Anthropology Research Bulletin

Last updated

Welcome

Here you will find details of current funding opportunities and support that may be of interest to members of SAME and other Anthropologists at Oxford University.

 

Before applying to any of the research funding opportunities mentioned here please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk

We will advise on eligibility, school process, timeframes and more

 

Update 

The last weeks of Michaelmas are particularly busy with SAME applications, so please give us as much notice as possible if you need application support — we may have limited capacity to help with new grant applications before the Christmas closure. 

If you have any items you would like added to this page please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk

Highlights

Social Sciences Division Term Card (MT25)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publications Pipeline Lab (Led by Madeleine Reeves and colleagues)

Friday 16 January 2026, 10.30-12.30, Seminar Room at 64 Banbury Road

We invite members of SAME to discuss their work at what we hope will be the first of our termly Publication Pipeline Laboratories. These intensive 2-hour sessions are open to all across the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography to discuss a journal article or chapter that is at the ‘revise and resubmit’ stage in a focused, collegiate, and confidential environment. Presenters agree to submit their submitted article/chapter for discussion, along with a brief summary of reviewer/editor feedback.

The aim of the sessions is:

  1. to help colleagues navigate reviewer/editor feedback, including articulating decisions about which feedback to prioritise or ignore
  2. to motivate colleagues to address reviewer comments promptly, and to offer strategies for addressing feedback that is unhelpful or off-point
  3. to increase opportunities for colleagues across the School and at different career stages to learn about each other’s current research

The sessions are open to all in the school, but 2 places will be prioritised each session for post-docs, DLs, early career scholars, or those on temporary contracts. The first session will be held in week 0 of Hilary Term, with slots allocated beginning in week 5 of the preceding term.

If you would like to reserve a slot to present an article or chapter please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk

Upcoming SAME Research Events and Training

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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”

Thursday 20th November 12.30-1.30pm (on Teams) 

Narrative CVs are being adopted by many funders, nationally and internationally, to give researchers the opportunity to showcase a wider range of skills and experience than is possible in a traditional academic CV, but a narrative CV requires a different way of thinking about and describing your skills, experience and contributions to research and innovation. This presentation will try to demystify and simplify narrative CVs by providing advice, prompts and suggestions for how to write one. 

Please register to receive the Teams link for this event: 
Registration for student or researcher with a CareerConnect account
Registration for all other staff, 

The joining link will be in the registration confirmation email. 

If you are interested in narrative CVs and want to get more involved in the training, please get in touch with Susan Black for more information or to join the team: 
susan.black@careers.ox.ac.uk.

Vacancies

McGill University’s Department of Anthropology invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin August 1, 2026. Applications are due by 30th November, 2025. See the job descriptions for further details.

Call for Submissions

The Oxford Middle East Review (OMER), a student-run, peer-reviewed journal based at St Antony’s College, Oxford, invites submissions for its upcoming issue on the theme of  “Reconstruction.” OMER welcomes contributions that critically engage with the idea of reconstruction, understood not only as the rebuilding that follows destruction, but as the reimagining of futures and the renegotiation of power across the Middle East and North Africa. Submissions may address any period from the mid-1800s to the present. 

Articles will be considered for either the policy section, which publishes shorter pieces of up to 2,000 words, or the research section, which features in-depth articles between 7,500 and 10,000 words. The journal is also seeking contributors interested in reviewing recent publications on the MENA region. Enquiries regarding book reviews should be directed to omerjournal@gmail.com, and submissions sent to editors@omerjournal.com. 

The deadline for submission is January 4th, 2026.

Funding Opportunities

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The John Fell Fund supports a wide range of projects designed to foster research activity across the University. The next round of applications is now open. Please note that potential applicants must email the Research Support team (research@anthro.ox.ac.uk) with a request for costing assistance (which is mandatory for applications involving staff costs, and for main awards) as soon as possible, and no later than Friday, 21st November. The deadline for submission of application to the department in IRAMS is 10am on Monday 12th January, 2026. This scheme does not accept re-submissions unless invited. The funder deadline is at 12 noon on 28th January 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.

