Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2025

More about the programme 

This programme provides UK-based researchers, active in any discipline within the humanities or the social sciences, with the opportunity to develop and lead international and interdisciplinary research projects related to the theme of Just Transitions.

Aims

The British Academy is inviting proposals for the next round of its Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research Projects programme.

The purpose of each project will be to develop new international interdisciplinary research in the humanities and social sciences to further our understanding of just transitions. Research may be problem-focused, creatively innovative and exploratory, and should bring together relevant disciplines in both the humanities and social sciences, where appropriate, for maximum impact/effect. The Academy requires all applications to fundamentally involve and integrate both the humanities and the social sciences.

The aim of this call is to support international collaborations between researchers in the UK and elsewhere on internationally focused research projects of an interdisciplinary nature that go beyond the day-to-day matters that this theme might engender, and instead focus on the deeper and more long-term issues of just transitions. The Academy sees this broad scope as essential in bringing together the range of disciplines across the humanities and social sciences which are required for an award under this programme.

The Academy envisages that the awards made through the Programme will:

• By such understandings of Just Transitions bring to bear a deeper, more nuanced, and historically aware thinking to the topic;
• Identify the contributions that could be made to international and national knowledge exchange, practice and policy development in this area and what lessons can be learnt to navigate any future landscape(s);
• Develop ways of communicating and collaborating in cross-disciplinary and multilingual working in partnership with colleagues internationally.

This round of the programme is supported, as in previous years, by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Eligibility requirements

The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a researcher from the humanities and social sciences and be based at an eligible UK university or research institute. The PI must be of postdoctoral or above status (or have equivalent research experience).

The involvement of Co-Applicants based overseas is required. It is required that amongst the PI and Co-Applicant(s) there is a range of disciplines from the humanities and the social sciences.

For more details about the programme and the eligibility requirements, please see the Scheme Notes and FAQ.

Value and duration

Awards of 24 months in duration and up to £300,000 are available. 

Funding can be used to support the time of the Principal Investigator and Co-Applicants; postdoctoral (or equivalent) research assistance; travel, fieldwork and related expenses; and networking costs. Awards are offered on an 80% full economic costing basis. 

Projects must begin in March/April 2025.

Application process

Applications must be submitted online using the British Academy's Grant Management System (GMS), Flexi-Grant®.

The deadline for submissions and UK institutional approval is 18th September 2024 (17.00 UK time).