Anthropology Research Bulletin

Hazem Ben-Gacem Tunisian Collaboration and Research Grants

This award, of up to £5,000 each, is open to DPhils and academics working in the fields of humanities or social sciences at the University of Oxford, with the aim of supporting field research in Tunisia and collaborative projects with Tunisian scholars. All application materials should be sent by email to tunisia-oxford@sant.ox.ac.uk. Rolling deadline. 

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.

Pre-announcement: From Insight to Innovation: New Catalyst Fund for Social Sciences

Oxford’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Account is launching a £100k Catalyst Fund to help social scientists move from ideas to innovation. Open to Oxford and Oxford Brookes researchers, it offers £2,000–£15,000 for ideation, partnerships, prototyping, and market research. Applications will open in summer, and a briefing will be organised by SSD. 

Note: UKRI is currently reviewing its funding portfolio to transition to a new investment framework. Some competitive funding calls (mostly applicant led, responsive mode) have been paused. We expect to hear more from the UKRI on progress of this review in the spring. The funding pause involves BBSRC, MRC and EPSRC.

Links for more information: ​More information about UKRI review of investment approach, pause in funding calls and an open letter from Ian Chapman (UKRI)

ESRC New Investigator Award - 2026

Gathered Field dates have been released for the ESRC New Investigator Award. The EOI deadline for this call for applicants wishing to apply through the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography will be 10:00 am on 14^th August 2026. 

Expression of interest: sandpit: AI supported research using UKRI social science data

Submit an expression of interest to attend a two‑day in‑person sandpit in Manchester on 23 to 24 June 2026 to develop high-level ideas on AI‑supported social science using UKRI data. The sandpit will bring together around 40 experts to co‑create proposals to UKRI. After the sandpit, participants will be invited to submit applications for projects of up to £230,000 FEC. UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC.

This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Full participation in the sandpit is required to be eligible to apply for funding. You must complete an expression of interest to apply to attend the sandpit by 4:00pm on 12th May 2026. 

ESRC React Awards (pilot)

React awards enable time-critical research to support policymakers and practitioners delivering frontline public services in the UK. Researchers must work with public sector partners to respond to emerging and urgent evidence needs and deliver impactful outputs within six months. Awards between £50-100k are expected to be made, and the scheme deadline is 8 October 2026. Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible if you are interested in applying.  

UKRI Translation: AHRC Proof of Concept

UKRI Translation: AHRC Proof of Concept supports arts and humanities activity that translate previously funded AHRC/UKRI projects into real world economic, societal, cultural or policy impact. This opportunity was previously known as AHRC responsive mode: follow-on funding for impact and engagement. Open call – no closing date.

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. 

AHRC responsive mode: Curiosity Award

Flexible awards to fund fundamental research that leads to new research agendas, networking activity and idea generation, which enables the development of further research opportunities and new research agendas. Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk if you plan to apply. Open call - no closing date. 

AHRC responsive mode: catalyst awards

AHRC awards to support researchers without prior experience of leading a significant research project to accelerate their trajectory as independent researchers, to unlock their potential and build leadership and convenor experience. Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk if you plan to apply. Open call - no closing date

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

Pre-announcement: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026

The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships is a three year award made to an annual cohort of outstanding early-career researchers in the humanities or social sciences. The scheme is set to open in July 2026. Please note that the School will run demand management for this call, and details will be released in the upcoming weeks. 

Royal Society University Research Fellowships 

Gathered Field dates have been released for the Royal Society URF scheme. The EOI deadline for this call for applicants wishing to apply through the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography will be 16 June 2026, 10:00 BST. 

None at the moment. 

None at the moment. 

Funding opportunities are listed on the EU Funding and Tenders portal. Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk if you are interested in applying to any open calls. 

Pre-announcement: Nuffield Foundation - Main Grants (Research, Development and Analysis Fund)

Funding for research projects that address one or more of our five interconnected priorities and aim to improve lives in the UK, with outline stage applications due in October 2026. Please note that the School will run demand management for this call, and details will be released in the upcoming weeks. 

Pre-announcement: Nuffield Foundation - Racial Diversity UK Fund

Research funding to understand the barriers and pathways to a racially just and inclusive society with outline stage applications due in October 2026. Please note that the School will run demand management for this call, and details will be released in the upcoming weeks. 

Links to rolling calls: 

• Wenner-Gren Foundation 
• Royal Anthropological Institute
• Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation 
• The Leakey Foundation

Please contact research@anthro.ox.ac.uk if you are interested in any upcoming schemes. Please note that departmental and institutional deadlines will apply. 

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.