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EPSRC IAA case studies 2012-2021

Case studies of some of the projects that received funding from Oxford's EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) between 2012 and 2021.

Case studies

Antibodies are the key molecules in human immune responses. Currently, the process of engineering antibodies for use in therapeutic drugs involves steps that are costly in time and resources. Professor Charlotte Deane’s group at the University of Oxford’s Department of Statistics have developed a computational platform that can streamline the process.

Computational Antibody Design Tools

The Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI) holds a world leading position in research on all aspects of land-based autonomous vehicles. The transition from research demonstration to early industrial take up needs substantial professional engineering, which cannot be undertaken by research engineers alone. Professor Paul Newman, from Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science, used EPSRC IAA funding to smooth that transition.

Demonstrating excellence in mobile autonomy

It is increasingly important for researchers to be entrepreneurial – not just in order to start a business or a spin-out company, but so that they can ‘think outside the box’ and take advantage of opportunities to exploit the impact of their research in creative ways. EPSRC IAA funding was used to conduct a short project to better understand the barriers to enterprise training for doctoral students and early career researchers in the Engineering and Physical sciences at the University of Oxford. The project led directly to the IAA-funded development of the Enterprising Oxford digital portal, which became EnSpire Oxford in 2023.

Enterprising Oxford (now EnSpire Oxford)

National infrastructure systems (energy, transport, water, waste water and solid waste) form the basis of societies’ economic and social wellbeing, requiring significant human and capital investments. Building infrastructure is a long-term commitment that is difficult to reverse and thus has major implications for sustainability, mitigation of carbon emissions and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. Researchers at the University of Oxford have been working closely with UK government bodies to use models to help inform the government’s investment decisions.

Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC) secondments to support the UK government’s infrastructure planning

Research through the Oxford Photonics Network has led to a wide range of innovative photonic technology, and there is significant potential for industrial exploitation. However, it is difficult for individual research groups to respond at short notice to opportunities that may facilitate impact in the industrial sector. Using EPSRC IAA funding, Professor Martin Booth set up the Optical Systems Engineering Group (OSEG) in the Department of Engineering Science, specifically to address this gap.

Optics and Photonics Impact Acceleration Engineers

The internet contains a huge amount of semi-structured data – data which cannot easily be sorted into tables with pre-defined categories, and is therefore difficult to manage. However, researchers at the University of Oxford’s Department of Computer Science have developed methods to manage and exploit this type of data.

RDFox: managing semi-structured data

Researchers at the University of Oxford’s Department of Chemistry have developed methods for the rapid synthesis of compounds used in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. These compounds feature in the core of several drug candidates currently in phase II and phase III clinical trials for various types of cancer.

Synthesis of Niraparib, a cancer drug candidate

The Nuclear National Laboratory (NNL) is the national laboratory tasked with underpinning the science base that supports civil nuclear power in the UK. Their capability in this role was expanded by the transfer of skills by Oxford University staff from the Department of Materials.

Transfer of Skills to Nuclear National Laboratory