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
Latest research news . . .
British Academy funding call: International Writing Workshops
Funding bodies and other related organisations
Criminal Cases Review Commission
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 funding schemes – Curiosity and Catalyst: open for applications
The new Curiosity and Catalyst funding opportunities are open for applications.
The Curiosity scheme enables flexible awards to fund fundamental research, networking activity and idea generation, which enable the development of further research opportunities and new research agendas. It will fund projects up to £100,000.
The Catalyst scheme will fund awards to support researchers without prior experience of leading a significant research project, with the aim of accelerating their trajectory as independent researchers and build leadership experience. This scheme will fund projects between £100,000 and £300,000.
Closing date: 19 October 2023.
Resilient UK Coastal Communities and Seas Network Plus: open for applications
Apply for funding for transdisciplinary research to enhance the resilience, health and wellbeing of UK coastal communities and seas. See website for details. Closing date: 12 October 2023.
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
British Academy funding call: International Writing Workshops
The British Academy is inviting proposals for Writing Workshops in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and/or Least Developed 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: 6 December 2023.
British Academy: Knowledge Frontiers – International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2024: open for applications
This programme provides UK-based early career researchers, active in any discipline within the humanities or the social sciences, with the opportunity to develop and lead international and interdisciplinary research projects. See website for details. Closing date: 1 November 2023.
British Academy Global Innovations Fellowships: The German Council on Foreign Relations: call for applications
The objective of the Global Innovation Fellowships is to provide opportunities to UK-based early- and mid-career researchers from across the humanities and social sciences to develop their skills, networks and careers in the creative and cultural, public, private and policy sectors to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions. See website for details. Closing date: 1 November 2023.
British Academy ODA International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2024: open for applications
This programme provides support for UK-based early career researchers working with international partners wishing to develop official development assistance (ODA)-eligible interdisciplinary projects involving both the humanities and the social sciences. See website for details. Closing date: 1 November 2023.
British Academy APEX Awards: open for applications
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: 1 November 2023.
British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants: open for applications
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: 8 November 2023.
British Academy: Innovation Fellowships Scheme Route B: Policy-led – now open for applications
This scheme provides funding and support for established early-career and mid-career researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences (the SHAPE disciplines) to partner with organisations and businesses in the creative and cultural, public, private, commercial, or policy sectors that have a base in the UK, to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions that are relevant to the UK. See website for details. Closing date: 22 November 2023.
British Academy: ODA International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2024 – open for applications
The programme aims to support ODA (official development assistance)-eligible 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. See website for details. Closing date: 1 November 2023.
British Academy: Knowledge Frontiers – international interdisciplinary research projects 2024: open for applications
This programme provides UK-based early career researchers, active in any discipline within the humanities or the social sciences, with the opportunity to develop and lead international and interdisciplinary research projects. See website for details. Closing date: 1 November 2023.
Innovation Fellowships Scheme: Researcher-led 2023–24 competition: open for applications
Open for applications, the researcher-led route of a dual-route Innovation Fellowships scheme provide funding and support for early-career and mid-career researchers in the humanities and social sciences to partner with UK-based organisations and businesses in the creative and cultural, public, private, commercial, or policy sectors that have a base in the UK, to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions that are relevant to the UK. See website for details. Closing date: 11 October 2023.
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships – outline stage
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships is a three year award made to an annual cohort of outstanding early career researchers in the humanities or social sciences. Proposals are invited from early career researchers wishing to pursue an independent research project, towards the completion of a significant piece of publishable research. See website for details. The deadline for submissions and UK institutional approval is Wednesday 4 October 2023.
British Academy Additional Needs Funding: open for applications
Applications are invited for this new funding pot to support any additional needs that applicants and award holders may require. This is a rolling fund with no closing date. See website for details.
British Library
Social welfare portal
Please visit the social welfare portal, test the service, and
Criminal Cases Review Commission
Criminal Cases Review Commission invites proposals for new Research Projects
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) invites proposals for new Research Projects which can be of any length and on any subject provided that the research is of arguable benefit to the CCRC and wider criminal justice system. See announcement for details. Closing date: 11 September 2023.
ESRC
Dementia Network Plus: open for applications
Applications are invited for this scheme, co-funded with National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Alzheimer’s Society. Networks will be collaborative, embed lived experience and include capacity building. We will fund activities that explore inequalities, prevention and early diagnosis, and experiences at work. See website for details. Closing date: 12 October 2023.
Polarities and Regions Network Plus: open for applications
Apply for funding to enhance understanding of polarities and regions in eastern Europe and Eurasia, and east and Pacific Asia. See website for details. Closing date: 12 October 2023.
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.
New JRF Project: Talking about homes: the foundation for a decent life
This project is based aroun a new framing strategy and recommendations to help to tell a new story about homes. See website for details.
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: Reseach Project Grants
Research Project Grants – outline applications are welcome at any time.
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:
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.
Nuffield Foundation launches 'Changing lives for the better' programme
Nuffield Foundation: Funding call – addressing the growing SEND challenge
As the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) grows, the Nuffield Foundation wants to fund research to improve people’s experiences with specialist provision in schools across the UK. See blog for details. The current funding call closes on 11 September 2023.
Nuffield Foundation Research, Development and Analysis Fund: open for applications
The Nuffield Foundation invites applications for this scheme which will be funding grants of up to £750,000. See website for details. Closing date for outline applications: 11 September 2023. Before applying you can watch this webinar to learn about Nuffield Foundation research funding opportunities and how to apply for a grant.
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.
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
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.
UKRI Pre-announcement: Develop interdisciplinary research proposals to tackle epidemic threats
Applications are invited for seed funding to build interdisciplinary teams and develop research ideas to tackle epidemic diseases of humans, animals and plants. See website for details. Opening and closing dates: tbc.
UKRI pre-announcement: research the social sciences in the Open Research Area – round eight
Researchers are invited to apply for funding for international research in any area of the social sciences. Your project must be a collaboration between researchers based in at least three of the participating countries: UK, France, Germany and Canada. Applicants may also seek partnerships with researchers based in Japan. See website for details. Applications open this month and close in November. This initiative is co-ordinated by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada.
UKRI: Polarities and Regions Network Plus – open for applications
A Network Plus is a strategic investment that brings together new or disparate communities from across the research and development system to identify, prioritise and develop emerging research and knowledge exchange challenges. It provides leadership across disciplines and sectors, continues to expand its connections and relationships throughout the duration of its funding, and tailors its activities to the needs in its area. The most salient dimensions of UK and global security, risk and resilience on which the Network Plus will focus are for applicants to propose: regulation and legal systems are included as possible areas of focus. See website for details. Closing date: 12 October 2023.
UKRI Open Access Policy Update
UKRI has published updated information to support funded research organisations and researchers to meet its new open access policy. See website for details.