Newton Fund Impact Scheme Opens for 2020
The Newton Fund Impact Scheme (NFIS) is delivered by the British Council in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on behalf of all Newton Fund delivery partners.
The scheme is designed to provide previous and current Newton award holders with the opportunity to unlock further impact from their work in a way that strengthens the profile of the Fund.
NFIS grants will be made available to recipients of Newton funding from any Newton Delivery Partner. It is intended to empower applicants to bring in relevant private and third sector partners, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), technology transfer offices, and other not-for-profit organisations.
Collaboration between UK and partner countries can build upon the original partnership or form a new partnership.
Grants will provide funding targeting the following key areas:
Initiating or increasing policy impacts or user engagement: This may involve translating existing research or research outcomes into policy impacts, increasing engagement with users, measures to overcome identified barriers to impact or extending engagement into new user communities.
Initiating or increasing engagement with impact multipliers (eg businesses, start-ups, NGOs or charities): This may involve moving research outcomes further along the translation pipeline or extending the outcomes into the commercial sector.
Eligible partner countries for the 2020 call for applicants are:
Egypt
Indonesia
Thailand.
Applications are invited from previous and existing Newton Fund grant holders which were in collaboration with these three countries only.
Project Leaders must be employed by a host institution and have a contract that extends beyond the period of the grant at one of the following:
A not-for-profit higher education institution with the capacity to undertake high-quality research.
A UK higher education institution (all UK higher education institutions that receive grant funding from one of the UK higher education funding bodies are eligible).
A not-for-profit research organisation with the capacity to undertake high-quality research. Catapult Centres (in the case of the UK Principal Applicant) are only eligible for grants that will be disbursed by British Council and Innovate UK.
Businesses (if the business is not a current or former Newton Fund grant holder themselves then the other Lead Institution on the project must be).
Grants can be up to a maximum of £160,000 for up to two years, dependent on the country.
Applications must be submitted online by the deadline of 15 June 2020 (12:00 UK time).
More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.