Call for Proposals: British Academy International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2026

The British Academy has opened applications for the 2026 round of its International Interdisciplinary Research Projects programme. This initiative aims to support collaborative research tackling transnational and planetary challenges, with a focus on fostering interdisciplinary work between the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. The call emphasizes the need for partnerships that transcend disciplines, geographies, and capacities to confront some of the most pressing global issues of our time.

Programme Overview

The programme is designed to fund projects that explore the relationship between expertise, public understanding, and policy delivery. By bringing together scholars from diverse backgrounds and geographies, the initiative encourages the development of new ideas and perspectives on shared global challenges.

Led by UK-based researchers from the humanities and social sciences, the projects must engage meaningfully with international partners. The Academy particularly welcomes applications that emphasize the contribution of humanities in addressing contemporary global problems.

Key Focus Areas

Applicants are required to address at least one of the following four transnational and planetary challenge domains:

1. Earth System Governance
   This includes topics like climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, and oceanic degradation. Projects should explore both technical aspects and governance challenges that go beyond national borders.

2. Transformative Technologies
   This area covers challenges related to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, cyber technologies, and nanotech. Research should explore both innovation and governance issues.

3. Global Health and One Health
   With an emphasis on pandemic threats and the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, this domain seeks to promote holistic solutions that operate at a global level.

4. Outer Space Governance
   Applicants may explore dilemmas related to space debris, congestion in orbit, claims of property and sovereignty, and the militarization of space.

Each project must consider not only the technical or scientific components of the issue but also how transnational governance, non-state actors, and international institutions can address these challenges.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, the Principal Investigator (PI) must:

• Be based at a UK university or research institute.

• Hold a postdoctoral position or higher.

• Be from the humanities or social sciences.

• Commit at least 20% of their time (0.2 FTE) to the project.

Additionally, proposals must involve at least one Co-Applicant based outside the UK, and the project must demonstrate genuinely productive interdisciplinarity—collaborations between SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy) and STEM disciplines.

Funding Details

• Up to £300,000 per award is available for projects lasting 24 months.

• Awards are provided on an 80% Full Economic Costing (FEC) basis.

• Funding may cover PI and Co-Applicant time, research assistance, travel and fieldwork expenses, and networking costs.

• Projects are expected to start in March or April 2026.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online via the British Academy’s Flexi-Grant® system. Full guidance and scheme notes are available on the official website.

• Deadline for submissions: 17 September 2025 at 17:00 BST

• Scheme opened: 10 June 2025

• Earliest start date: 1 March 2026

Contact

For inquiries, applicants may reach out to:
internationalchallenges@thebritishacademy.ac.uk