XCEPT Research Fund

The XCEPT Research Fund (XRF) was the main commissioning platform for XCEPT. Managed by Chemonics UK, between 2020 to 2026 the XRF supported over 100 awardees across 70 different projects. It provided opportunities for both individual researchers and research organisations and institutions to conduct innovative research on conflict-affected borderlands, how conflicts connect across borders, the intersection of climate stresses and conflict, and how to improve responses to conflict. The XRF supported activities across different areas:

• Conflict response, examining how to break the confines of state-centric policy and planning to better address the transnational dimensions of conflict.
• Emerging issues and geographies, with research focusing on priority issues and geographies, including gender and social inclusion.
• Satellite imagery/data procurement and analysis, working with our partner Satellite Applications Catapult.
• Data fusion technology and innovative research methods, to bring new ways of working to conflict research.
• Responsive research, focused on rapid delivery, policy-relevant research that responds to crises.
• Core partner support, qualitative and quantitative field data collection to support research by XCEPT core partners Chatham House and Conciliation Resources.

A core aim of the XRF was to support local research networks through partnerships, capacity building and formal grants to ensure that our research was rooted in local expertise and insight.

The XRF is no longer commissioning new research.