Social science researchers at the University of Southampton will benefit from a major funding boost thanks to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Southampton’s new ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) award, totalling just over £1 million will help social scientists continue to collaborate with businesses, policymakers and other influencers and stakeholders to speed up the impact of their research on society and the economy.
Over the last four years, thanks to IAA funding, Associate Professor Denise Baden from the Southampton Business School has introduced sustainable practices to reduce the carbon footprint and cut costs in the UK’s £6.2bn hairdressing industry.
Dr Denise Baden’s Eco Hair and Beauty project led her to receive an ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize.
The fund also supported Dr Judith Joseph, Senior Research-Enterprise Fellow in Psychology, and her POWeR study – Positive Online Weight Reduction – creating an online weight management tool with Changing Health Ltd.
Professor Will Jennings, Chair of the IAA, said “This award will enable the world-leading social science research being conducted at the University to make a real difference in addressing some of the major challenges facing societies, industry and governments across the world.”
Southampton also has IAA awards from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and a Confidence in Concept award from the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Information on funding opportunities can be found on the Researcher Portal and by contacting the Impact Funding Team in Research and Innovation Services, [email protected].
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