British Academy Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research

This is a 24-month grant scheme supporting UK-based researchers in humanities & social sciences who collaborate internationally and work across disciplines (including STEM) on big transnational or planetary challenges.

What it offers:

• Up to £300,000 funding over two years (covers ~80% of full project cost)

• Funding can be used for researcher salaries, co-applicant time, post-doctoral support, fieldwork & travel, network building, etc.

• Projects must start around March 2026

What kind of projects qualify:

• Work must be grounded in the humanities or social sciences but genuinely interdisciplinary (with STEM or other fields if relevant)

• Should tackle one or more of these domains:
  • Earth system governance (e.g. climate change, biodiversity loss)
  • Digital & transformative technologies (AI, synthetics, etc.)
  • Global health (One Health approach)
  • Outer space governance (e.g. space debris, international regulation)

• Must involve international collaboration with overseas partners

Who can apply:

• Lead researcher based in the UK, from humanities/social sciences, at post-doctoral level or above

• Must commit about 20% of their time to the project

• Must have co-applicants overseas, and collaboration across disciplines

Deadline:

• Applications close 17 September 2025