Anthropology Research Bulletin

KE Seed Fund - Call for 2026
The University of Oxford’s KE Seed Fund supports Knowledge Exchange projects that connect research with the wider world, delivering social and economic benefit. Funded through the University’s Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) allocation, the scheme welcomes applications from both those new to Knowledge Exchange and those with established experience.

Grants typically range from £2,000 to £4,000, with up to £5,000 available to pilot new ideas or enhance existing activities. Over the past 10 years, the fund has supported a diverse range of impactful projects, spanning policy, digital inclusion, health, history, social ventures, business, and culture.

If you are considering applying, please email research@anthro.ox.ac.uk by 25th January 2026.

OPEN Seed Fund

The OPEN Seed Fund makes awards of up to £5,000 to enable researchers at the University of Oxford and public policy professionals anywhere in the world to kick-start or deepen collaboration, working together to design, deliver and evaluate projects that:

• Enable them to share evidence and support its use in policymaking;
• Improve their understanding of how research can inform policymaking, and develop the skills to catalyse that process; and
• Broaden and deepen their networks. 

If you are considering applying, please email research@anthro.ox.ac.uk by 10th February 2026.

Funding opportunities for Policy Engagement

The University of Oxford offers dedicated funding for policy engagement, supporting policy-relevant projects, project components, partnerships, and events. Colleagues can also access information on external funding opportunities for policy-facing work.

Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk if you are interested in applying to any of these calls.

To discuss any of these options further, contact the Policy Engagement Team at researchandpublicpolicy@admin.ox.ac.uk.

SDG Impact Fund

Are you looking to deliver an impactful Knowledge Exchange project in collaboration with non-academic partners? Is your work aligned with one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, either domestically or internationally? If yes, then this annual call, funded by Oxford’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, could be for you!

Projects of all scales and types - with starting dates after June 2026 – are welcome to apply for up to £15k to support either new KE activity or follow-on activity. Do take a look at all the call-related information on the call page to check for eligibility and process of application.

For general questions about the scheme or application process, to discuss eligibility and project ideas, and for signposting to further sources of support, please contact esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk. Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible if you are interested in applying to this call and no later than 1st April, 2026.

Pre-Announcement: British Election Study 2027-2032

Apply for the opportunity to run the British Election Study between 2027 and 2037, and the funding for the 2029 UK general election in Great Britain and surveys aligned to local elections. The call is not yet open, and details on eligibility and requirements on the linked page may change – please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk if you plan to apply.

International Placement Scheme 2026

Apply to undertake a funded placement at an international cultural institution by 19th March 2026 at 4:00pm. You must be either a PhD student currently funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) or the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for specific opportunities, or an early career researcher based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding 
Placements are available at the following institutions: 

• United States: Harry Ransom Center, Huntington Library, Library of Congress, 
• Smithsonian Institution, Yale Centre for British Art 
• Japan: National Institutes for the Humanities (NIHU) 
• China: Shanghai Theatre Academy 

View the international placement scheme details from UKRI website.

Pre-announcement: Metascience research grants round 2

Apply for funding to undertake cutting-edge Metascience research into more effective ways of conducting and supporting research and development (R&D), including the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), how to optimise research institutions and the challenges of measuring research excellence.

The call opens on 12th February 2026, and details on eligibility and requirements on the linked page may change – please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible if you plan to apply.

ESRC responsive mode: research grants round two

This opportunity funds researcher-driven basic, applied, and strategic research from any disciplines and on any topics in ESRC’s remit. This includes standard research projects, methodological development, large-scale surveys or other infrastructures. The full economic cost of your project can range from £350,000 to £1 million. The duration of the award is up to five years. Open call – no closing date.

ESRC responsive mode: secondary data analysis round two

Individuals and research teams can apply for funding to support high-impact, policy-and-practitioner-relevant research through deeper exploitation of existing data resources from any disciplines and on any topics in ESRC’s remit. The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £300,000. Open call – no closing date.

