Anthropology Research Bulletin

Oxford Martin School funding call 2025-2026

Oxford Martin School is looking for “high-risk, high-reward” ideas for solutions-focused research programmes that could have a major impact on this and future generations. There is no 
specified scheme for this year, but the panel will consider any project that addresses the School’s mission. OMS are interested in applications from parts of the University that the School has not previously supported, and welcome proposals that make novel interdisciplinary links across the University. 

Initially, OMS are requesting a short Expression of Interest (EoI) that clearly states the programme’s aim, novelty and how, if successful, it will have real-world impact. The EoI should also state why the Oxford Martin School should support the idea rather than traditional funders, and how the project would continue after the end of School’s funding. The length and budget of a programme is flexible, between 2 to 5 years, and between £250k and £1 million. More details on the call, current programmes, past programmes and recently awarded programmes are available.

Please note that applicants must discuss potential submissions and costs with the SAME Research Support Team (research@anthro.ox.ac.uk) as early as possible ahead of making an application, and no later than 12th January 2026. 

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.

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.

AHRC-DFG Research Grants: Round Eight (2025 to 2026)

Apply for funding to collaborate on arts and humanities projects with German research partners.

You must be:

• based at a research organisation eligible to apply to AHRC
• working with a German team led by a researcher eligible to apply to DFG
• proposing a project within the remit of AHRC

Projects must be composed of two highly integrated national teams based in the UK and Germany. All proposals must demonstrate the added value of international collaboration to research objectives. The full economic cost of the UK-component of your project can be up to £420,000. Your project can last between 24 to 36 months. Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk by 25th January 2026 if you plan to apply.

Creative Industries Clusters: round 2: outline stage 

Apply for funding to deliver a new Creative Industries Cluster in the second round of commissioning for this successful Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) portfolio.

Each cluster must:

• address a clear challenge in a specific geographical region, sub-sector or both
• focus on creating new products, services, or experiences with commercial potential

Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk by 20th February 2026 if you are interested in applying.

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.

ADR UK Research Fellowships 2025

Apply for Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK) Research Fellowship funding, to use ADR England flagship data for research. Fellowships can be up to 18 months in duration and cost a maximum of £200,000 (100% FEC). Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for ESRC funding.

Researchers can apply for a fellowship:

• up to 18 months in duration
• up to a maximum of £200,000 for the entire fellowship

We advise on the following time commitments which needs to be reflected in the grant costings and within the maximum sum available - a maximum of 0.4 full-time equivalent during the ‘initial’ stage (first three months); a minimum of 0.6 full-time equivalent for the ‘core’ research phase (remaining 15 months)

The funding opportunity has opened on 13 November 2025. More information is available on the page linked above. 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.

British Academy Conferences - 2027-28

The British Academy Conferences scheme presents an exceptional opportunity for UK-based scholars to run a landmark event featuring leading-edge research as part of the Academy’s events programme. The scheme includes a strand of British Academy/Wellcome Conferences, designed to foster discussion and debate on health and wellbeing related themes. Please ensure you are eligible to apply before reaching out to the Research Support Team no later than 16th January, 2026. 

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. 

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 in 2026 due to a change in their Grants Management system.

There will be a deadline for outline application submission of 27th February 2026, then a pause with new outlines accepted from September. 

Nuffield Foundation Strategic Fund

The Strategic Fund supports new, transformative ideas that are capable of anticipating and addressing the most significant themes and developments shaping the UK public policy agenda.

Please note that internal deadlines will apply, and SAME will be running a gathered field to demand manage applications to this call; dates for this will be released shortly. Please notify research@anthro.ox.ac.uk as early as possible if you are considering developing an application. 

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, and SAME will likely be running a gathered field to demand manage applications to this call. Please notify research@anthro.ox.ac.uk as early as possible if you are considering developing an application. 

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”

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.