This call is now closed.
The XCEPT Research Fund is commissioning research that applies a feminist lens to the study of conflict-affected borderlands.
| Opportunity status: | Closed |
| Submission deadline: | Monday 15 September 2025, 10:00 BST |
| Funder: | XCEPT research programme, funded by UK International Development |
| Estimated number of awards: | 3 |
| Budget range for each award: | Up to £15,000 GBP |
| Estimated period of performance: | 6-9 months |
The Cross-border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) research programme brings together world-leading experts and local researchers to examine conflict-affected borderlands, how conflicts connect across borders, and the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour. Funded by UK International Development, XCEPT offers rigorous public good research to advance scholarship and inform policies and programmes that support peace. The programme includes the XCEPT Research Fund (XRF) to commission high-quality new research.
This XRF call for abstracts will support the development of a series of high-quality papers that apply a feminist lens to the study of conflict-affected borderlands, with a particular focus on power structures linked to masculinities and femininities, the gendered dynamics of agency within conflict ecosystems, and the potential for feminist approaches to inform more just and transformative peacebuilding in borderlands. Grounded in questions of power, resistance, and structural inequality, this research will contribute to advancing feminist knowledge and practice in borderland contexts and to generating more contextually grounded, equity-focused policy responses to conflict and governance challenges in fragile and contested spaces.
Applicants are invited to submit an abstract that explores one of the below questions and themes.
The primary output of each award will be a high-quality paper prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed academic journal. Successful applicants will also be expected to produce one public-facing output — such as a blog post, podcast, or commentary — to share insights with broader audiences, such as policymakers, practitioners, and borderland communities.
To learn more about this opportunity and to apply click on the documents below:
Applications must be submitted via email to [email protected]
We hosted a virtual question and answer (Q&A) session about this funding opportunity on Tuesday 2 September. You can view the recording below and the session slides here.
The deadline for abstract submissions is Monday 15 September 2025 at 10:00 BST.
The Cross-border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) research programme brings together world-leading experts and local researchers to examine conflict-affected borderlands, how conflicts connect across borders, and the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour. Funded by UK International Development, XCEPT offers actionable research to inform policies and programmes that support peace.
XCEPT’s focus on conflict-affected borderlands and how conflicts connect across borders sets us apart. We view conflicts as complex systems that connect across borders and ensnare conflict actors and communities, intertwining the licit and illicit, the formal and informal.
We argue that since conflicts are not bound by national borders, responses to conflict should not be bound by national borders either. Responses to conflict should be transnational. They should work at local, state, and regional levels and enable integrated and coordinated international responses.
Chemonics UK is the lead implementing partner for XCEPT, working with King’s College London. Other core partners during the life of the programme have included: The Asia Foundation; Chatham House; Conciliation Resources; Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center; and Rift Valley Institute.
XCEPT works with many other research organisations through the XCEPT Research Fund (XRF). These include leading universities and think tanks and grassroots organisations dedicated to building peace. XCEPT offers awards to both individuals and institutions to support high-quality mixed-methods research, published in leading journals and institutional channels. We support researchers in innovative application of remote research methods alongside field data collection, pushing the boundaries of how technology can be used to track conflict dynamics.
Papers may be authored individually or co-authored. To be eligible for this opportunity, the lead author must meet the criteria described in the call document. This includes holding a PhD in a relevant discipline, and having at least one publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Applications should be submitted via email to [email protected]. Detailed instructions on how to submit an application are included in the Call for Abstracts document. All applications should include:
Yes, the deadline to submit applications is Monday 15 September 2025 at 10:00 BST.
Yes, applicants may submit more than one proposal, but no author will receive more than one award. Each proposal should be submitted separately.
Applicants will be notified by XCEPT regarding selection within one month of the submission deadline.
XCEPT anticipates these awards to start in late October 2025.
We anticipate funding individual papers up to £15,000. In exceptional cases, a slightly higher budget may be considered where there is a clear and compelling justification, for example, related to the complexity or scope of the proposed research, data collection, or authorship arrangements.
We anticipate funding three applicants for full paper development. However, this is indicative only. The final number of awards may be higher or lower, depending on the quality and strategic fit of the proposals received.
The proposed research should concentrate on conflict-affected borderlands in XCEPT’s core geographies:
Research may focus on a single region or span multiple regions. Proposals that address other geographies will be considered, with particular interest in research that offers comparative value for XCEPT’s core areas of focus.
The primary output of each award will be a high-quality paper prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed academic journal.
Successful applicants also will be expected to produce a public-facing output — such as a commentary or blog post — to share key insights with broader audiences, such as policymakers, practitioners, and borderland communities.
To learn more about this funding opportunity, please join the virtual question and answer (Q&A) session on 2 September 2025 at 14:00-15:00. This will be an opportunity to ask questions about this call for papers. If you are interested in joining the Q&A, please confirm your attendance by completing this form
If you have any clarification questions, please ask them at the Q&A or email them to [email protected] by the clarification questions deadline on Monday 8 September 2025, 18:00 BST.
A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), updated on 10 September, can be found here.