ESRC responsive mode: UKRI-SBE lead agency opportunity round two

The UKRI-SBE lead agency funding opportunity allows UK and US-based researchers to submit a collaborative proposal that will go through a single review process. Grants are funded through existing funding programmes at the relevant lead agency. Open call – no closing date.

Daphne Jackson Fellowship

These fellowships are for those looking to return to a research career after a break. You must be eligible for UKRI funding. Open call - no closing date. 

British Academy International Fellowships 2026

This Fellowship offers an important opportunity for outstanding early career researchers in the social sciences and humanities to develop their research careers in the UK.

The scheme supports researchers who hold a PhD from a non-UK institution, are based outside the UK, and are within five years post-PhD, to undertake two years of high-quality, innovative research with a UK host. Fellowships are awarded at 80% FEC, include a salaried position at the host institution, and offer up to £12,000 for research expenses and £8,000 for relocation costs. Fellows may also be eligible for follow-on alumni funding and an accelerated route to a Global Talent Visa.

The School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography (SAME) will run an internal selection process and can support a limited number of applicants to make the full application. Prospective applicants must contact a SAME academic sponsor in advance and submit an Expression of Interest by 26th January 2026. Please ensure you fulfil all eligibility criteria for the scheme and provided in the guidelines on the call page linked above. Further information on what is expected as part of the Expression of Interest is linked here. 

Update: Please note that the BA International Fellowships will also be subject to a Divisional sift. Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk regarding any queries in the first instance. 

Royal Society Newton International Fellowships 2026

This scheme offers an excellent opportunity for outstanding early career researchers in the natural sciences to develop an independent research career in the UK.

The scheme supports researchers who hold a PhD from a non-UK institution, are based outside the UK, and are within five years post-PhD, to undertake two years of high-quality, internationally collaborative research with a UK host. Fellowships have a maximum value of £280,000 and can cover salary, research expenses, relocation and visa costs, and indirect costs. Award holders may also be eligible for an accelerated route to a Global Talent Visa.

The School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography (SAME) will run an internal selection process and can support a limited number of applicants to make the full application. Prospective applicants must contact a SAME academic sponsor in advance and submit an Expression of Interest by 26th January 2026. Please ensure you fulfil all eligibility criteria for the scheme and provided in the guidelines on the call page. Further information on what is expected as part of the Expression of Interest is linked here. 

Join the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network

The University of Oxford is now a consortium partner of the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (BA ECRN) – South East branch. The BA ECRN is a network to help, support, develop and empower early career colleagues undertaking Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SHAPE) research in the UK. Any colleague with up to 10 years of research experience in SHAPE disciplines since obtaining their PhD (or equivalent) and who is based in the South East region can sign up to the network.

Membership provides access to:

• Transdisciplinary and inter-institutional networking that could lead to new research collaborations
• Seed funding for research projects (up to £5K)
• Up to £300 for development outside of BA ECRN activity or conferences
• Travel funds to attend BA ECRN events

Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grants

For researchers based at universities to undertake an innovative and original research project. The value of the grant is up to £500,000 for a duration of up to 5 years. Eligible applicants will already be employed by the eligible institution. Applications can be submitted by those holding contract research posts provided that their appointment continues for a period at least equal to the span of the requested award. Please note that internal deadlines will apply; do notify research@anthro.ox.ac.uk at the earliest if you intend to develop an application. 

Leverhulme have given advance notice of a temporary pause to Research Project Grant submissions after February 2026 due to a change in their Grants Management system.

Nuffield Foundation Main Grants (Research, Development and Analysis Fund)

The Main Grants scheme, part of the Research, Development and Analysis Fund, supports ambitious projects that tackle the priority questions set out in the organisation’s Strategic Review. 

Please note that internal deadlines will apply. Please notify research@anthro.ox.ac.uk as early as possible if you are considering developing an application. 

