Special Research Grants: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Humanities and Social Sciences

Through health, social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting individuals, communities and society in the UK and around the world. The economic, social and cultural effects are far-reaching.

The deadline for submitting applications is 5 p.m. (UK time) on   Wednesday 27 May 2020   and the results will be communicated no later than 30 June 2020.

Purpose of the program
The knowledge that researchers must provide in the fields covered by the British Academy is varied and research in the humanities and social sciences clearly has a role to play in clarifying and enriching our understanding and our response. From literature, theater, history and languages ​​to political science, psychology, economics and sociology, it is the human and social sciences that give meaning to the world around us. The potential for researchers to understand, compare and inform the impact of COVID-19, which builds on and combines the humanities and social sciences, is vast, and primary and secondary research can explore such questions as than:

  • the ethical and behavioral issues raised by the pandemic;
  • implications of migration for disease transmission;
  • feasibility and effectiveness of policy responses to prevent or contain COVID-19, including secondary impacts such as school closings, quarantine, etc .;
  • previous experience with epidemics, pandemics and quarantine;
  • risk communication to the general public;
  • behavioral studies to understand how people have been affected, mentally and physically, by the pandemic;
  • community responses to the crisis;
  • access and equity to essential services, including digital communications and technologies;
  • translation and analysis of information for multilingual populations;
  • role of arts and culture in community development, recovery and resilience;
  • strategies to combat disinformation;
  • impacts on socio-economically disadvantaged groups.

This subset of examples, which is not exhaustive, highlights the contribution that the humanities and social sciences can offer and funding for small research projects is made available by the British Academy to support research in all our disciplines. Researchers should think creatively about how to best use funding, in order to make a significant contribution to the understanding and range of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility
The medjouel.com team informs you that this opportunity is open to all researchers in accordance with the eligibility criteria for the small research grant program, namely researchers at postdoctoral level or equivalent, in the fields of human and social sciences , ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or the English Channel, employed in British research institutions or recognized British research institutions abroad, or independent postdoctoral researchers (or equivalent). Applications can be submitted by competent researchers at the same time within the framework of this call for special research grants: call COVID-19 and call for small BA / Leverhulme research grants currently open, 

Reward level
The UK Academy will fund projects that can cost up to £ 10,000, following a model similar to the Academy’s existing BA / Leverhulme research grants, but awarded through this special call for response research grant targeted and accelerated assessment process.

Application for this program 
The application form is available on the Academy’s Flexi-Grant system. 

Projects can start from 1 July 2020, subject to the approval of the institutions, and can last up to 24 months. Fellowships will support direct research costs, will not be awarded retrospectively for work already undertaken, and the list of eligible costs is the same as the standard BA / Leverhulme standard research grants. Potential applicants are asked to read the program notes specific to this special research grant: call COVID-19.

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