The Cambridge Arts and Humanities Impact Fund (AHIF) provides flexible funding to support and enhance the impact of Arts and Humanities research.
Due to a lack of AHRC funding for research impact, the Arts and Humanities Impact Fund (AHIF) aims to enhance the non-academic impact of arts and humanities research at the University of Cambridge.
Other research councils such as the ESRC and EPSRC run Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAAs) with regular internal funding calls at Cambridge. Please check if you are eligible to apply for these if your research falls within their funding remit.
Below: Abigail Brundin, Professor of Italian, shares her experience of participating in exciting collaborations with heritage organisations. For more interviews about impactful research in the Arts and Humanities, visit our Resources page.
The AHIF supports impact activities within the field of Arts and Humanities as broadly defined by the AHRC, such as:
- Activities to broaden research engagement with business, NGOs and the public and third sectors. This can cover deepening and strengthening relationships with existing contacts as well as establishing new contacts.
- Collaboration with public, private and third sector organisations.
- Development and promotion of new engagement methods to help promote best practice across arts and humanities knowledge areas.
- Short projects to define routes to impact, liaising with partners and finding the resources to enhance impact activities.
- Innovative and unusual projects, leading to impactful outputs and outcomes
For full information, please consult the Scheme Guidance Notes. Returning applicants should note that the document was updated in June 2020.
2020-2021 Michaelmas Open Call (Now Closed)
Applications are invited from any researcher active in the arts and humanities who holds a current contract of employment as a senior independent researcher – at the point of application – with the University. Relevant non-school institutional staff (such as from Museums or Libraries) on academic-related contracts are also eligible to apply. Full details on eligibility are available in the Scheme Guidance Notes.
In response to the current challenges caused by COVID-19, applicants are also encouraged to consider ways that their research could address new needs emerging at this particular time.
Applicants should note that their of Head of Faculty/Department and relevant Research Grants Administrator must be informed about the application at the earliest opportunity, to ensure that internal approval procedures are followed. All applications must be approved by the Head of Faculty/Department through the online system before the scheme deadline.
Applicants are strongly urged to consult the AH Facilitator (AHimpact@admin.cam.ac.uk) to discuss their proposal in good time prior to submitting.
If you experience any technical difficulties with the form, please contact the Impact Team at AHimpact@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Projects ranging in value from £5,000 to £10,000 will be supported, but there is flexibility around these figures. Projects must be completed within 12 months of the award of the grant. Bids for testing experimental or innovative approaches are welcome, as are collaborative and co-funded projects.
Awards will be made available to fund work which will significantly increase the probability of the ideas and findings generated by research having an impact on the private, public and third sectors, whether that be in a cultural, social, economic, public-policy or pedagogic capacity. The awards are not for the continuation of research. Applications should, therefore, focus on the development of impact activities and outputs and not on research. The Impact Fund grants can be used to support staff on the project, consumables, travel etc. Only direct costs are eligible. The funds cannot be used to support students or to cover PI time.
Applications can only be accepted through the digital application form. For further details on eligibility and assessment criteria, please consult the Scheme Guidance Notes.
Applicants should note that their of Head of Faculty/Department and relevant Research Grants Administrator must be informed about the application at the earliest opportunity, to ensure that internal approval procedures are followed. All applications must be approved by the Head of Faculty/Department through the online system before the scheme deadline, so please ensure you allow sufficient time for colleagues to approve the submission.
Applicants are also strongly urged to consult the AH Facilitator (AHImpact@admin.cam.ac.uk) to discuss their proposal in good time prior to submitting it.
This fund is available to fund timely, tactical opportunities in short time scales, which require a quick turnaround for funding. This could include, but is not limited to, activities such as select committee attendance, workshop organisation, or the creation of short-term impact projects. Funding is also available for initial meetings with non-academic partners that can demonstrate a potential to lead to further impact.
Awards will typically not exceed £2,000 and will cover 100% Directly Incurred Costs only.
Applications to this scheme are accepted on a rolling basis, through the dedicated application system.
Applicants are strongly urged to consult the AH Facilitator (AHImpact@admin.cam.ac.uk) to discuss their proposal prior to submitting it.