University of Kent AHRC Impact Acceleration Account

The aim of the AHRC IAA is to significantly advance the extent of our reach (scaling 'up'); the diversity of our beneficiaries (scaling 'out'), and the depth of the change (sustaining the impact). This will result in an immediate step-change in impact and knowledge exchange across our research portfolio and will see us achieving our strategic goal of positively impacting on the world around us through driving economic, environmental and social change - both nationally and across our region.

Arts and Humanities research at Kent is focussed around three priority themes. These are: History and Heritage, Society and Environment, and Health and Wellbeing. These themes are multidisciplinary and reflect research strengths across and beyond the Arts and Humanities at Kent as well as being aligned to both AHRC and UoK research priorities.

The IAA has four objectives and related work packages through which we will accelerate impact across our priority themes:

1. Implementing a programme of 'quick response' funding (WP1), enabling rapid response to new opportunities
2. Developing, testing and implementing new models of social enterprise start-up and licensing (WP2)
3. Establishing multi-sector strategic partnership networks (WP3) for each theme
4. Providing targetted impact development training and a toolkit (WP4) to strengthen our knowledge, capacity and capability.

Overall, through the IAA we will have succeeded in increasing creativity, innovation and ambition across AH knowledge transfer and impact.