Page 1

CyberFocus - Impact Acceleration Account Application Form

Funding to accelerate the impact of your research

This online form should be used to apply for funding from the UKRI EPSRC funded CyberFocus project.

Please note, applicants must apply caution when entering information into generative AI tools to develop an application. We recommend you read UKRIs policy before continuing: UKRI Guidance on Generative AI.

Applicants and applications are expected to be transparent where they have used generative AI tools in the development of an application.

Questions within the online form include explanatory notes. Please complete all relevant sections of this online form.

If you have any questions, please email cyberfocus@lancaster.ac.uk

Applicant Details

Coordinating / Principal Investigators (PIs) must have an employment contract at their employing institution for the duration of their proposed project. You do not have to have received funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council previously to be successful.

Note that you will be asked to provide relevant Equality Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) data information. This information is NOT shared with the reviewers at any point. The data will be anonymised and is only being collected for monitoring and reporting purposes.

Salutation

First name

Last name

Email address

Job title

Which institution are you applying from?

Department or Equivalent

Faculty

Department

How do you identify as a researcher (see guidance below for more details)?

Early Career Researcher: Within 6 years of your first academic (Postdoctoral, Research Fellow or lecturer) appointment
Mid Career Researcher: Generally 8-15 post-PhD or equivalent professional training (senior lecturers)
Senior Researcher: Greater than 15 years relevant experience (professors, research directors, holding other senior university roles)

Please provide your preferred gender identity

What is your age group?

What is your ethnic group?

Do you consider yourself to have a disability?

Page 2

Do you have Co-Investigators (Co-I) or Co-Principal Investigators (C-PI)?

Co-Investigator (Co-I) or Co-Principal Investigators (C-PI)

Which institution are they from?

External Co-PI

Note - you can add multiple investigators by clicking "Add another investigator" at the bottom if this section.

Department or Equivalent

Salutation

First name

Last name

Job title

Email address

Internal Co-PI

Note - you can add multiple investigators by clicking "Add another investigator" at the bottom if this section.

Faculty

Department

Salutation

First name

Last name

Job title

Email address

Page 3

Project Information

Project Title

What level of funding are you requesting? Please see explanations of funding types below.

Seed Funding (typically £10-30k lasting 3-6 months)

Growth Funding (typically £20-40k lasting 6-12 months)

Accelerator Funding (typically >£40k lasting >12 months)

Public Engagement Funding (typically £10-30k lasting 3-6 months)

Policy Impact Funding (typically £10-30k lasting 3-6 months)

Please indicate the anticipated start date of your project

Please indicate the anticipated end date of your project

Project Reference Number

The project’s reference number, exactly as it appears in the Partner University’s records

IAA funding requested (£)

Executive Summary of the Project (please see guidance below):

Provide an Executive Summary which can be understood by a non-specialist reader. Briefly outline the underpinning research that will be applied, what you will do, the need for the project (i.e. what problem is being addressed), the importance (i.e. why now), and the intended beneficiaries and/or impact(s) (i.e. who will benefit/how and through what means). Primary or engaged research or contract research/consultancy will not be funded. .

Please select which CyberFocus outcome your proposal is primarily alignment to (please see guidance below):

These outcomes are deliberately broad to ensure a wide range of activities can be supported, but broadly these are:

Elevated Cyber Supply Chain Trust and Confidence: Fostering trust and confidence through innovation partnerships
Growth in Sustainable Cyber Innovation Expertise: Access to expertise and capability to overcome innovation adoption challenges
Enhanced Cross Cluster Coordination and Interconnections: Transforming impact culture and resource access

Indicate the Cyber Security Body of Knowledge (CyBOK) area this project relates to

For more information, please see https://www.cybok.org/

Page 4

Primary External Partner Organisation

It is mandatory that you have an external (non-HEI) partner for ALL of the types of funding available in this call. In addition, all partners must be shown to be able to accelerate the impact in the North West region.

You may add up to THREE partner organisations to your proposal.
Please note that all projects will be required to sign an offer letter before funding will be released. This will outline the grant terms and conditions.

Organisation Name

Short description of partner organisation

Website

Please select the sector(s) in which your partner is based

Contact details

Main Contact First Name

Main Contact Last Name

Main Contact Job Title

Main Contact Email Address

Address

Street

City

County

Country

Post Code

Additional External Partner Organisation

Do you have any additional external partner organisations?

Additional External organisation details

Organisation Name

Short description of partner organisation

Website

Please select the sector(s) in which your partner is based

Contact details

Main Contact First Name

Main Contact Last Name

Main Contact Job Title

Main Contact Email Address

Address

Street

City

County

Country

Post Code

Page 5

Project details

Vision

What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?

Explain how your proposed work:

is of excellent quality and importance
has the potential to drive impact

In the context of the region, explain how your proposed work:

builds on an identified base of high-quality research impact work relevant to the programme
enhances impact in the region
enhances the reputation of the region within the UK

Objectives

Provide a list of the key SMART objectives for your project:

SMART Objectives = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound

Approach

How are you going to deliver your proposed work?

