News: research and funding
On this page, we report on the latest news about research and funding in the world of socio-legal studies. This can include information from the major UK funders, launches of research projects or research centres, calls for collaboration, in fact, any aspect of academic research that is of interest to socio-legal scholars.
Items will usually be retained for a period of about three months, or until any significant dates have passed.
If you would like a news item included on this page. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Latest research news . . .
Pre-announcement: UKRI cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme
Funding bodies and other related organisations
Criminal Cases Review Committee
Legal Education Research Network
National Centre for Research Methods
Science and Technology Select Committee
Sociolegal Model-Making Project
UK Administrative Justice Institute
Women and Leadership International
Academy of Social Sciences
The Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS) is the voice of social sciences in the UK.
The Academy is composed of over 800 individual academicians and 44 learned societies. Academicians are distinguished scholars and practitioners from academia and the public and private sectors. Most of the learned societies (including the SLSA) in the social sciences in the United Kingdom are represented within the Academy.
Please visit the AcSS website for full details.
AHRC
AHRC/ESRC international fellowships for doctoral and early career researchers: call for applications
Applications open to PhD students currently funded by AHRC (or ESRC for specific opportunities) or early career researchers based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. See website for details. Closing date: 23 February 2023.
ESRC-NSTC UK-Taiwan Networking Grant 2023: call for applications
This opportunity seeks to improve the connectivity between UK and Taiwan social science research communities. Proposals should contain a UK component, to be funded by ESRC, and a Taiwan component, to be funded by NSTC. See website for details. Closing date: 7 February 2023.
AHRC Strategic Development Plan 2022–2025
The new plan outlines the AHRC's work for the next three years. Download the plan here and read the blog here.
AHRC current funding opportunities: full list
The AHRC currently has several funding schemes open for applications. See website for the full list.
UKRI open access policy updated
UKRI has published updated information to support funded research organisations and researchers to meet its new open access policy. See website for details.
British Academy
British Academy funding call: Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons to Learn from COVID-19 across the G7
This programme aims to identify lessons learned and lessons to learn from the experience within G7 countries of preparing for, adapting and responding to COVID-19 for future pandemic preparedness. See website for details. Closing date: 22 February 2023.
British Academy Researchers at Risk Fellowships: call for applications
The British Academy with Cara (the Council for At-Risk Academics) Researchers at Risk Fellowships Programme with the support of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society is open for applications The Fellowships cover the natural sciences, medical sciences, engineering, humanities and social sciences with applications made via UK-based institutions. Closing date: 8 February 2022. See website for details.
British Library
Social welfare portal
Please visit the social welfare portal, test the service, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. your feedback. You can also read a blog post about the portal.
ESRC
Pre-announcement: ESRC centres
This is a pre-announcement of the next opportunity to apply for funding to establish an ESRC centre. ESRC centres are world-leading centres of excellence that carry out interdisciplinary, cutting-edge and impactful research in the social sciences and beyond. See website for details. Opening date: February 2023. Closing date: May 2023.
Pre-announcement: ESRC-NSTC UK-Taiwan networking grants 2
This opportunity seeks to improve the connectivity between UK and Taiwan social science research communities, by providing funding to groups of researchers to foster the development of relationships. See website for details. Opening date: mid-November 2022. Closing date: February 2023.
ESRC Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre: ECR Development Fund 2023 now open
Applications are invited from Early Career Researchers for grants of up to £25k for 12-month projects. See announcment for full details. Closing date: 30 January 2023.
Higher Education Academy
The Higher Education Academy (HEA) provides services to the higher education sector for individual learning and teaching professionals, senior managers in institutions and for subject and discipline groups. Please visit website for further information.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is an endowed charity that funds a large, UK-wide research and development programme. It seeks to understand the root causes of social problems, to identify ways of overcoming then and to show how social needs can be met in practice.
Please visit the website for more information.
New JRF Project: Talking about homes: the foundation for a decent life
This project is based aroun a new framing strategy and recommendations to help to tell a new story about homes. See website for details.
Law and Society Association
The Law and Society Association was set up in the USA in 1964 to support its members in developing theoretical and empirical understandings of law. See the website for full details.
Legal Education Research Network
For information on the Legal Education Research Network (LERN) please see website.
Leverhulme Trust
Leverhulme Trust newsletter
The Trust publishes a newsletter three times per year.
Leverhulme Trust: current open funding rounds
The Trust is now accepting applications for the following grant schemes:
- Emeritus Fellowships – closing date: 2 February 2023
- Research Project Grants – outline applications are welcome at any time.
Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Scheme: expanded to offer opportunities for under-represented groups
Following a review, the Trust Board has decided to increase its commitment to the Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships scheme, leading to the following changes: additional scholarship places are available to support students from underrepresented groups undertake a master’s plus doctoral programme; applications to the scheme will be accepted from consortia of a maximum of two universities; a limited number of doctoral scholarships may be allocated to international students. See website for details. The scheme will reopen for applications in January 2023.
