Call for applications – UK-France Knowledge Frontiers Symposium
The British Academy and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) are pleased to announce a call for applications from early career researchers in the humanities and social sciences for the Knowledge Frontiers Symposium. The research collaboration symposium will be held on Thursday and Friday, 14-15 November 2024 in Paris, France.
The symposium aims to incentivise and establish international engagement and collaboration between early career researchers based in France and the United Kingdom from a broad range of disciplines within the humanities and social sciences, encouraging the exchange of ideas across both disciplinary and national boundaries.
Aims
The symposium will bring together around 15 early career researchers from the UK and 15 from France (understood as up to seven years after obtaining a PhD) from across the humanities and social sciences to discuss key questions around the theme of ‘governance’. The symposium is designed specifically to encourage collaboration and networking. In advance of the symposium, participants will be able to discuss their research and exchange ideas among themselves, begin to discuss the session themes and make connections for possible future activities.
In addition to funding collaborative proposals, the symposium aims to provide opportunities for various outputs. Participants might contribute to a publication focused on the symposium theme, record audio outputs, or write blog posts. Further information will be provided at the symposium.
This symposium offers participants the opportunity to explore the multifaceted concept of governance in today's complex global landscape. In an era characterised by interconnectedness and rapid change, effective governance is crucial for addressing complex issues, including climate change, economic inequality, global pandemics, technological disruption, and the prevention and resolution of conflicts.
It is expected that the theme will be explored through several avenues at the symposium, such as (but not limited to):
- How do previous forms of governance, as well as norms, beliefs, and values shape real or imagined forms of governance? What are the trade-offs associated with each form of governance? What should we understand by good governance?
- How have forms of governance as well as resistance to governance been represented and how has this affected people’s daily lives and the governance systems they have lived through and passed on?
- What have been and are the roles of bottom-up and community processes and associations in shaping, leading and resisting forms of governance?
- What has been, and could be, the role of institutions in influencing governance?
- Are there ‘good’ forms of governance and can ‘ungoverned’ spaces be effective for people and communities?
- Who is being constructed as the object of governance (eg people, communities, businesses, civil society) and how does this construction vary among governance actors?
- How have the tensions between order and justice in governance models been tackled and how can they be tackled going forward? How can we ensure that systems of governance promote fairness and equality for all? How can we address historical injustices and power imbalances?
- What is the role of the judiciary in shaping and influencing forms of governance?
- What roles can culture and context play in shaping approaches and opposition to governance?
- How do different people and groups understand governance and how have they done so over time and space? What values and assumptions are involved in the development, maintenance and agitation against governance?
- How have and how can governance models build in resilience and adaptation in the face of external and internal developments and changes? How is governance affected by everyday life and long-running processes of social, economic or technological change?
- How effective are international treaties, agreements and institutions in promoting cooperation and resolving conflicts between nations?
In order to incentivise long-term collaboration and networking, seed funding will be made available for which participants can apply. These collaborations must be international in their makeup, and can be either partnerships or groups. Time will be set aside on the final day of the symposium for a ‘sandpit’ style session in which participants write up their proposed collaboration and submit applications by the end of the session.
The symposium format will allow for extensive discussion and debate, with considerable time set aside for this and wider networking opportunities.
Eligibility requirements
For the purpose of this symposium, early career is defined as being within a seven-year period from the award of a doctorate. Participants must be based at research institutions in the UK or France.
Attendance is mandatory for the entire symposium. If this is not met, it will result in a participant not being eligible for the seed funding available.
Participants must be able to travel during dates and times and on trains chosen by the British Academy. All travel to the symposium will take place on Wednesday 13 November. Participants may depart after the end of the symposium on Friday evening if this is feasible or can return on Saturday 16 November.
UK-based attendees may only participate in two British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposia in any 24-month period.
Selection criteria
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Proven research interest and/or experience in the symposium’s theme
- Commitment to interdisciplinary engagement and research
- Value of symposium to applicant’s career development
Application process
Applicants should provide a completed application form submitted online using the British Academy's Grant Management System (GMS), Flexi-Grant®.
The deadline for submissions is Monday 30 September at 17:00 (BST).
Successful applicants will be notified by mid-October.
Logistics
The symposium will take place in Paris, France, from 14-15 November 2024. The costs of travel, visas and accommodation for participants will be covered. Participants should attend the entire symposium programme and be available to travel on transport options chosen by the British Academy. Participants based in France will be informed by the CNRS of the administrative procedures for covering their travel costs.
All travel to and from the symposium will take place by train. Departure from Paris will take place on Saturday 16 November (or Friday 15 November after the end of the symposium, if preferred). Where necessary, the British Academy will cover the cost of a hotel en route to enable participants to travel by train.
Contact details