Louvre Abu Dhabi Fellowship and Grant Programme

Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Fellowship and Grants Program focuses on transversal areas such as art history, museum studies, collection studies, and heritage science, with the aim of fostering ground breaking research in collaboration with scholars and institutions both regionally and globally. Applications are open until February 7, 2026.For inquiries, please contact: research@louvreabudhabi.ae. 

Fireside Writing Chats: Crafting Worlds Through Ethnography and Nonfiction

All Souls College, Oxford. Occasional Thursdays, 5-6.30pm, facilitated by Professor Alpa Shah and Dr Maxim Bolt

These gatherings offer an intimate look at the craft behind ethnography and other nonfiction books rooted in deep, sustained research. Some of the most thoughtful voices share their work and reflect on why and how they write, exploring the blurred lines between scholarship, art, and public engagement. The conversations bring together a vibrant, supportive community of anthropologists and kindred writers dedicated to writing that engages the world — and helps imagine a more just and liveable one. 

• 29th January 2026 (Wharton Room). Sonia Faleiro on her new book, “The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism is Shaping Modern Asia” 
• 5th March 2026 (Wharton Room). Jonny Steinberg on why some books fail 
• 4th June 2026 (Room tbc). Bart van Es discussing his “The Cut Out Girl: A Story of War and Family, Lost and Found”

When Traditional Print Publishing Isn’t Enough: The Why and How of Digital Scholarship

Old Fellows Dining Room, St. Anthony's College. 11th - 13th February, hosted by the EMPTINESS project

Led by authors and digital publishing experts (see list below), this event aims to demystify digital project development, publishing, and preservation. The sessions will present insights into the various aspects of digital publishing, from making the decision to go digital and securing funding and partnerships, to working with a publisher and ensuring a project’s longevity. The booking link is available here.  

Invited presenters and panelists:

• Dace Dzenovska, PI, EMPTINESS project / Associate Professor in the Anthropology of Migration, University of Oxford / lead author of Living Emptiness: Power, Place, and Meaning-making from the Baltic to the Russian Far East (forthcoming, Stanford University Press, 2026)
• Jasmine Mulliken, Digital Program Manager, Stanford University Press
• Allison Levy, Director, Brown University Digital Publications
• Max Saunders, Interdisciplinary Professor of Modern Literature and Culture, University of Birmingham, co-author of Ego Media: Life Writing and Online Affordances (Stanford University Press, 2023) 
• Alisa Lebow, Professor of Screen Media, University of Sussex, author of Filming Revolution (Stanford University Press, 2018)
• Shahzad Bashir, Dean of the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University, author of A New Vision for Islamic Pasts and Futures (MIT Press, 2022)

Full details of visiting fellowships  

Looking for AI support for your research project? Did you know the AI and ML Competency Centre provides technical guidance, training, and hands-on demonstrations for projects from across the University? Read here how the team have been supporting innovative research across Oxford. Whether academics are exploring AI for the first time or looking to build more advanced applications, the Centre is here to provide the tools, knowledge and confidence to take ideas forward. If you have a project that could benefit from the Centre’s expertise, get in touch through the expression of interest form.

The Academic Writing Community is a drop in writing group for SSD DPhils and Early Career Researchers which meets weekly during term time, follow the link here for more details.

The Bodleian Libraries is delighted to launch SHOx (Short-form Hosting at Oxford), a new hosting service supporting Oxford’s community of scholars in publishing short-form research titles such as journals, working paper collections, and conference proceedings. Developed in partnership with the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), SHOx offers an intuitive, open-source publishing workflow through Open Journal Systems (OJS), ensuring full control over editorial processes and peer review. As a diamond open access platform, SHOx enables free publishing and reading for all, enhancing visibility, accessibility, and impact of Oxford research. Staff and student-led titles are invited to join this growing community for scholarly publishing at Oxford.