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice: Areas of research interest
The Ministry of Justice has recently published its Areas of Research Interest. This document can be found here. It highlights the Ministry of Justice’s strategic evidence gaps with a focus on long-term and cross-cutting gaps in understanding. The aim is also to engage with the external community to expand and deepen the department’s underpinning evidence base. The Chief Social Researchers at the Ministry of Justice are keen to hear from researchers working on any of the strategic evidence gaps outlined in the Areas of Research Interest. Please do get in touch and describe in a few sentences what you are doing. The email address is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Court statistics
View the latest court statistics: published quarterly.
National Centre for Research Methods
The National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) is a network of research groups, each conducting research and training in social science research methods. It is co-ordinated from a hub in the University of Southampton and nodes across UK universities. NCRM provides a focal point for research, training and capacity-building activities. These activities are aimed at promoting a step change in the quality and range of methodological skills and techniques used by the UK social science community, and providing support for, and dissemination of, methodological innovation and excellence within the UK.
The NCRM provides regular email bulletins. To register, please visit the subscriptions page. The centre also runs regular training events.
Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a charitable trust established in 1943 by William Morris, Lord Nuffield, the founder of Morris Motors. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage. He called this the ‘advancement of social well-being’, and emphasised the importance of education, training and research in achieving that goal. Today, the foundation works to improve social well-being by funding research and innovation in education and social policy. the foundation is also increasing the proliferation and quality of research and professional skills – both in science and social sciences – through its capacity-building programmes. See website for further details.
Nuffield Foundation Family Justice Observatory: national deprivation of liberty court – data trends
In July 2022 the President of the Family Division launched the national deprivation of liberty court. Based at the Royal Courts of Justice, it deals with all new applications seeking authorisation to deprive children of their liberty under the inherent jurisdiction and will run for a 12-month pilot phase initially. The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory was invited to collect and publish data on these applications. This monthly briefing highlights high-level data trends. See website for details.
Nuffield Foundation: Research, Development and Analysis Fund – open for applications
The Research, Development and Analysis fund is for projects to inform the design and operation of social policy and practice across the Foundation's three core domains of education, welfare and justice. The two-stage application process is now open. Closing date for outline applications: 13 March 2023. See website for details.
Research Cluster in Law, Justice and Society, Oxford
A new Research Cluster in Law, Justice and Society has been launched at Wolfson College, in collaboration with the Foundation for Law, Justice and Society (FLJS). The research cluster will join several other research clusters created under the guidance of college President, Professor Hermione Lee, which draw on the outstanding scholarly strengths and interests within the college to foster innovative approaches to interdisciplinary research.
Please see flyer for further details or visit the cluster website.
Research Councils UK
Each year the Research Councils invest around £3 billion in research covering the full spectrum of academic disciplines from the medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry and engineering, social sciences, economics, environmental sciences and the arts and humanities.
RCUK statement on international collaboration post-EU referendum
The outcome of the EU referendum raises questions for UK researchers and international partners about the Research Councils’ international activities and collaborations. RCUK's statment can be found on the website.
Restorative Justice Council
Access to and experiences of restorative justice for BAME young people
The Restorative Justice Council is embarking on a research project to gain a better understanding of the access to and experiences of restorative justice for BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) young people who have offended. In addition to a lack of research in relation to BAME young people and criminal justice, there is also a perception among some practitioners that there are problems in effectively engaging and delivering restorative interventions with this group. The aim of the research is to develop practical solutions for the restorative field and recommendations for change to future policy development.
For more information please contact the RJC’s senior research officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Sociolegal Model-Making Project
The Sociolegal Model Making Project explores the risks and rewards of using design-based strategies, and model-making in particular, to enhance socio-legal research – that is, research that interprets law as a social phenomenon.
Please see website for details.
UK Research and Innovation
Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than £6 billion, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) brings together the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England. Research England will work closely with its partner organisations in the devolved administrations.
Pre-announcement: UKRI cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme
Apply for funding for interdisciplinary ideas that transcend, combine or significantly span disciplines. Open and closing dates: tbc. See website for details.
UKRI Preannouncement: Strategic fellowship in DDR skills and research methods training
Apply for funding to develop a framework for implementing a whole career approach to training and capacity building in data-driven research (DDR) skills and research methods in the social sciences. This call will open in early 2023. See website for further details.
UKRI Pre-announcement: UKRI policy fellowships 2023
UKRI policy fellowships provide funding for researchers to collaborate on research activity to address pressing national and global challenges. See website for details. Funding call opens late-February 2023.
UKRI Open Access Policy Update
UKRI has published updated information to support funded research organisations and researchers to meet its new open access policy. See website for details.
UKRI Where Next for Arts and Humanities scheme relaunched
As part of efforts to explore new ways of engaging with the research community to shape its future direction, UKRI is re-launching the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Where Next? scheme for submissions in January 2023. See webpage for details.