Medical Research Council Impact Acceleration Account

The Medical Research Council (MRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) will support a broad range of projects with strong commercial potential, to enable the world to tackle critical problems with pioneering solutions, accelerating and maximising impact and patient benefit.

This account is currently funding projects through the Harmonised Impact Acceleration Account.

The MRC IAA builds on £3 million of previous funding to the university (2014 to 2022) through the MRC Confidence in Concept and MRC Proximity to Discovery schemes. Interdisciplinary working is at the heart of our research and the IAA is specifically aimed at encouraging cooperation between universities, the NHS and industry to focus on clinical use and commercial viability. This underpins our clinical translational portfolio and its potential.

We are committed to improving human health through collaborative medical discovery research that fulfils unmet clinical needs.

Aims

• generate preliminary data or feasibility studies to establish a project’s viability
• develop interactions between academia and industry that enhance understanding
• support residences and placements to exchange skills and knowledge
• build relationships with stakeholders through facilitated workshops to co-create innovative projects with the delivery of mutually beneficial impact in mind

Funding

The MRC IAA provided over £3 million funding to our researchers between 2014 to 2022. Future funding is allocated in two broad areas:

Accelerator fund

Up to £50,000 funding to accelerate projects along the translational pathway to outcome stage. Projects supported through our previous MRC Confidence in Concept scheme focused on optimisation and prototype development and may have included a market or regulatory report to inform the next steps.

Placements

Up to £15,000 for placement opportunities, particularly involving industry partners. The residency scheme provides flexibility to explore and define aims and objectives with external partners and build longstanding collaborations.

The next call will launch on 9 May 2023 and be open for 9 weeks. Application must be submitted by 12 July 2023 and decision panels will take place in September 2023.  Application outcomes will be announced in October 2023, successful projects are for a duration of up to 12 months.

Strategic Lead

Professor Rachel Errington is the Strategic Lead for the MRC IAA and is supported by Dr Chris Hubbard, Impact Officer, Research and Innovation Services.

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