About us

The Impact Festival is an annual event organised by EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) holders in Scotland, who are committed to delivering jointly funded initiatives, particularly in the areas of networking, training, culture change and dual funding of IAA projects where active collaborations between institutions exist.

Meet the team

Hjalmar Eriksson

EPSRC IAA Project Manager
University of Edinburgh

Hjalmar manages the University of Edinburgh EPSRC IAA programme of events and funding calls, supporting impact across the University of Edinburgh College of Science and beyond through the collaboration with other research council Impact Acceleration Accounts.

Indigo Lau

EPSRC IAA Project Coordinator
University of Edinburgh

Indigo works as an EPSRC IAA Project Coordinator providing support to EPSRC IAA events and funding calls at the University of Edinburgh.

Stacey Boydell

Research Impact Development Manager
Heriot-Watt University

Stacey joined the Policy Strategy and Impact Team at Heriot-Watt in August 2022. As the Research Impact Development Manager, she coordinates the impact component of Heriot’s Watt institutional submission to the next Research Excellence Framework (REF), supports the development of impact case studies and manages the delivery of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA). Previously Stacey worked for the Wellcome Trust as a grants adviser, supporting the application and award processes for Wellcome’s funding activities.

Nikita Daga

EPSRC IAA Project Manager
Heriot-Watt University

Nikita works as the EPSRC IAA Project Manager at Heriot-Watt University. She holds a PhD in Photonics and Optoelectronics and is the co-founder of a lasers-based start-up. Before joining Heriot-Watt University, Nikita worked in renowned laser companies for over 15 years and continues to support academic and industry engagement at Heriot-Watt.

Clare McLaren

IAA & Strategic Theme Project Manager
University of Strathclyde

Clare works at the University of Strathclyde in the Environment and Impact Team, within Research and Knowledge Exchange Services. She supports the management of a large programme of activities under the University’s Impact Acceleration Account programme, and impact development activity across Strathclyde’s Strategic Themes, which seek to stimulate interdisciplinary working across the Strathclyde community, and encourage collaboration with the wider innovation ecosystem.

Rachel Jamieson

Impact Development Officer
University of Strathclyde

Rachel works as an Impact Development Officer with a focus on the University of Strathclyde’s EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account. She’s be covering Victoria Pollard-Nelson’s maternity leave.

Euan Donohue

Research Impact Coordinator
University of St Andrews

Euan manages the financial portfolio of the St Andrews Research Impact Team and supports impact activity across all Schools. He uses data collection and analytics to maximise impact potential. Euan joined St Andrews in 2014 working in both Finance Operations and Research Grants Finance teams before making the move to the Research Impact team in 2019.

Rees Hughes

Research Impact Officer
University of St Andrews

Rees manages the BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC Impact Acceleration Accounts, as well as internal impact funds, driving impact potential for the University. With a PhD in medical anthropology and organisational culture, she explores systemic barriers to impact and works with academics and stakeholders to break these down.

Keith Dingwall

IAA Manager
University of Glasgow

Keith is the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Project Manager at the University of Glasgow. He leads on the delivery of the objectives of the University of Glasgow’s Impact Acceleration Account by increasing the global-impact of the University’s EPSRC funded research. Previously Keith was the Senior Business Manager for the Urban Big Data Centre where he was responsible for Centre operations as well as leading on business development and income generation activity. Prior to that Keith was Business Development Manager for SUPA (Scottish Universities Physics Alliance) and a Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) Innovation Partnership Scheme (IPS) Knowledge Exchange Fellow based in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow. In this role he stimulated knowledge exchange activity across all eight SUPA institutions with a focus on STFC funded research, generating new multidisciplinary research and exploitation projects with emphasis on knowledge exchange through collaboration. Keith is a commercially-minded technology professional with extensive experience of international sales and marketing in the electronics industry, and knowledge exchange and commercialisation within the higher education sector. He is an experienced market and technology analyst specialising in key enabling technologies.

Maaike Siegerist

IAA Digital Communications Officer
University of Glasgow

Maaike takes care of the EPSRC and STFC IAA communication channels at the University of Glasgow, including the web pages, social media, staff emails and event ticketing platforms. She also produces video case studies of successful IAA projects. Before joining the University of Glasgow, Maaike worked in email marketing at UWE Bristol, and as a senior web manager at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London and the Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Caroline Hogarth

IAA Knowledge Exchange Associate
University of Glasgow

Caroline has a degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Veterinary Diagnostics. After nine years as a student at University of Glasgow, Caroline worked in Surrey for a Biotechnology company, and then moved into Scientific Publishing working for Reed Elsevier in Amsterdam as a Product Manager for a drug safety database. Family life then took her to Paris and South Korea for a few years, before returning to work at University of Glasgow in 2018, as a KE Associate for Healthcare Technologies and Industrial Biotechnology.

Please contact us using the online form or through the below address if you would like further information.

Policy, Strategy and Impact Research Engagement
Heriot-Watt University
EH14 4AS
PSI@hw.ac.uk

Please contact us using the online form or through the below address if you would like further information.

Policy, Strategy and Impact Research Engagement
Heriot-Watt University
EH14 4AS
PSI@hw.ac.uk