The IOP Challenge Fund

The IOP’s new £10m Challenge Fund seeks to maximise the societal and economic benefit of physics by supporting innovative ideas, programmes and partnerships that accelerate and sustain large-scale change.

Please note: Applications to the Challenge Fund are currently paused and not open to new concept notes at the present time while we focus on establishing and supporting projects that have received funding. If you have any further questions, please contact [email protected].

Find out more about projects funded by the IOP's Challenge Fund.

The IOP Challenge Fund is a £10m commitment over four years to support activity to meet the aims and aspirations of our 2020-24 strategy, ‘Unlocking the Future’ (PDF, 141KB).

It will enable IOP to invest in plans and initiatives that will help develop and support a thriving and diverse physics ecosystem and ensure that the UK and Ireland are able to realise the benefits of the new industrial era.

The Fund underpins IOP's efforts to tackle a set of challenges facing physics that will impact on our society. Through the Challenge Fund we will develop new ways of working, build strong alliances within and beyond the sciences and concentrate our resources to invest in innovative ideas and programmes that challenge the status quo and engender and accelerate large-scale change.

The Fund is part of the IOP's operating budget that we have turned into a competitive funding stream.

Broad in scope and with a flexible, non-bureaucratic approach, the Fund supports work that is innovative and shows the potential for sustained impact across the UK and Ireland. Funding for proposals starts at £100,000 and may be made through grants, the awarding of contracts or investments in organisations. Partnership is a key aspect of the Fund and partners are expected to contribute further funding or in-kind support.