The Accelerator Grant

The UQ-Exeter Institute offers a seed funding scheme to promote broadening and deepening of the collaboration between our two universities.

A partnership between
The University of Queensland University of Exeter

The University of Queensland (UQ) and the University of Exeter (Exeter) believe that the most complex of global challenges – ranging from food and water security to political instability, healthy living and digital worlds – require interdisciplinary research that spans institutions, countries and continents. To achieve true impact, the UQ-Exeter Institute, encourages talented UQ and Exeter academic staff work together to apply their distinct perspectives and expertise to addressing global challenges.

The UQ-Exeter Institute offers a seed funding scheme to promote broadening and deepening of the collaboration between our two universities. The funding scheme has two stages: the Workshop Grant Scheme and the Accelerator Grant Scheme. An Accelerator Grant application should usually follow the successful completion of a Workshop Grant project and is intended to further development of the nominated project to ultimately scale further via an identified external funding opportunity (e.g. a specified funding body call or industry opportunity).

The Accelerator Grant Scheme is now open for applications, with a closing date of 2 September 2026.

Objectives

Accelerator Grants are intended to support larger scale initiatives with the aim of securing external funding and producing high level outputs and impact. It is anticipated that applicants from both Universities will have complementary expertise, and will have already established a working relationship and track record that can be demonstrated as part of the application.

An Accelerator Grant application should usually follow a successful Workshop Grant project, supporting the development of a proposal through to submission for external grant or industry funding (with the specific scheme and deadline identified). In exceptional circumstances, an Accelerator Grant application may be submitted without having completed a Workshop Grant project, for example to support a proposal which targets a new large scale external funding call or opportunity, which has been established with a short turnaround time.

In summary the key aims are to:

  • To position the project group to win major external funding and publish significant research and/or influence national/international policy.
  • To address research questions and/or to develop innovative teaching and learning initiatives with potential for high impact that could not be as effectively carried out by a partner on its own. These research questions or teaching and learning initiatives should be aligned to one of the UQ-Exeter Institute’s four themes of Healthy Living, Global Environment Futures, Digital Worlds and Disruptive Technologies, and Mineral Security and Sustainability.

Funding details

Applications up to a maximum of £20,000 GBP/ $40,000 AUD are invited.

Funding will be provided to the nominated overall lead applicant, who will be responsible for management of the project, the budget for both institutions and reporting on outcomes.

A total of three Accelerator Grants will be funded across the two institutions in 2026. All funded applications will be promoted via the UQ-Exeter Institute website (UQ-Exeter Institute | Collaborative Global Research for a Sustainable Future) and should be completed within a ten-month period from the award date (by 31 July 2027).

Eligibility criteria

Accelerator Grants are available to any members of the UQ and Exeter academic community and should have a lead applicant at each institution. As outlined, applicants should usually have successfully completed a Workshop Grant project, although there will some flexibility in this first year (2026) of the two-stage funding scheme.

Applicants should explain how this application builds on a Workshop Grant project as a step towards an application for external funding. In exceptional circumstances, an Accelerator Grant application may be submitted without having completed a Workshop Grant project, for example to support a proposal targeting a new large scale external funding call or opportunity, which has been established with a short turnaround time.

Eligible costs include:

  • research consumables
  • costs for meetings or events (including venues, catering, external speakers and facilitators)
  • directly incurred costs for staff directly employed to deliver core elements of the proposed activity (where research/ technical posts are also partially funded by another grant/ source of funding, please check the terms and conditions of any pre-existing contract to ensure there are no conflicts of interest)
  • travel and subsistence (please ensure you are aware of current visa requirements and refer to the latest University policies on international travel here:

The following items are not eligible for funding under this scheme:

  • academic salaries
  • student fees (including administrative fees, student services and amenities fees (SSAF)/tuition)
  • indirect costs, estate costs and overheads
  • publication costs
  • costs associated with internal research facilities.

Application process

Lead applicants should discuss their application with the appropriate UQ-Exeter Theme Lead at their home institution in advance of submission. Theme Leads are listed below.

Applicants must complete the Accelerator Grant application form in conjunction with their co-applicant(s) at the partner institution. An overall lead applicant must be nominated, to whom funds will be transferred if successful.

Applicants should ensure that activities are planned and scheduled to enable completion within ten months of notification of results (by 31 July 2027). No extensions will be possible.

Applications should be submitted to both institutions at the following email addresses by 2 September 2026:

Exeter

To guide applicants in seeking non-academic partners, Exeter applicants can find resources in the Ideas Hub and are advised to complete a ‘tell us about your idea’ to engage with Exeter Innovation. For guidance on applying for external funding, Exeter applicants can find guidance here: Academic ‘How-to’ guides.

Queensland

To guide applicants in seeking non-academic partners, UQ applicants can engage with UniQuest to explore potential partnership opportunities. They may also seek guidance from Strategic Partnerships – Government and Industry. For guidance on applying for external funding, UQ applicants can access resources available on the Research Support website.