News: research and funding
On this page, we report on the latest news about research and funding in the world of socio-legal studies. This can include information from the major UK funders, launches of research projects or research centres, calls for collaboration, in fact, any aspect of academic research that is of interest to socio-legal scholars.
Items will usually be retained for a period of about three months, or until any significant dates have passed.
If you would like a news item included on this page. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Latest . . .
AHRC Strategic Development Plan 2022–2025
Funding bodies and other related organisations
Criminal Cases Review Committee
Legal Education Research Network
National Centre for Research Methods
Science and Technology Select Committee
Sociolegal Model-Making Project
UK Administrative Justice Institute
Women and Leadership International
Academy of Social Sciences
The Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS) is the voice of social sciences in the UK.
The Academy is composed of over 800 individual academicians and 44 learned societies. Academicians are distinguished scholars and practitioners from academia and the public and private sectors. Most of the learned societies (including the SLSA) in the social sciences in the United Kingdom are represented within the Academy.
Please visit the AcSS website for full details.
AHRC
AHRC Strategic Development Plan 2022–2025
The new plan outlines the AHRC's work for the next three years. Download the plan here and read the blog here.
AHRC current funding opportunities: full list
The AHRC currently has several funding schemes open for applications. See website for the full list.
UKRI open access policy updated
UKRI has published updated information to support funded research organisations and researchers to meet its new open access policy. See website for details.
British Academy
The British Academy's funding page is constantly updated.
BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants: funding call
The BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants are available to support primary research in the humanities and social sciences. These awards, up to £10,000 in value and tenable for up to 24 months, are provided to cover the cost of the expenses arising from a defined research project. See website for details. Closing date: 9 November 2022.
BA APEX Awards: funding call
The APEX Awards (Academies Partnership in Supporting Excellence in cross-disciplinary research) offer established independent researchers an exciting opportunity to pursue genuine interdisciplinary and curiosity-driven research to benefit wider society. See website for details. Closing date: 2 November 2022.
British Academy Research Projects: open for applications
The British Academy Research Projects are available to support primary research in the humanities and social sciences. These awards, up to £25,000 in value and tenable for up to five years in the first instance. The Academy is particularly interested in collaborative projects intended to provide infrastructural resources for other researchers and the wider public, which have a clear focus on longer-term sustainability. See website for details. Closing date: 9 December 2022.
British Academy: International Writing Workshops – call for applications
The British Academy is inviting proposals seeking to deliver one or more Writing Workshops in developing countries. These workshops should aim to develop the skills of early career researchers, including supporting and promoting the uptake of their research in journals and publications. See website for details. Closing date: 9 November 2022.
Funding call: Postdoctoral Fellowships – outline stage 2022–23
The British Academy is inviting proposals from early career researchers in the humanities and social sciences wishing to pursue an independent research project, towards the completion of a significant piece of publishable research. See website for details. Closing date: 12 October 2022.
British Academy: Visiting Fellowships 2023
The British Academy is now accepting applications for the Visiting Fellowships 2023. See website for details. Closing date: 30 November 2022.
British Academy Researchers at Risk Fellowships: call for applications
The British Academy with Cara (the Council for At-Risk Academics) is establishing a Researchers at Risk Fellowships Programme with the support of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. The Fellowships will cover the natural sciences, medical sciences, engineering, humanities and social sciences with applications made via UK-based institutions. There are two forthcoming closing dates: 12 October and 23 November 2022. See website for details.
British Academy Innovation Fellowships Scheme – Route A: Researcher-led
The British Academy is inviting applications for funding for researcher-led Innovation Fellowships (Route A), through which applicants must apply with a partner which they have identified. See website for details. Closing date: 14 December 2022.
Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research 2023 ‘Global (Dis)Order’: call for applications
The programme aims to support projects which engage with questions concerning the relationship between expertise, public understanding and policy delivery internationally, and highlight the importance of collaboration between communities of practice, disciplines, capacities and borders. Applications are now open. Closing date: 19 October 2022. See website for details.
British Library
Social welfare portal
Please visit the social welfare portal, test the service, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. your feedback. You can also read a blog post about the portal.
ESRC
ESRC ADR UK and Ministry of Justice Data First Evaluation Fellowship
Apply for funding to explore the feasibility of using administrative data to evaluate policy and practice interventions in the justice system. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for ESRC funding. Your project could focus on any of the following: criminal justice, family law, civil law, or court reform. See website for details. Closing date: 26 October 2022.
ESRC Embedding methodological development in social science research: 2022 – call for applications
Apply for funding to refine recently developed methodological approaches to enable them to be fully embedded in social science research practice. See website for details. Closing date: 25 October 2022.
ESRC/AHRC: Large grants for ambitious research in the social sciences: outline stage – call for applications
Apply for a large grant to fund ambitious social science-focused research with the potential to generate significant economic or societal impact. See website for details. Closing date: 20 September 2022.
Higher Education Academy
The Higher Education Academy (HEA) provides services to the higher education sector for individual learning and teaching professionals, senior managers in institutions and for subject and discipline groups. Please visit website for further information.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is an endowed charity that funds a large, UK-wide research and development programme. It seeks to understand the root causes of social problems, to identify ways of overcoming then and to show how social needs can be met in practice.
Please visit the website for more information.
Capturing the insights of people living in poverty – call fr proposals
The JRF is developing a new project to produce an up-to-date picture of what is happening to people in poverty in the UK: to hear and understand, in a timely way, current and emerging issues for people and families on low incomes. Proposals are invited for a feasibility study exploring methods of capturing and evaluating these insights. See website for details. Closing date: 22 February 2022.