You should describe the key 'work packages' to be undertaken by the researcher/partner(s), describing interactions and timescales, linking to the stated SMART objectives above.
Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:

is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives outlined above
is feasible and identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed
will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts

The activities proposed should:

involve real user engagement and look to enhance relationship with potential partners
demonstrate an approach that maximises the value arising from engagement with various key stakeholders
foster or develop innovative approaches and continuous improvement

If your project involves a partner organisation:

The significance of partner involvement and the impact(s) that may be accrued by their organisation as a direct result of participation Must be clearly articulated
It is expected that partners are embedded in project activities regardless of whether they are contributing cash to the project or not – ensuring a high level of involvement is more likely to enable a sustained partnership post IAA funding.

Place

How is your project aligned with the characteristics and ambitions of the region to support its growth?

Describe how your proposal aligns with relevant Civic Partner Strategies and Plans relating to Innovation, Economic Growth and University Collaboration.
You should identify:

how your project responds to the needs of the region and civic partners
indicates any regional partner co-creation and the strength of any mutually beneficial relationship
demonstrates any engagement and meaningful collaboration with local stakeholders

Examples of such plans include:

Greater Manchester Strategy 2021-2031: https://aboutgreatermanchester.com/the-greater-manchester-strategy-2021-2031/
Liverpool City Region Plan for Prosperity: https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/plan-for-prosperity
Lancashire Innovation Plan 2023-2028: https://innovatelancashire.co.uk/about/lancashire-innovation-plan-2023-2028/
Cumbria's Economic Strategy 2025-2045: https://westmorlandandfurness.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s29838/Going+for+Growth+Final+Draft+21+Feb.pdf

Impact

What are the potential impacts your project is intending to achieve?

Think about potential impacts that could come about from the project and how you will measure these during and/or after the project concludes - and try to be specific. This could be impact(s) for the partner (i.e. costs savings, increased R&D, increased profit/turnover/exports, product/service innovation, jobs secured), broader knowledge exchange outcomes (practitioner/industry events, exchanges, secondments, CPD), leveraged or scale up investment(s) (i.e. seed corn/demonstrator funding to scale up), or other academic/industry outcomes (patents, publications, licensing, spinouts, equity investment, policy changes or training).

Impact could also be broader, including an "effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia."

Impact-generating projects should be done ‘with’ partners, not ‘to' or 'on’ them. If your proposal involves product development you may find a 'FAB analysis' useful otherwise consider writing an impact summary and pathway to impact statement – see https://www.fasttrackimpact.com/post/2017/06/01/how-to-write-an-impact-summary-and-pathway-to-impact

Place Based Partnership

Why is this partnership/collaboration best suited to deliver the project in place?

Place Based Impact Acceleration requires collaborative partnerships which bring benefit to the place. As such you should describe:

why this partnership(s) identified are suitable to achieve the projects vision
how the partner(s) will accelerate impact in the North West region in cyber
why the partnership(s) is suitable to deliver the objectives you have identified previously

Partnership Sustainability

Describe how you intent to sustain the partnership for the benefit of the region.

A key aim of the IAA is to build sustainable partnerships beyond the any funded project. Be ambitious and realistic. You should describe:

how the relationship between the partners could be sustained post-funding
what a follow-on project(s) could be explored or developed going forward
specific examples of funding streams and timescales
what you expect a sustained partnership could achieve in the region

Diversity and Inclusion (EDI):

Please explain how your project will protect and promote Equality

CyberFocus promotes, equality, diversity and inclusion through its funding schemes and industry engagement. This supports institutional commitments to create an environment where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is expressed by initiatives linked with recognising and supporting protected characteristics including age, disability, gender identity, race, religion and sex and sexual orientation in alignment with the Equality Act 2010. Commitments, aims and planned actions are set out in our EDI strategy, Gender Pay Gap Report and EDI charter marks. Consider how you will promote EDI through your project, for example:

Enhancing understanding of EDI opportunities and challenges (e.g., highlighting the importance of diversity in research).
Designing inclusive activities (e.g., language, terminology and communication channels used in promotions, events, or materials, and consideration of timings such as avoiding school/religious holidays)
Addressing under representation (e.g. sharing case studies where IAAs have had beneficial outcomes for individuals)

NOTE: The reviewers are interested in tangible actions beyond project recruitment and Personal Development Reviews of staff (e.g., positive action statements, recruitment panels)

Ethics and Responsible Research Innovation

What are the Ethical or RRI implications and issues of your proposed activity?

Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:

the relevant ethical or RRI considerations
how you will manage these considerations

Applicants should consider:

who their work will impact and the methods for working with stakeholders
who their partners are and how knowledge might be used

Applicants should think more broadly about ethical issues that may be relevant to the project. You should reflect on the prompts and note your response below:

Are there any ethical issues you need to consider for the project, its outcomes, or impact?
Have you considered how you might maximise the benefits to users?
Have you explored who will benefit, and whether there could be negative impacts for certain people (e.g. gender; age; ethnicity; disability; etc), and how negative impacts could be avoided?

