Collaborative Research Grant Scheme 

Collaborative Research 2026

Interested researchers are invited to discuss their ideas with either Professor Christopher Bickerton, cb799@cam.ac.uk and Professor Claire Colomb, cmc228@cam.ac.uk (UoC), or Professor Colin Hay colin.hay@sciencespo.fr (Sciences Po).

CamPo projects should be aligned with the following criteria for success:

  • The production of academic publications and public policy contributions stemming from the various research collaboration efforts;
  • The development of applications for large scale externally funding projects that include Cambridge and Sciences Po academics as co-investigators or as leading members of a wider consortium;
  • A sustainable Anglo-French collaborative research partnership in their specific area.

Each proposal may be submitted by either the Cambridge or Sciences Po co-applicant but must include partners from both institutions in all cases.

Funding available

We aim to fund multiple projects, each up to a maximum of £3,000, as funds permit.

Eligible costs:

  • Accommodation and travel expenses, these are restricted to Campo applicant(s) and collaborators;
  • Direct costs of conferences, workshops and seminars for Cambridge and Sciences Po colleagues;
  • Direct costs of research activity for the project (including research assistance).

Ineligible costs:

  • Salaries of tenured staff, other stipends and indirect costs;
  • Accommodation and travel for external delegates to conferences, workshops, seminars.

Applicants are welcome to pledge match-funding of their own in order to maximise scale, and/or to seek additional support through external funding.

All project expenditure must be processed by 1 December 2026.

Eligibility

Cambridge applicants

Applications are invited from researchers active in the arts, humanities and social sciences who hold a contract of employment with either the University or the Colleges (i.e. CTO, JRF and postdocs are eligible, but not visiting or affiliated researchers). Emeritus staff are not eligible to apply.

Awards may only be held via a faculty or department. Staff applying from a college or other independent institution will be asked to indicate in their application which faculty or department they are affiliated to.

Sciences Po applicants

Applications are invited from the permanent faculty staff of Sciences Po, i.e., researchers from the CNRS or the FNSP, university professors and readers, and FNSP assistant, associate or full professors for all supported activities. Postdocs are also eligible. Emeritus staff are not eligible to apply.

Selection process and criteria

Applicants should provide the following documentation of up to two A4 pages in PDF format:

    1. Project description including the intellectual rationale, objectives, plan of activities;
    2. Budget with itemised costs (using the template provided);
    3. CVs for the main applicants from both institutions;
    4. For projects in which a visit is foreseen, an agreement letter on behalf of the director of the concerned research unit or head of department.

A committee comprising Sciences Po and Cambridge members will jointly determine which projects will be funded.

Proposals must be submitted from 15 September 2025 via this online application.

Reporting

As a condition of the award, each awardee will be asked to provide a statement of expenditure and a brief report on the outcomes of the project and the extent to which the specific aims/outputs have been achieved. The CamPo scheme should be credited in any outputs facilitated by this award.

A report template will be provided with the award letter.

Reports are due within thirty days of the end-date proposed in the original application.

Any queries relating to the scheme or the application process should be referred to CamPo@admin.cam.ac.uk.