The deadline for Expressions of Interest (EoIs) is 5pm on Tuesday 10th February 2026, but 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. 

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Apply to undertake a funded placement at an international cultural institution. 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 

This fellowship will open on 7th January 2026. 

View the international placement scheme details from UKRI website.

This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4. They will appear on a number of episodes and shadow the production process to understand how ideas get on air. If selected, you will also take part in learning and development opportunities with AHRC around working with the media, engaging the public with research and how to work with policymakers. Please note, there is no funding involved in participation in this scheme. 

You must be an early career researcher interested in sharing your ideas with the largest possible audience, and based at a UK research organisation eligible to apply for AHRC funding. A webinar for potential applicants will be held on 2nd December from 12:30-1:30pm; please register to attend on the link below:

Register for webinar on 2nd December 
The deadline for application is 28th January 2026 at 5pm; please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk by 9th January 2026 if you plan to apply, as institutional deadlines for approvals will apply to this scheme.

View details of AHRC and BBC New Generation Thinkers 2026 from UKRI website.

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This scheme is for scholars in the UK who are at an early stage of their career and wish to conduct research in Japan for a period of 12-24 months. Applicants must have received their PhD within the last six years prior to their application and must be ordinarily resident in the UK. They must have a research proposal agreed with a host researcher employed at a university/research institution in Japan. 

The scheme is not open to Japanese nationals, those who have permanent residency in Japan, or to applicants who have previously been awarded a fellowship under the JSPS 
Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme for Foreign Researchers. 

Application and referee/head of department statements deadline and current UK host institution approval deadline: Wednesday 10 December 2025, 17:00 (GMT). Please contact 
research@anthro.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible if you plan to apply.

View details of JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme for Overseas Researchers 2026 from The British Academy website.

The Fund, created under the Will of Sir Aurel Stein to honour his friendship with Sir Thomas Arnold, supports exploratory research into the antiquities, historical geography, early history, or arts of regions shaped by the ancient civilisations of India, China, and Iran, including Central Asia. Preference is given to work connected with Afghanistan, ancient Bactria, and the north-western frontier of India. Applicants must be British or Hungarian, and of postdoctoral standing or equivalent experience. Awards, usually up to £3,500 and tenable for as long as 24 months, are offered for clearly defined projects with a distinct, deliverable outcome. Application forms for this scheme are now available on Flexi-Grant. Applicants will need to register themselves in the system (if not already registered).
 
Deadline for submission of applications is at 5pm on 7 January 2026. Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk by end of day on 12th December 2025 if you plan to apply.

View details of Stein-Arnold Exploration Fund from The British Academy website.

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This scheme enables early career researchers to undertake a significant piece of publishable work. Applicants must have a track record of research, but must not yet have 
held a full-time permanent academic post in a UK university or comparable UK institution, nor may Fellows hold such a post concurrently with the Early Career Fellowship. Due to the requirement for matched funding, the School can support a very limited number of exceptional candidates for this call. We will therefore be running a departmental selection 
process, the details of which can be found here: https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/leverhulmetrust-early-career-fellowships.

Candidates wishing to apply to the department’s gathered field must first ensure that they meet the LT eligibility requirements for this scheme, before submitting expressions of interest to the Research Support Team by 10am on Thursday 27th November 2025. 

View details of the Early Career Fellowships 2026 from  Leverhulme Trust website.

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, and notify research@anthro.ox.ac.uk 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: Important 
changes to the Research Project Grant scheme in 2026 | The Leverhulme Trust. There will be a deadline for outline application submission of 27th February 2026, then a pause with new outlines accepted from September. 

View details of the Research Project Grants from Leverhulme Trust website.

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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. The call's website states: "With up to £15 million available, we invite proposals that respond to one or more of our five priority questions set out in our Strategic Review. These are major grants, typically in the range of £1-3 million each. As such, they should combine rigorous research with a clear focus on impact. We are particularly keen to fund multidisciplinary work as well as experimental and innovative approaches with the aim of improving people’s lives in the UK. Funder deadline: 16th March 2026. 

