Internal Funding Opportunities
Several internal funding streams* are available for AHSS researchers.
*Please note this list is not exhaustive.
AHRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA)
Cambridge-Africa Alborada Research Fund
Cambridge Humanities Research Grants (CHRG)
Cambridge–LMU Strategic Partnership
Cambridge-Sciences Po Partnership (CamPo)
DAAD-University of Cambridge Research Hub for German Studies
ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA)
Global Humanities Mobility Scheme
Isaac Newton Trust Research Grants
Keynes Fund
Large Contribution Fund
Details about these funding opportunities and the types of initiative each supports is summarised below.
AHRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA)
The AHRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) -- previously the Arts and Humanities Impact Fund, or AHIF -- aims to enhance the non-academic impact of arts and humanities research at the University of Cambridge. Apply for funding to enhance the non-academic impact of arts and humanities research at the University of Cambridge. Applications which support placements for knowledge exchange activities in order to foster partnership working with non-HEI organisations are also welcome. You must: be a researcher in the arts and humanities; be a senior research with a current contract of employment at the University OR be an early career research with support from a senior research as a Co-I; have approval from the respective HoD. Award: Impact Fund Call between £5,000 and £15,000; Early Career Researcher Call between £5,000 and £10,000; All-Council Rapid Response up to £15,000) Research Facilitation Contact: Dr Lucy Sheerman |
Cambridge-Africa Alborada Research Fund
The Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund was established in 2012, with generous support from The ALBORADA Trust. The Fund supports pairs of researchers (post-doctoral level and above) from the University of Cambridge (or an affiliated institution such as the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, NIAB and British Antarctic Survey) and sub-Saharan African institutions, across all disciplines, to initiate and/or strengthen research collaborations. To date, more than 260 awards have been made, to enable Cambridge researchers to engage with African colleagues from 31 African countries. Some awardees have been able to use the preliminary results from their seed fund / research collaboration to apply for and win significant funding (e.g. Royal Society/Leverhulme Awards, Global Challenges Research Fund, etc.). Award: Between £1,000 and £20,000 for research costs, research-related travel (between Cambridge and Africa), research training activities in Africa (e.g. workshops/courses). Research Facilitation Contact: alboradafund@cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk |
Cambridge Humanities Research Grant
The Cambridge Humanities Research Grant scheme is administered by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences; research funding of £1,000-£20,000 per project is available. A series of gathered fields will operate across the year. For full information, scheme notes and call timetable please visit the CHRG pages Award: up to £20,000 depending on the Tier Facilitation contact: Any queries regarding the CHRG scheme should be directed to GrantsAHSS@admin.cam.ac.uk |
Cambridge-LMU Strategic Partnership
The Cambridge-LMU Strategic Parternship was launched in 2018. The partnership funds exchanges opportunities and collaborative projects between the two institutions across all areas of research and education. Award: Funding for new collaborations will be up to €10,000. Funding to enhance existing collaborations is available up to €30,000. Research Facilitation Contact: Please contact Ingrid.Hobbis@admin.cam.ac.uk and camlmu@admin.ac.uk for more information. |
Cambridge-Sciences Po Partnership (CamPo)
The CamPo Scheme is a partnership between the Universities of Cambridge and Sciences Po, a flagship initiative for strengthening international collaboration in the humanities and the social sciences, and for development of lasting partnership and collaboration between the two Universities with the aim to become a leading research hub for the social sciences. The scheme is intended to cover academic disciplines in social sciences, arts and humanities across all six Schools of the university.
