The Strategic Research Institutes are now inviting applications for the 2025/2026 HEIF (Higher Education Innovation Funding) Funding Call. Funded by Research England, HEIF supports knowledge exchange activities with external partners including businesses, industry, local government, public sector bodies, and charities.
Application Deadline: 30 September 2025, 17:00
An application should support or undertake knowledge exchange activity with business, industry, and external partners, including local government, public sector bodies and charities.
Institutes will be investing in outcomes-focussed knowledge exchange activities with external partners, which will create economic and societal impact that addresses Government priorities.
Funded projects should be geared towards supporting increased business engagement and commercialisation, boosting local economic growth and encouraging entrepreneurship. They should demonstrate a clear, outcomes-focussed goal of creating economic and/or societal impact in the UK.
Key Details:
- Awards typically range from聽拢5办鈥撀�20办
- Projects must be聽short-term, with spend completed by聽31 July 2026
- 础谤辞耻苍诲听25 projects will be funded across the four Institutes
- 笔谤辞箩别肠迟蝉听must involve an external, non-academic partner 补苍诲听interdisciplinary collaboration聽across Schools/Faculties
- Collaborations solely with other HEIs are聽not eligible
- Innovative approaches to knowledge exchange are encouraged
Full scheme criteria, application guidance and form are available via the聽. Please review the material carefully to ensure your proposal aligns with the call requirements before submitting.
Timeline:
30 September: Application Deadline
October: Institute panels review applications
November: Applicants notified of outcomes
If you have any questions, or would like to have a conversation with an Institute before making an application, please reach out to the relevant contact below:
- IfLS: Alexandra Mant, Collaboration Manager –聽mant@soton.ac.uk
- SMMI: Sue Brindle, Coordination Manager –聽j.brindle@soton.ac.uk
- SRI: Jon Lawn, Collaboration Manager –聽p.lawn@soton.ac.uk
- WSI: Courtney Lee, Collaboration Manager –聽k.lee@soton.ac.uk
You may also direct general enquiries regarding the application process to聽resinitiatives@soton.ac.uk