Small Research Grants

This grant scheme seeks to promote the growth of the study of science and belief globally, by stimulating new avenues of individual or collaborative research.

The 2023-2024 grants programme will fund projects up to £20,000, for a maximum duration of 7 months, between the dates of December 1st, 2023 and June 30th, 2024.  Please note the grant end date cannot be extended beyond June 30th, 2024. Researchers at any career stage who work on the social study of science and religion in society are welcome to apply for this programme by September 17th, 2023.

All applications should include:

  1. Small Grant 23-24. Application FormDownload
  2. Project Budget TemplateDownload
  3. Project Timeline TemplateDownload
  4. A 2-page CV for each applicant and team member
  5. A signed letter of support from your institution(s)

Please use the above templates and email your completed applications to insbs@contacts.bham.ac.uk with a subject heading including your name and the title of the funding programme you are applying for (e.g., “John Doe. Seed Funding Application”).

Further guidance on how to complete the application can be found in the Application Guidance 2023-24 document.

Allowable Expenditure

Grants will be administered by the University of Birmingham and provided to awardees as sub-awards.

Permitted uses of sub-award funding include:

  • Research expenses, such as research participant compensation or incentives, transcription costs, translation costs, reprographics, survey costs, and participant recruitment expenses
  • Salary costs and/or teaching buyout
  • Modest allowance for justifiable equipment, publication charges, software and other supplies
  • Dissemination and impact expenses, such as event costs

Funding CANNOT support any institutional overheads or indirect costs.

Given current global and local travel restrictions in many countries, we welcome grant applications that include novel ways to collect data, which might include incentives to participants to take part in interviews, or focus groups via digital platforms. Any plans for travel or in-person research should be based on a realistic assessment of COVID-19 risks/regulations.  Where Travel or Lodging costs are included they cannot consist of more than 10% of the overall grant requested.