Please follow these links to the calls for proposals in full details: Collaborative Research Grants and PhD Student Exchange. Award: For Collaborative Research Grants £15k is available for projects. For PhD Exchange the award consists of affiliation with Sciences Po, desk space and library access. |
DAAD-University of Cambridge Research Hub for German Studies
The DAAD-University of Cambridge Research Hub for German Studies was created in 2015 with funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The Hub funds projects in German studies. It has supported over 50 events and brought over 1,000 people to Cambridge since its inception. This scheme funds workshops and seed funding for projects; visits to Cambridge by German scholars; and public engagement activities. There are calls twice a year. Award: Up to £5,000 Research Facilitation Contact: Ms Ingrid Hobbis |
ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA)
The ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) aims to support the use of research and expertise through the development of relationships with non-academic stakeholders, beneficiaries, and partners. It is aimed at researchers with UTO status working on subjects within the social sciences and based in any academic department at the University of Cambridge. Award: Up to £20,000. Projects can last up to 12 months in duration. Research Facilitation Contact: Dr Tina Basi |
Global Humanities Mobility Scheme
The Global Humanities Mobility Scheme is hosted by the Global Humanities Network. Established in 2020, the network has one simple but ambitious aim: to permanently transform the way we teach, research and think about the Humanities. The network brings together leading universities from around the world. Besides Cambridge: Fudan and Nanjing Universities in China, Ashoka University in India, the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, the University of Cape Town in South Africa, Universidad Diego Portales in Chile, and Sabanci University in Turkey. One of the Network's main goals is to foster the mobility of staff between our institutions. To that end we have designed a scheme to provide funding for scholarly exchange between Cambridge and the other network partners that leads to joint teaching ventures (primarily but not exclusively at post-graduate level) and builds the basis for new research initiatives which can lead to larger-scale opportunities/collaborations in the future. Applications are normally considered for stays of between two and four weeks. We particularly welcome applications that enable students and researchers to understand and interrogate new ideas and foster a greater plurality of voices in the scholarly community. Award: The scheme will cover the costs of travel, visa, accommodation and subsistence pro rata for between two and four weeks. Research Facilitation Contact: Globalhumanities@admin.cam.ac.uk |
Isaac Newton Trust Research Grants
The Isaac Newton Trust Research Grants has only modest resources and must be viewed as a funder of last resort. The Trustees therefore expect all reasonable attempts to have been made by applicants to secure funding from other sources before an application is made to the Trust. The Trust will support:
For full list of deadlines please consult the INT website. Award: Varies Research Facilitation Contact: research.admin@newtontrust.cam.ac.uk |
Keynes Fund
Keynes Fund -- The focus of the teaching and research supported by the Fund is the sources and consequences of failure of market efficiency, particularly but not exclusively as a result of Agency costs. In particular, research into: capital market mispricing; the design of incentive systems and mechanisms to reduce the incidence and significance of institutional or general economic failure as well as into responsive public policies. The scope of work to be funded shall include interactions between the financial markets and the real economy. The Managers of the Fund encourage research based on empirical observation of the behaviour of market participants, drawing as appropriate on relevant work in the other social sciences, biology and history. They shall also encourage academics to extend the frontiers of traditional economics in order to raise Cambridge's profile in the critical area between economic theory, best private sector practice and public policy, with a bias towards promoting long-term thinking, dampened pro-cyclicality, improved economic growth and reduced income/wealth disparities. The Keynes Fund provides resources to the Cambridge research community for high-quality projects consistent with these themes. The key features on which projects will be assessed are: quality, impact and positive strong externalities for the Cambridge research environment, especially with regard to the promotion of young talent in the Cambridge Ph.D. programme, or among Post-docs. Proposers are expected to motivate their projects in light of the statutory goals of the Keynes Fund, clearly identifying the areas of originality and excellence in them. The Fund will also consider seed funding to help researchers develop large-scale research proposals to be submitted to external funders such as the ESRC. Award: Up to £50,000 (Standard Grant); in excess of £50,000 (Large Grant) Research Facilitation Contact: Marion Reusch, Keynes Fund Administrator, keynes-fund@econ.cam.ac.uk |
Large Grant Contribution Fund
The Large Grant Contribution Fund supports researchers putting forward funding over £1 million for AHSS subject areas. Funding may be requested for activities that are complementary to the external funding and contributions from Departments / Schools / Non-school institutions. Activities that add value in the following areas are particularly encouraged: widening participation and inclusion; improving partnerships locally / nationally / internationally; capacity and capability building; working with less advantaged partners. Leveraging funding for existing grant awards is not in the remit of this fund. All applications must include one or more external partners and only applications led by Cambridge PIs are eligible. PI buyout and equipment are not eligible costs for request. Award: Up to 10% of the award value. PI buyout and equipment are not eligible costs for request. Deadline: Rolling deadline. *Minimum 4-weeks before funder deadline. Research Facilitation Contact: Dr Anna Cieslik and Rpc@admin.cam.ac.uk |
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