British Academy Call for Just Transitions within Sectors and Industries Globally

Supported by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the British Academy is inviting proposals from UK and internationally-based researchers in the humanities and social sciences aiming to support around five in-depth studies focused on just transitions in sectors and industries globally.

The studies will undertake research, such as focus groups, surveys, and policy mapping that will be brought together into a set of recommendations for policymakers, communities, workers, business and the wider public. The studies will focus on demonstrating the pinch-points and trade-offs faced in the next 20-30 years.

The Academy is keen to support research that examines how to apply Just Transition principles to sectors and industries globally. In particular, a focus on:

• Social dialogue and consultation at a variety of levels on how to achieve a just transition incorporating a broad range of people, organisations, and the strong gender dimension of many environmental challenges and opportunities
• Anticipating the social, economic and political impacts of climate change, biodiversity, decarbonisation and a just transition so that more opportunities for decent and fair work can be realised
• Developing an enabling environment with new approaches and opportunities, particularly between cross-cutting policy portfolios, for business, workers, communities, policymakers and the wider public to take forward environmentally sustainable and inclusive economies and societies
• Being mindful of local context and utilising local knowledge, and the specific needs of different communities, sectors, countries and regions.

Projects can and should build on existing or ongoing research, but should ultimately allow the Academy to establish an evidence base that can be used to answer the questions:

• How the notion of just transition is being defined and implemented, in particular by and for whom in these sectors and industries globally, and how this may be being contested?
• What are the challenges and pinch points socially, economically and politically that will need to be met for just transitions to take place at different points in supply and value chains within these sectors and industries globally?
• How can this process be managed equitably, sustainably and in a socially just manner?
• What are the options and pathways for communities, workers, businesses, policymakers and the wider public to manage the potential disruption and deliver the opportunities of a just transition in these sectors and industries?

Project teams must demonstrate an ability to understand and work in these contexts with an expectation that UK and internationally-based researchers will be involved. Applicants are encouraged to bring together different communities of expertise, for example, academic, professional, business, lay or community and to demonstrate a track record and ability to work together.

The lead applicant must be:

• A researcher from the humanities or social sciences and be based at an eligible UK university or research institute
• Of postdoctoral status or above (or have equivalent research experience) and their position must last at least the duration of the grant funded by the Academy.

Awards of five months in duration and up to £100,000 (80% full economic cost) are available.

Funding can be used to:

• Support the time of the Principal Investigator and Co-Applicants
• Research assistance
• Travel
• Fieldwork and related expenses
• Networking costs.

Applications must be submitted online by the deadline of 06 October 2021 (17:00 UK time).