CFAs: Evidence-Informed Policy Making Grants Program

Deadline Date: February 19, 2025

 Donor Name: The British Academy

 Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000

https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/evidence-informed-policymaking-grants

The British Academy is inviting proposals related to evidence-informed policy-making in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and/or Least Developed Countries.

Through this programme, the Academy wishes to develop and enhance the evidence base related to informing policymaking with research. The Academy is aware this is a broad field of research and activity with multiple intersecting and often, but not always, complementary disciplinary communities and policy sectors working on the issues either from a theoretical or practice perspective. It is an important aim for the Academy to start to establish mutually supporting communities of practice in the longer term so duplication of effort and overly siloed research and practice is avoided. This call is aiming to respond to questions, such as the following: 

• What is needed to build structural, political and social conditions that value and support effective evidence use in policymaking? 
• How do contextual factors and the political economy of evidence shape the substance of policies and the parameters regarding who is included or excluded, and who benefits more or less? 
• How are policy outcomes (positively or negatively) affected when research evidence is used?

Focus Areas

• The Academy is looking to support awards that work in the following fields:
  • Environment, Sustainability & Nature: Applications are welcome that engage in evidence use in the broad areas of environment, sustainability and nature. This can include work related to climate change, environmental resilience, energy, biodiversity, just transitions, climate mitigation and adaptation, water, pollution, agriculture, conservation, food, and climate action for example. 
  • Transformative Technologies: Applications are welcome that engage in evidence use in the design, accessibility, development, regulation and implementation of responsible technologies. This can include work related to various technologies such as AI, quantum, vaccines, robotics, and augmented reality, as well as how such technologies will shape the future of work, ways of living, governance and economic development for example. 
  • Health & Wellbeing: Applications are welcome that engage in evidence use in the broad areas of health and wellbeing. This can include work related to the social determinants of health including social protection, education, employment, housing, food insecurity, early childhood development, social inclusion and health services; global health; pandemic preparedness, and antimicrobial resistance for example. 
  • Cities & Urbanisation: Applications are welcome that engage in evidence use in the broad areas of cities and urbanisation. This can include work related to urban space, city policymaking and planning, place-based policymaking, conflict, resilience and adaptation, governance, social inclusion, inequality and poverty, prosperity, climate action, lived experience and representation of the city for example. 
  • Global Order, Geopolitics and International Affairs: Applications are welcome that engage in evidence use in the broad areas of global order, geopolitics and international affairs. This can include work related to foreign policy, international trade and finance, conflict, security, governance, civil society, civic activism, international development, and regional and international institutions for example.

Funding Information

• The value of the award is set at a maximum of £150,000. 
• Projects must be 12 months in duration.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
  • Each project will be led by a named Principal Investigator (PI). The PI must be a researcher in a discipline within the social sciences or the humanities. The PI is expected to direct the research and the management of the project and has responsibility for the overall project reporting requirements. 
  • The PI must be of postdoctoral or above status (or have equivalent research experience). The PI must hold an established role in an eligible university or research institute in the UK, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and/or Least Developed Countries. The PI’s position must last at least the duration of the grant funded by the Academy.
  • The PI can spend a minimum of 20% of their time and a maximum of 100% of their time on the grant. The time spent on the grant can change over the course of the award but may not be under 20% across the duration of the award. Staff employed on the award may be employed full or part time regardless of the time the award holder spends on the award. 
  • PIs may not hold more than one British Academy award of a comparable nature at any one time. 
  • An individual cannot be the PI on more than one bid under this Programme. 
  • Applicants can be of any nationality but they must be based in the UK, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and/or Least Developed Countries. 
  • Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (or have equivalent research experience). 
  • Awards are available to individuals, to be held in an institutional context.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applications under this call will not be accepted if the applicant or any collaborators have any outstanding reports or statements of expenditure which are still to be submitted to the Academy following previous awards. 
• Duplicate applications to more than one British Academy funding programme will not be accepted.

Assessment Criteria

• Applications will then also be assessed according to the following criteria:
  • The quality and significance of the proposal, in particular in relation to making a significant contribution to evidence-informed policymaking in line with the programme aims and scope of the call, particularly paragraphs 9 and 12; 
  • The feasibility of the proposed activities within the timeframe of the award, including a clear track record and experience of working in this space and justification for the partners brought together in the proposal;
  • Evidenced co-design and equitability through the proposal development and planned project delivery with a clear justification for the role of each partner throughout the project. 
  • Value for money.

For more information, visit The British Academy.