Harmonised Impact Acceleration Account
We invest in projects that foster close collaboration with industry, policymakers and the public to apply research evidence in diverse and innovative ways.
Our projects use fast and flexible funding to trial inclusive engagement and interdisciplinary innovation to stimulate real-world impact on a significant scale.
The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Harmonised Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) encompasses funding across 6 Research Councils:
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
- Medical Research Council (MRC)
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Our aims
Cardiff University is dedicated to creating real-world change through its IAA funding. We aim to:
- address grand challenges through multi-disciplinary working across our UKRI IAAs and our university research entities to scale up our endeavours
- deliver knowledge exchange, impact and translational activities
- seed partnerships that enable co-production of meaningful impact for communities, organisations and partners in Wales and beyond
- accelerate major innovation outcomes in partnership with industry, public sector, charitable and government organisations.
Funding
We are entering the final phase of the current Harmonised IAA funding cycle.
The first 2 phases offered an open funding call with an initiator fund, providing seed funding to develop new collaborations, and an accelerator fund, providing funding to strengthen existing partnerships and catalyse project outcomes. Our third phase took a more strategic approach, offering 3 schemes focused on placements and secondments, school-led initiatives, and expansion of former IAA projects.
Our final phase will return to open funding calls, responding to an identified need for flexible impact funding to allow projects to capitalise on different opportunities:
H-IAA Open Call 2025-26
Active: November 2025 – January 2026
This fund is designed to catalyse partnerships and accelerate projects along their impact and/or translational pathway.
H-IAA Small Projects Call 2026
Active: Spring 2026
The call aims to be flexible and responsive to opportunities, which may include supporting preliminary activities to advance and nurture projects and partnerships.
