The Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council, as part of Research Councils UK’s Partnership for Conflict, Crime and Security, invite applications for their interdisciplinary innovation awards.

These support the development of innovative, high risk, interdisciplinary research, exploratory or pilot studies, or the development of new partnerships and collaborations addressing issues of central relevance to the PaCCS conflict theme.

The theme brings together security research and other activities that are sensitive to the changing global context and have an impact in the prediction, detection, prevention and reduction of security threats. Priority areas include conflict, transnational organised crime and cybersecurity.

Applications must be submitted by the principal investigator’s research organisation, which may be a higher education institution recognised by the ESRC or AHRC for submitting applications, or an ESRC- or AHRC-recognised independent research organisation.

The principal investigator or any co-investigator must either have a PhD or be of postdoctoral standing, and have the skills and experience to undertake their outlined role.

Awards are worth up to £80,000 each, covering 80 per cent of full economic cost, over a maximum period of 18 months. Approximately eight to 12 awards are available.

A second call for Interdisciplinary Research Grants (up to 48 months and between £400,000 and £800,000 fEC) aims to support innovative interdisciplinary research proposals addressing one or more of the following strands within the Conflict theme:

• New Perspectives on the Changing Character and Mosaic of Conflict, and Transitions to and from Conflict, through Time
• Community Experiences of, and Responses to, Conflict
• Conflict in the Information Age

The AHRC and ESRC are contributing to a ‘common pot’ of up to £4m to these joint PaCCS calls on conflict to support interdisciplinary research innovation which crosses the remits of the two Councils; in addition, the EPSRC has indicated that it would be willing to consider co-funding projects on a case by case which cross into its remit, particularly in relation to the connections between conflict and digital technologies and/or cyber-security.​

Deadline 22 Oct 15 Applications due by 4pm.

www.ahrc.ac.uk/Funding-Opportunities/Pages/PaCCS-Conflict-Theme-–-2-Funding-Calls.aspx