Should any ethical issues arise before/during/after the project, applicants should consult relevant guidance, and/or refer to EPSRC’s Anticipate, reflect, engage, act (AREA) framework.

Cyber Area Alignment

Please specify your proposal aligns with the chosen CyBoK knowledge area(s) (KA)

The project must be fundamentally aligned with cyber security, as such you must provide a rationale for the areas previously identified. Explain what are the characteristics of your proposal that align with the selected CyBoK KA?

To what extent the application:

provides a well justified narrative for the chosen CyBoK KA
responds clearly to the challenges of the CyBoK KA

EPSRC Area Alignment

Please specify the EPSRC discipline area(s) your proposal aligns to and outline a brief justification/explanation of alignment

See https://www.ukri.org/councils/epsrc/remit-programmes-and-priorities/our-research-portfolio-and-priorities/ for more information. Please note we expect the underpinning research and the activity to align with this remit.

Project Funding

A breakdown of headings is required i.e. staffing, consumables, travel and subsistence, equipment. This should be itemised where possible in the text i.e. Research Assistant 1, £12,000; Equipment Item 2, £1,500; Two Train Journeys to London, £200 etc.

If you are proposing to pass a portion of your IAA grant to a third party then VAT may be incurred. Ensure you include allowance for any VAT on ‘taxable supplies’ – see gov.uk/how-vat-works/what-vat-charged-on.

Full Economic Costs are not applicable/eligible (i.e. estates and indirect costs, permanent staff time etc).

Types of eligible costs include: Research Assistant/Post-Doctoral Researcher time, travel, consumables, equipment (<£10K), and items such as childcare costs to enable work or time away from home.

If you are including staffing costs, you should consult with your research office to generate accurate figures.

Explain how you will manage the budget and ensure delivery to time, cost, and quality.

	Value (£)	Comments
DI Staff
DA Staff
Travel and Subsistence
Consumables
Equipment
Other Direct Costs

Total

Page 7

Cash match & In-Kind Contributions

Do you have any cash match from your partner(s)?

YesNo

Please provide the value of the cash match from your partner

Please state the source of the cash match

Do you have any in-kind match from your partner(s)?

YesNo

Please state the value of in-kind match from your partner(s)

Please state the source(s) of the in-kind match

Intellectual Property

Please answer the questions below to help us address the Intellectual Property (IP) position:

is it being managed by my institution's IP Office;
is it patented
is it owned or jointly owned by another party, etc.

If you need any further IP and Commercialisation Support, please contact your Tech Transfer Office / IP & Commercialisation team in advance of submitting your application.

Do you have any patents / IP in place or submitted that covers this work?

Please provide details:

Do you anticipate that work proposed here will give rise to any IP?

Please provide details of anticipated IP:

Do any organisations other than Lancaster, have any rights to the work being proposed here?

Please provide details

Do you need to access background IP/patents, materials, data or other resources held by anyone else for this work?

Please provide details:

Has the Lancaster IP Office been engaged in discussions around the proposed research?

Please provide details:

Confirmations

Please confirm that your project and IAA application has the approval of a suitable authority within your university.

YesNoPlease note, if successful, you will be required to provide evidence prior to funding being released (e.g. Head of Dept. approval or equivalent)

Please note, if successful, you will be required to provide evidence prior to funding being released (e.g. Head of Dept. approval or equivalent)

YesNoPlease note if successful, that you will need to complete a specialist Cyber Ethics Process prior to funding being released.

Please confirm that the Principle Investigator and any CoIs have completed the relevant HEECA training

YesNoAll academic participants will need to complete HEECA export control training prior to commencement of funding. For more information, please see https://www.heeca.org.uk/

What happens after you have submitted your application

Once the decisions have been agreed, you are informed of the final decision on your application by email. This decision is final and there is no right of appeal.

Assessor feedback is provided to successful and unsuccessful applicants and is made up of the comments supporting the scores given by assessors. Your notification email will state when feedback will be available. The assessor feedback is intended to be constructive. Contradiction in your feedback may suggest that your proposal could be clearer or better justified, as well as reflecting the different views of assessors.

Your feedback may contain points or comments that you may disagree with. The comments provided will be based on the individual assessors’ interpretation of your project idea and may vary considerably. No additional feedback will be provided and addressing feedback with CyberFocus assessors in question is not permitted. You may wish to address assessor feedback in a resubmitted application should you be eligible. Addressing assessor feedback in a previously submitted application does not guarantee success. The onus is on you to determine whether acting upon feedback will strengthen a decision to resubmit an application.

There is no right of appeal against the feedback provided. The CyberFocus team will not enter any discussions or complaints regarding the scientific or technical decision made regarding your application.

Please confirm you understand and will adhere to the above

YesNo