Law and Society Association
The Law and Society Association was set up in the USA in 1964 to support its members in developing theoretical and empirical understandings of law. See the website for full details.
Legal Education Research Network
For information on the Legal Education Research Network (LERN) please see website.
Leverhulme Trust
Leverhulme Trust newsletter
The Trust publishes a newsletter three times per year.
Leverhulme Trust: current open funding rounds
The Trust is now accepting applications for the following grant schemes:
- Visiting Professorships – closing date: 10 October 2022
- Research Fellowships – closing date: 10 November 2022
- International Fellowships – closing date: 10 November 2022
- Study Abroad Studentships – closing date: 9 January 2023
- Emeritus Fellowships – closing date: 2 February 2023
- Research Project Grants – outline applications are welcome at any time.
Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Scheme: expanded to offer opportunities for under-represented groups
Following a review, the Trust Board has decided to increase its commitment to the Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships scheme, leading to the following changes: additional scholarship places are available to support students from underrepresented groups undertake a master’s plus doctoral programme; applications to the scheme will be accepted from consortia of a maximum of two universities; a limited number of doctoral scholarships may be allocated to international students. See website for details. The scheme will reopen for applications in January 2023.
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice: Areas of research interest
The Ministry of Justice has recently published its Areas of Research Interest. This document can be found here. It highlights the Ministry of Justice’s strategic evidence gaps with a focus on long-term and cross-cutting gaps in understanding. The aim is also to engage with the external community to expand and deepen the department’s underpinning evidence base. The Chief Social Researchers at the Ministry of Justice are keen to hear from researchers working on any of the strategic evidence gaps outlined in the Areas of Research Interest. Please do get in touch and describe in a few sentences what you are doing. The email address is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Court statistics
View the latest court statistics: published quarterly.
National Centre for Research Methods
The National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) is a network of research groups, each conducting research and training in social science research methods. It is co-ordinated from a hub in the University of Southampton and nodes across UK universities. NCRM provides a focal point for research, training and capacity-building activities. These activities are aimed at promoting a step change in the quality and range of methodological skills and techniques used by the UK social science community, and providing support for, and dissemination of, methodological innovation and excellence within the UK.
The NCRM provides regular email bulletins. To register, please visit the subscriptions page. The centre also runs regular training events.
Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a charitable trust established in 1943 by William Morris, Lord Nuffield, the founder of Morris Motors. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage. He called this the ‘advancement of social well-being’, and emphasised the importance of education, training and research in achieving that goal. Today, the foundation works to improve social well-being by funding research and innovation in education and social policy. the foundation is also increasing the proliferation and quality of research and professional skills – both in science and social sciences – through its capacity-building programmes. See website for further details.
Research Cluster in Law, Justice and Society, Oxford
A new Research Cluster in Law, Justice and Society has been launched at Wolfson College, in collaboration with the Foundation for Law, Justice and Society (FLJS). The research cluster will join several other research clusters created under the guidance of college President, Professor Hermione Lee, which draw on the outstanding scholarly strengths and interests within the college to foster innovative approaches to interdisciplinary research.
Please see flyer for further details or visit the cluster website.
Research Councils UK
Each year the Research Councils invest around £3 billion in research covering the full spectrum of academic disciplines from the medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry and engineering, social sciences, economics, environmental sciences and the arts and humanities.
RCUK statement on international collaboration post-EU referendum
The outcome of the EU referendum raises questions for UK researchers and international partners about the Research Councils’ international activities and collaborations. RCUK's statment can be found on the website.
Restorative Justice Council
Access to and experiences of restorative justice for BAME young people
The Restorative Justice Council is embarking on a research project to gain a better understanding of the access to and experiences of restorative justice for BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) young people who have offended. In addition to a lack of research in relation to BAME young people and criminal justice, there is also a perception among some practitioners that there are problems in effectively engaging and delivering restorative interventions with this group. The aim of the research is to develop practical solutions for the restorative field and recommendations for change to future policy development.
For more information please contact the RJC’s senior research officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Sentencing Council
Sentencing Council: Research opportunity – review of methodology of resource assessments
The Sentencing Council is inviting bids to conduct research to support a review of the methodology of itsresource assessments, to support our statutory duty in this area. See website for details. Closing date: 17 February 2022.
Sentencing Council research opportunity: literature review on effectiveness of sentencing
The Sentencing Council is inviting bids to conduct a literature review bringing together the evidence on effectiveness of sentencing to support our statutory duty in this area. See website for details. Closing date: 7 February 2022.
Sociolegal Model-Making Project
The Sociolegal Model Making Project explores the risks and rewards of using design-based strategies, and model-making in particular, to enhance socio-legal research – that is, research that interprets law as a social phenomenon.
Please see website for details.
UK Research and Innovation
Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than £6 billion, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) brings together the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England. Research England will work closely with its partner organisations in the devolved administrations.
Other
Maghreb Action on Displacement and Rights: funding call
The Maghreb Action on Displacement and Rights (MADAR مدار Arabic for ‘path’) welcomes applications for research grants. MADAR will fund research projects that meet the aims of the MADAR Network Plus. Grants range from £20,000–£100,000 GBP for periods of 6 to 12 months. Projects have to be led by organisations in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, or the UK, and can include co-applicants from anywhere in the world. See website for details. The application deadline is 14 September 2022, 17:00 (UK).