The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and The British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposium 2027

More about the programme

The British Academy and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation are pleased to announce a call for applicants for early career scholars in the humanities and social sciences to attend the Knowledge Frontiers Symposium. The research collaboration symposium will take place between Wednesday 21 April 2027 and Friday 23 April 2027.

Aims

The symposium will bring together around fifteen early career researchers from the UK and fifteen from Germany from across the humanities and social sciences to discuss key questions around the theme of 'Humans and nature: More resilient towards the future'. The symposium is designed specifically to encourage collaboration and networking. In advance of the symposium, participants will be able to discuss their research and exchange ideas among themselves, begin to discuss the session themes and make connections for possible future activities.

The relationship between humans and nature has always been contested. While some argue that humans stand above nature and are positioned to ‘manage’ it, others rather perceive humans as being part of nature and hence stress the need to co-exist, questioning excessive human interference into natural habitats. In times of polycrises and increasing systemic risks, the need to rethink this relationship appears more urgent than ever. Impacts of e.g., technological advancement, population growth, economies based on growth and consumption, constant loss of biodiversity, increasing hydro-climatic variabilities/extremes and ever-increasing demand for natural resources shape this human-nature relation. We can only understand what makes natural, social, political and economic systems more resilient by reconsidering human-nature relations in terms of balancing societal needs and ecological integrity in more sustainable ways.

Such a critical rethinking exercise, necessary to find alternative pathways to a more resilient future, could span the whole cycle from philosophical, ethical and artistic considerations, to social, political, economic and geographical challenges, and to designing concrete policymaking solutions. Accordingly, participants from a large variety of disciplines could contribute, ensuring the symposium’s interdisciplinary and forward-looking character. Themes and questions to be addressed could include, but are not limited to:

• Contested Society and Nature Conceptualisations
• Social and Environmental Justice Perspectives 
• Norms and Values
• Sustainability and Resilience in coupled Human-Nature Systems
• Knowledge generation and narrative development

The symposium format will allow for extensive discussion and debate, with considerable time set aside for this and wider networking opportunities. In order to incentivise long-term collaboration and networking, seed funding will be made available for which participants can apply. These collaborations must be international in their makeup and can be either partnerships or groups. Time will be set aside on the final day of the symposium for a ‘sandpit’ style session in which participants write up their proposed collaboration and submit applications by the end of the session.

Eligibility requirements

Eligible applicants must be early career researchers affiliated with research institutions in the UK or Germany. Applications will be evaluated based on the applicant's research interest in the theme of 'Humans and Nature: More resilient towards the future', commitment to interdisciplinary engagement, and potential for career development through symposium participation.

Application Process

Interested applicants are required to complete an online application form via Flexi-Grant® by Wednesday 16 September at 17:00 (GMT). We will seek to notify successful applicants by the end of November. The symposium covers travel, accommodation, and visa costs. Participants are expected to attend the entire symposium and travel on designated dates.

Scheme guidance

Please download the scheme notes for detailed guidance on how to apply. Please read these scheme notes carefully. Any incorrectly submitted applications will be ineligible for the award.

Contact details

Further information is available from [email protected]