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. 

View details of the Strategic Fund from Nuffield Foundation website.

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. Grants of up to £500,000 are available, with most awards falling below £300,000, and exceptional bids of up to £750,000 accepted by prior agreement. Applications open twice a year, in Spring and Autumn, with the next deadline on 13 April 2026 at 11:59pm. 

Proposals must address at least one of the fund’s core concerns, including how to foster a prosperous, fair, and inclusive society; how to respond to demographic and social change; how science and technology can better serve the public; how climate policy can be designed equitably; and how to strengthen the accountability and trustworthiness of key institutions. 

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. 

View details of the Main Grants from Nuffield Foundation website.

View more opportunities from SSDT - Social Sciences Research, Impact and Engagement Support SharePoint

 

Before applying to any of the research funding opportunities mentioned here please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk

We will advise on eligibility, school process, timeframes and more

 

Ongoing Professional Development and Support

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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.

Other Opportunities and Support

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There are a range of impact resources from previous workshops available on the SSD SharePoint site. Researchers and research students should be able to access these with an SSO.

These events are either part of our bespoke researcher programme or sessions from our wider programme that will appeal to a researcher audience. If you are a member of Oxford’s Research Staff, you can sign up by completing the New user registration form - Research Staff. Once the account is confirmed, you can simply Login to CareerConnect.

The members of the Research Practice Team are pleased to announce that our Research Practice e-learning courses are now live and all research staff and students at the University are encouraged to enrol in them.
The courses are hosted in Canvas and are self-paced. They contain a wealth of general and Oxford-specific guidance and have been co-developed with Oxford researchers. There are currently five courses available, and the final two courses will become available during Michaelmas term:

  • Research Integrity, Ethics and Governance at Oxford (a separate, introductory course to the mandatory research integrity course)
  • Open Research Practices
  • Research Design (coming soon)
  • Collaboration
  • Data
  • Authorship, Publication and Peer Review
  • Engagement and Impact (coming soon)

The Research Practice training courses give a grounding in the topic and are suitable for all researchers at the collegiate University, i.e. postgraduate research students, research staff (e.g. postdocs, research fellows), and academics (e.g. professors, lecturers).
A certificate of completion will be issued for each course upon passing a short quiz and submitting a feedback survey. If you have any questions about the courses or about research practice in general, you can contact the Research Practice team: research.practice@admin.ox.ac.uk

SAME Research Support Team

We are here to discuss potential research applications, or for discussions around next steps in your research career. We offer:

  • Research Strategy discussions
  • Planning for new or substantial research funding
  • Postdoctoral/Early-career researcher advice
  • Guidance on funding opportunities
  • Eligibility checks for internal and external schemes
  • Advice on SAME or SSD approval processes
  • Information on Oxford application processes and demand management
  • Reviews for application drafts
  • Guidance on application portals
  • Support with interview preparation
  • Support with research budget planning
  • Provision of X5 budget drafts
  • Advice on Research Services approval processes
  • Support with award acceptance

Upcoming Training Opportunities, Resources and Surveys

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Wed 26 Nov 10:30-12:00 (in person, Weston library) 

More info

Call for Submissions

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The Oxford Middle East Review (OMER), a student-run, peer-reviewed journal based at St Antony’s College, Oxford, invites submissions for its upcoming issue on the theme of  “Reconstruction.” OMER welcomes contributions that critically engage with the idea of reconstruction, understood not only as the rebuilding that follows destruction, but as the reimagining of futures and the renegotiation of power across the Middle East and North Africa. Submissions may address any period from the mid-1800s to the present. 

Articles will be considered for either the policy section, which publishes shorter pieces of up to 2,000 words, or the research section, which features in-depth articles between 7,500 and 10,000 words. The journal is also seeking contributors interested in reviewing recent publications on the MENA region. Enquiries regarding book reviews should be directed to omerjournal@gmail.com, and submissions sent to editors@omerjournal.com. 

The deadline for submission is January 4th, 2026.

Funding Opportunities