Independent Social Research Foundation

Recent Fellows and Associates

We fund research projects through competitive grant programmes aimed at UK and European scholars working across the social sciences and humanities.

Dr Anthony Ince

Mid-Career Fellow 2025-26

Dr Ludek Stavinoha

Mid-Career Fellow 2025-26

Professor Nick Megoran

Mid-Career Fellow 2025-26

Professor Phillip Ayoub

Mid-Career Fellow 2025-26

Dr Thomas Raymen

Mid-Career Fellow 2025-26

Professor Yasminah Beebeejaun

Mid-Career Fellow 2025

Search our Fellows

Funding

We support independent-minded researchers exploring and presenting original research ideas which take new approaches, and suggest new solutions, to real-world social problems.

ISRF Funding is awarded competitively through a series of Grant Competitions for individual Fellowships and small group projects.

Explore Funding

Early Career Fellows

Scholars within 10 years of PhD award.

Mid-Career Fellows

Scholars more than 10 years post-PhD.

Independent Scholar Fellows

Independent scholars who do not hold an appointment at an institution of higher education and research.

First Book Fellows

Scholars within 3 years of PhD award.

Political Economy Fellows

Scholars working in Political Economy.

Collaborative Fellows

Pairs of scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds.

Small Group Projects

For groups of 2-10 scholars.

Other Projects and Partnerships

Non-competitively funded projects, institutional partnerships and discretionary awards.

Blog

5 min

How refugee entrepreneurs are supplying sustainable energy to the camps they live in

Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen

Refugees are providing energy within camps home to millions of displaced people around the world, establishing shops, phone charging stations, even cinemas.

15 min

‘Stress Testing Democracy’

Adam Balcer

In this contribution to Bulletin 32, Adam Balcer discusses the sharp rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in Poland and its normalisation at the hands of centrist politicians.

9 min

Fairness in University Financing

Lars Cornelissen

Lars Cornelissen argues that the debate over university financing is hampered by a limited conception of what fairness means and, by extension, what universities are really for.

10 min

Feeling Good, Not Bad

Christopher Newfield

In this Director's Note, Christopher Newfield explains why he thinks the crises we are stuck in will not be resolved until the 2030s.

5 min

While plastic dominates human consumption, the global economy will remain hooked on fossil fuels

Adam Hanieh

Despite growing awareness around the problems associated with plastic, there is a fundamental flaw in how we tend to think about it as a product.

12 min

Deconstructing Migration as Connected Histories and Right to Development

Angelika Fortuna

In this contribution to Bulletin 32, Angelika Fortuna argues that global inequality, rooted in colonial history and continued uneven development, sits at the root of migration flows.

5 min

Four things you really need to know about the oil industry’s stranglehold on capitalism

Adam Hanieh

ISRF Fellow Adam Hanieh’s new book draws back the veil on our ever growing dependency on oil.

10 min

Of House and Immigrants

Theresa Audrey O. Esteban

In this contribution to Bulletin 31, Theresa Audrey O. Esteban reflects on how post-war Rotterdam's urban geography and political climate shifted in response to changing migration patterns.

View all Blog Posts

Events

We host a variety of events which aim to provide a platform for ISRF Fellows to report on their research projects, and also to contribute to broader conversations and discussions across the social sciences.

27th February, 2025

17:00 - 19:00 WET/GMT

Spying on Muslims in Colonial Mozambique, 1964-74

An in-person & online book launch and conversation with Dr Sandra Araújo, author of 'Spying on Muslims in Colonial Mozambique, 1964-74'.

Learn more

7th March, 2025

13:00 - 15:00 GMT

The Politics of Unemployment Policy in Britain

An in-person book launch and conversation with Dr Jay Wiggan, author of 'The Politics of Unemployment Policy in Britain'.

Learn more

20th March, 2025

18:00 - 19:30 GMT

The Sound of Difference

An in-person & online book launch and conversation with Dr Kristina Kolbe, author of 'The Sound of Difference'.

Learn more

Past events

13th Nov 2024

Crude Capitalism

An in-person & online book launch and conversation with Professor Adam Hanieh, author of Crude Capitalism, also featuring Adrienne Buller & Angus McNelly.

23rd Jan 2025

Like Lockdown Never Happened

An in-person book launch and conversation with Dr Joy White, author of Like Lockdown Never Happened.

28th Nov 2024

Voices in the Dark

An in-person & online book launch and conversation with Dr Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen, author of Voices in the Dark, also featuring Samer Abdelnour & Kirsten McConnachie.

Find out more about our events

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