The Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and The British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposium

The British Academy and The Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) are pleased to announce a call for applications from early career researchers in the humanities and social sciences for the Knowledge Frontiers Symposium. The research collaboration symposium will be held on Thursday 14 – Friday 15 November 2024 in Paris, France.

The symposium aims to encourage international engagement and collaboration among early career researchers based in France and the United Kingdom. It will interrogate different forms of governance – past and present, across scales, geographical and cultural contexts, addressing complex challenges such as climate change, economic inequality, and global pandemics through interdisciplinary perspectives.

It is expected that the theme of Governance will be explored through several avenues at the symposium, such as (but not limited to):

• How do previous forms of governance, as well as norms, beliefs, and values shape real or imagined forms of governance? What are the trade-offs associated with each form of governance? What should we understand by good governance?
• How have forms of governance as well as resistance to governance been represented and how has this affected people’s daily lives and the governance systems they have lived through and passed on?
• What have been and are the roles of bottom-up and community processes and associations in shaping, leading and resisting forms of governance?
• What has been, and could be, the role of institutions in influencing governance?
• How have the tensions between order and justice in governance models been tackled and how can they be tackled going forward? How can we ensure that systems of governance promote fairness and equality for all? How can we address historical injustices and power imbalances?
• What is the role of the judiciary in shaping and influencing forms of governance?
• What roles can culture and context play in shaping approaches and opposition to governance?
• How do different people and groups understand governance and how have they done so over time and space? What values and assumptions are involved in the development, maintenance and agitation against governance?

Participants, consisting of approximately 15 early career researchers from each country (within seven years of PhD completion), will have opportunities for in-depth discussions, networking, and collaborative project development. Seed funding will be available for international collaborations formed during the symposium.

Eligible applicants must be early career researchers affiliated with research institutions in the UK or France. Applications will be evaluated based on the applicant's research interest in governance, commitment to interdisciplinary engagement, and potential for career development through symposium participation.

Interested applicants are required to complete an online application form via Flexi-Grant® by Wednesday 11 September, 17:00 BST. Successful applicants will be notified by mid-October.

The symposium covers travel, accommodation, and visa costs. Participants are expected to attend the entire symposium and travel on designated dates.

For further information and inquiries, please contact Barbora Krasova at [email protected].