The Global Research Fund (GRF) is an institution-wide scheme supporting collaborative endeavours between LSE faculty and their nominated domestic or international research partners.
The Global Research Fund provides targeted support for researchers seeking to establish UK and international research links or to further existing links. The scheme acts as a seed fund to enable LSE researchers to initiate and carry out collaborative research activities that facilitate joint research publications and future joint grant applications to domestic and international funders.
The scheme is administrated by the International Strategy and Academic Partnerships (ISAP) team in Philanthropy and Global Engagement (PAGE), with support from Professor Susana Mourato, LSE's Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research).
Example activities include but are not limited to:
- Joint research development activities that often do not receive financial support at the earliest stages, e.g. on-site meetings, seminars and, workshops;
- Inbound and outbound visits as part of reciprocal agreement; Invited lectures and seminars to establish or enhance contacts between groups and individuals;
- New network membership that further raises the departmental/institutional international profile through targeted engagement with specialist alliances or networks;
- Services used to promote, disseminate and raise the profile of research to international audiences.
Please note, any proposed activities should have tangible intended outcomes related to joint publications and/or grant proposals. This should be clearly articulated in the application and will be measured through post-award tracking exercises.
The fund will particularly welcome applications that demonstrate a track record of collaboration or for new partnerships with a plan that outlines the sustainability of the proposed partnership beyond the initial funding phase. Preference will also be given to applications that will receive partial contributions from the partner institution and/or hosting academic unit. Applications will be assessed by an expert panel formed by senior LSE faculty.
Download the GRF application form here.
Applications now open with an expended scope of supporting applications for UK partnership development, as well as international partnerships.
The GRF can be used as a top-up fund to any existing funding provision (please include details on secure funding in the application form), or be listed as a way to demonstrate institutional support to potential external funders. The GRF uses a tiered award system to recognise applications of different sizes. Eligible costs associated with each tier are shown below. Please note these tiers are suggestions and the panel will endeavour to consider applications on an individual basis.
For the 2024-25 GRF call, the panel seek to award up to fifteen projects across the two tiers listed below:
- Tier 1 (up to £5,000): to cover research visit to international partner institutions (LSE lead applicant only), or vice versa for partner institution PI, typically for no longer than five calendar days.
- Tier 2 (up to £2,500, only applicable to current and previous GRF awardees): to provide additional funding support to further build on collaborative projects that are currently underway and seeking to expand in research scope and/or collaborative partners.
Funds can only be spent on activities that fit the purpose of this call. Applicants should itemise their budget using the tables in the application form. The International Strategy and Academic Partnerships team reserve the right to verify submitted expenses.
The call is open to all colleagues employed in roles listed in the LSE role profiles page.
Applicants should ideally have a contract of employment at LSE in place until 31 July 2026 or are able to demonstrate in their application that they have links with LSE over the years and into the future, in order to ensure that post-award assessment and regular communications can be carried out for all awarded projects.
By submitting an application, the LSE principal investigator agrees to be contacted by relevant teams for the post-award monitoring and tracking purposes.
Applications must be submitted to Global@lse.ac.uk. Only applications submitted to this e-mail address before the deadline will be considered.
One proposal per Principal Applicant per call is permitted.
Applications must be completed on the template provided and within the page limit stated.
Note for applicants: the ISAP Team will acknowledge all submissions with a personalised reply. If you have not heard from the ISAP team within two working days after your submission, please re-send your application.
Successful applicants will be asked to submit a short post-award report to summarise the activity, achieved outcomes and provide a future collaboration plan. The ISAP team may contact successful applicants to co-create case studies after the award.
- Deadline for the call for submission of applications: 5pm, 28 March 2025
- All receipts for expenses must be submitted by 5pm, 20 December 2025
We work with a comprehensive panel of senior faculty members from different areas across LSE to review applications and provide expert advice. The panel members are (surname A-Z):