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 research news . . .
Pre-announcement: AHRC responsive mode: follow-on funding for impact and engagement
Pre-announcement: AHRC responsive mode: standard research grant
Nuffield Foundation Research, Development and Analysis Fund: open for applications
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
Pre-announcement: AHRC responsive mode: follow-on funding for impact and engagement
Follow-on funding supports unforeseen knowledge exchange, public engagement, active dissemination and commercialisation activities that arise during the lifespan of, or following, an AHRC-funded project. See website for details. Opening date 22 June 2023; closing date 14 September 2023.
Pre-announcement: AHRC responsive mode: standard research grant
AHRC standard research grants support collaborative research projects that require leadership from more than one scholar. See website for details. Opening date 22 June 2023; closing date 14 September 2023.
Preannouncement: new AHRC funding schemes – Curiosity and Catalyst
The new Curiosity and Catalyst funding opportunities are being launched as part of the first major change to the AHRC's responsive mode schemes in more than a decade.
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.
Both schemes will open for applications on 17 July 2023 and close on 19 October 2023. See news announcement for further details.
AHRC and BBC Radio 3 New Thinking Podcast: call for contributions
AHRC and BBC Radio 3 are looking for ideas for the next season of the New Thinking Podcast. They want to hear from researchers who would like their research to feature in one of the podcast's episodes. See website for details. Call closes: 25 July 2023.
AHRC funding opportunity: Developing innovative approaches to gender-based violence – open for applications
Applications are open for this AHRC funding opportunity for proposals that collaborate with international partners to explore ways in which social violence, specifically sex and gender-based violence (GBV) manifests and can be addressed using arts and humanities-led interdisciplinary approaches. Projects will seek to understand the drivers behind GBV to develop methods of prevention, safeguarding and behavioural change. See website for details. Closing date: 27 June 2023.
AHRC Pre-announcement: collaborative community research to tackle health inequalities
Apply for funding to create and test collaborative models for the integration of cultural, community and natural environment assets into health and care systems. The aim is to create healthier communities and environments across the UK. Applications must be interdisciplinary and include appropriate partners and co-investigators from outside of academia. See website for details
AHRC Funding Opportunity: Developing innovative approaches to gender-based violence
Collaborate with international partners to explore ways in which social violence, specifically sex and gender-based violence (GBV) manifests and can be addressed using arts and humanities-led interdisciplinary approaches. See website for details. Closing date: 27 June 2023.
AHRC: Pre-announcement: resilient UK coastal communities and seas: open for applications
Apply for funding for transdisciplinary research to enhance the resilience, health and wellbeing of UK coastal communities and seas. Call opens in April 2023 and closes in July 2023. See website for details.
AHRC research funding guide: updated
The AHRC funding guide outlines how to apply for AHRC opportunities and schemes and provides details on its standard rules and policies. The updated guide has new additions, including information on:
- the changes to responsive mode schemes under each current scheme
- new information on offer acceptances and payment
All potential applicants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with relevant aspects of the funding guide when preparing submissions. See website for details.
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
Upcoming British Academy funding schemes timetable 2023–24
The British Academy has a range of funding schemes open or due to open between now and January 2024 including APEX Awards, Research Fellowships and Small Research grants. See announcement for the full list.
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: 31 May 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 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
New ESRC ACCESS Flex Fund: open for applications
The aim of the Flex Fund is to test and develop new ways of thinking, new approaches and new networks that will advance the impact of the social sciences to address the transition to a sustainable and biodiverse environment and a net zero society. Round 1 is now open for applications. Closing date: 30 June 2023. See website for details.
Pre-announcement: ESRC centres
This is a pre-announcement of the next opportunity to apply for funding to establish an ESRC centre. ESRC centres are world-leading centres of excellence that carry out interdisciplinary, cutting-edge and impactful research in the social sciences and beyond. See website for details. Opening date: February 2023. Closing date: May 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: Early Career Fellowships
These fellowships are for early career researchers, with a research record but who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post, to undertake a significant piece of publishable work. Fellowships can be held at universities or at other institutions of higher education in the UK.
The Fellowships are intended to assist those at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, and it is hoped that the appointment would lead to a more permanent position for the individual, either within the same or another institution. See website for details. Closing date: 23 February 2023.
Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowships
These fellowships are for well-established, distinguished researchers in the humanities and social sciences to complete a piece of original research. Fellowships are particularly aimed at those who are or have been prevented by routine duties from completing a programme of original research. See website for details. Closing date: 12 May 2023.
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: 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.
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.
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..
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 Perception Survey: call for participants
As the UKRI turns five years old, the Council invites members of the research community to participate in this Perception Survey to 'survey to test opinion from across the research and innovation system, about who we are, what we do and how well we do it'. You can complete the short questionnaire here.
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships: round 8 open for applications
Applications are invited from early career researchers or innovators for funding to support ambitious research or innovation across UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) remit. See website for details. Closing date: 4 July 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.