AHRC Impact Accelerator Account (IAA)

Impact Project Fund

The University of Reading was awarded an Impact Accelerator Account (IAA) funded by the AHRC, which aims to expand the impact of its research in the Arts and Humanities, in relation to both local contexts and national and international imperatives.  

Reading's IAA is organised around two themes which bring together many of our research strengths in the arts and humanities:

1. Engaging Creative Industries – research utilising knowledge exchange and collaborative working with the Creative Industries

2. Catalysing Heritage – our expertise in unlocking the potential of collections, archives, heritage sites and intangible heritage through innovative and creative methods

With the IAA, we will:

• allow researchers to strengthen engagement with users in order to accelerate the translation of research outputs into impacts

• support, develop and foster strategic partnerships for knowledge exchange and impact, including across disciplines and sectors

• build and maintain an environment and culture that enables effective and ambitious knowledge exchange and impact, including development of skills, capacity and capability within research organisations

An important element of Reading’s IAA is the Impact Project Fund. The objective of the fund is to invest in early stages of work in the impact pipeline, to facilitate understanding of the challenges groups are facing, and investigate how the University of Reading’s research can help to address those. It is designed to allow us to rapidly respond to emerging needs and new opportunities to develop impact. Successful applications to the Fund will enable researchers to enhance the impact of their research, to undertake impact and engagement activities, and develop partnerships with external stakeholders.

For more information about calls for the Impact Project Fund, please follow the link to the Internal Research Funding section of the website. 

Knowledge Exchange Fellow (Catalysing Heritage)

Stéphanie Mitchell is the Knowledge Exchange Fellow (Catalysing Heritage). She works directly with academics across the arts and humanities and the Impact Development Officer associated with the AHRC IAA (Arts & Humanities Research Council Impact Accelerator Account), as well as working with the Impact team, Research Division Leads and individual (or groups of) researchers to support impact work and partnership building in different communities.