New funding scheme for research into pandemics and cities

Blog Funding 28th June 2021

The Urban Studies Foundation (USF) is pleased to announce the launch of a new funding initiative: Pandemics and Cities. Eligible proposals may focus on either COVID-19 specifically, or on other major infectious disease outbreaks. The USF will provide up to £25,000 seed-funding per project, for innovative interdisciplinary and partnered research that helps gain deeper understanding of the social, political, economic, cultural and/or environmental dimensions of pandemics on urban lives and places. Each proposal must clearly demonstrate a meaningful research partnership between a minimum of two organisations, and should be aimed towards developing into larger research initiatives in future.

More can be read about the funding scheme here, and prospective applicants should ensure they have consulted all Further Particulars documentation before applying to the award.

This award has been launched in response to the unprecedented effects of COVID-19 upon urban life. As a global crisis, posing myriad forms of enduring impact upon cities and their residents around the world, the USF believes that this investment in new urban studies research is both timely and essential. Here, whilst various welcome COVID-19 grants have appeared upon the radar of urban research in the past year, the USF believes that the partnered nature of this seed-funding is especially important.

In particular, the award is intended as a means to encourage and support long-term collaboration and investigation into pandemics and cities, with a view that this deeply challenging spectre will require sustained scholarly attention for many years to come. It is therefore intended that whilst proposals should aim to present key outcomes of significant local, national and/or global concern within the initial phase of the research, that the longer-term strategy for developing each project should be clear. The USF will be happy to welcome applications to this funding from candidates around the world.

Interested parties should first consult the funding particulars here, and then feel free to contact the USF to discuss or clarify if necessary.