UCL-Cornell Joint Research Seed Grants 2025-26

Summary of Call

UCL Global Engagement, Cornell University’s Brooks Center on Global Democracy and Global Cornell are pleased to invite proposals for joint projects on the theme of Rule of Law and Democracy.

This call aims to facilitate collaboration between Cornell and UCL by providing initial financial support for early-stage joint research projects that advance scholarship, expand capacity-building, and lead to long-term partnerships that attract external funding.

UCL and Cornell have identified a mutual interest in catalyzing projects that explore the mechanisms of sustaining and bolstering rule of law and democratic practice, including those that focus on topics related to:

Identity, social cohesion, hierarchies, and the institutional embedding of pluralism
Legitimacy, trust, emotions, and individual to societal mechanisms of change
Freedom of expression, deliberation and contention
Media and communications, particularly as they relate to narratives of crisis, polarization, security, and expanding or challenging rights
Social movements and political parties
Accountability, governance, institutional checks and balances, policy transfers, and state capacity
Market forces, labor, and trade
Education, civics, and democracy

These thematic arenas relate to both crisis and response, and the spectrum of contestation over democracy as more or less inclusive and equitable, the forms of restriction and exclusion, and the strategies and tactics associated with democratic backsliding, resistance, policy implementation, managing conflict and pluralism, and expanding the bounds of normative democratic imaginings and applied practice.

We welcome all methods and principles of approach, including comparative and area studies, interdisciplinary explorations, and across scales of inquiry from local, national, and global. Projects seeking to contribute to democratic innovations and bolstering the rule of law, engaging the public and external partners, are welcome.

How to apply

1) UCL lead applicants are invited to submit their proposals on behalf of their project team via this application portal.

2) Applications will be assessed by a joint UCL-Cornell review committee.

3) Before submitting your application, please read the full funding guidelines (found on the Call for Applications webpage).

Key dates

Deadline for application: 11:59 p.m. (EST) 03 November 2025

Decisions communicated to applicants: by end of November 2025

Project Title (Max 30 words)*

0/30

What is / are your project's research area(s)? (Max 15 words)*

Project Abstract (Max 150 words)*

A short summary of the research and project suitable for general communications. 0/150

Please tick to confirm that the activity is planned to be purchased and take place between date of award and 31 July 2026.*

Tick here to confirm

All anticipated costs in the attached application have been calculated according to any required UCL/Cornell expenses and travel policy. (For UCL staff, a Worktribe costing is not necessary.)*

Tick here to confirm

Please tick here to confirm you will undertake the relevant and appropriate ethical approval, research security and due diligence for the size and scope of your project.*

Tick here to confirm

Please tick here to confirm that you are willing to be contacted by UCL Global Engagement for reporting purposes.*

Tick here to confirm

A. UCL Applicant Information

Criteria:
Applications are open to UCL staff members across all faculties and departments with the following roles:

Professor or equivalent
Associate Professor/ Reader or equivalent
Senior Lecturer/Principal Researcher/Principal Research Associate or equivalent
Lecturer/Senior Research Associate or equivalent

Applicants must have an open-ended UCL contract or a fixed-term contract which lasts until (at least) end of July 2026.

Applications from early career researchers are eligible and encouraged.

Name of UCL lead applicant*

PrefixFirst NameLast Name

E-mail*

Role/Title *

Faculty*

Institute of Education*

Social & Historical Sciences*

Population Health Sciences*

Medical Sciences*

Mathematical & Physical Sciences *

Life Sciences*

Engineering Sciences*

Bartlett*

Brain Sciences*

Arts & Humanities*

Other*

Lead applicant UCL Person Identifier (UPI) Number*

This can be found on your UCL ID card in the bottom left corner.

Is there more than one UCL applicant?*

Name of UCL co-applicant

PrefixFirst NameLast Name

E-mail

Role/Title

Faculty

Department

Is there more than one UCL co-applicant?

Name of second UCL co-applicant

PrefixFirst NameLast Name

E-mail

Faculty

Department

Role/Title

If your group has more than 2 co-applicants, please provide full details in your project proposal attachment.

B. Cornell Applicant Information

Criteria:
All Cornell Principal Investigators must meet Cornell’s PI eligibility criteria.

Applications from early career researchers are eligible and encouraged.

Name of Cornell lead applicant*

PrefixFirst NameLast Name

E-mail*

Role/Title*

Department*

Faculty or equivalent *

Is there more than one Cornell applicant?*

Name of Cornell co-applicant

PrefixFirst NameLast Name

E-mail

Role/Title

Department

Faculty or equivalent

Is there more than one Cornell co-applicant?*

Name of Cornell second co-applicant

PrefixFirst NameLast Name

E-mail

Role/Title

Department

Faculty or equivalent

If your group has more than 2 partner co-applicants, please provide full details in your project proposal attachment.

Aims, Areas of Focus and Academic Rationale (Max 500 words) *

Please state clearly the justification for the design and basis for collaboration.0/500

Programme of Activity and Intended Outputs (Max 500 words) *

Please summarise key activities envisaged as part of the project and what outputs you anticipate. 0/500

Composition of Project Team and Track Record (Max 600 words)*

Please provide a summary of how individuals’ expertise will contribute to achieving the project aims and highlights from any previous engagement, if applicable. 0/600

Outcomes and Impact (Max 300 words)*

What are the expected impacts / outcomes of the project? You may wish to reference short term, medium term and long term aims. 0/300

Sustaining the Collaboration (Max 500 words)*

Proposals must include a specific plan for how the project will become sustainable. Please include your long-term plan for attracting research funding.0/500

UCL FUNDING BID (up to £5,000 per project): Please breakdown the bid spending on the UCL side below with the expense item in the left column and value(s) in the right column. (Minimum 1 table entry required)*

	Expense Item	Cost (in £)
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Total GBP amount you are applying for: *

Bids can be submitted for up to £10,000 total, with up to £5,000 granted from UCL and up to $6,750 (the equivalent) granted from Cornell.

CORNELL FUNDING BID (up to $6,750 per project): Please breakdown the bid spending on the Cornell side below with the expense item in the left column and value(s) in the right column. (Minimum 1 table entry required)*

	Expense Item	Cost (in $)
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Total USD amount you are applying for:*

Bids can be submitted for up to £10,000 total, with up to £5,000 granted from UCL and up to $6,750 (the equivalent) granted from Cornell.

If greater than your bid amount, what is the total cost of activity?*

If the total cost of the activity is greater than the amount you are applying for, please explain how this will be covered. If you are receiving any other additional funding sources for work related to this activity, please provide details. (Max 200 words)*

UCL - Cornell Joint Research Seed Grants 2025-26

Section 1: About the Project

Section 2: Project Team

Section 3: Project Details

Section 4: Project Budget