your costings, please contact your faculty accountant

Important note: Costs are not on a Full Economic Costing basis. This means you do not need to cover the University’s overhead/estate costs only your staff costs and any non-pay costs associated with the project.

All funds must be spent by 31st July 2024. Refer to the Guidance Notes for additional costing requirements.

Finding the internal call to create the Pure Application workflow process.

Complete the application form and submit for approval on Pure Award Management allowing 2-3 days for approval to meet the deadline of 11.59pm, Wednesday 8^th November.