The British Academy is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, promoting excellence in research and ensuring that these disciplines play a central role in addressing global challenges. Established to support high-quality academic inquiry, the Academy works to foster international collaboration, shape public debate, and influence policy through robust, evidence-based insights. It provides a platform for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, working at the crossroads of academia, policy, and civil society.
With funding support from the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Academy is committed to supporting research that transcends national, sectoral, and disciplinary boundaries. Through its various funding programmes, it empowers researchers to engage with critical global issues—ranging from environmental sustainability to digital innovation—grounding their work in the rich perspectives offered by humanities and social sciences. By promoting collaboration between SHAPE (Social sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and the Economy) and STEM disciplines, the British Academy ensures a more holistic approach to global problem-solving and policy development.

The International Interdisciplinary Research Projects programme (2026 round) is an ambitious funding initiative designed to support innovative, cross-border, and interdisciplinary research led by UK-based scholars in the humanities and social sciences. The grant aims to deepen global understanding of how knowledge, policy, and public engagement intersect in addressing transnational and planetary challenges.
Supported by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, this programme fosters collaborations that bridge SHAPE and STEM disciplines. Projects must focus on at least one of four critical themes: Earth System Governance, Digital and Transformative Technologies, Global Health and ‘One Health’, or Outer Space Governance. The programme emphasizes addressing not only the technical aspects but also the social, policy, and ethical dimensions of these challenges.
Successful proposals will generate fresh insights, inform global policy discourse, and contribute to more sustainable, inclusive solutions. With a strong emphasis on meaningful international partnerships and multilingual, cross-disciplinary cooperation, this grant supports transformative research that cannot be achieved within national or disciplinary silos.