Research Workshop Grants: Open for Applications until 14 October 

Our Research Workshop Grants are open for applications until 4pm on 14 October 2026. The grants are intended to facilitate intellectual and creative interaction and partnership between researchers from different disciplines and a range of institutions, across the academic community and the public, private and third sectors. They support a workshop, or series of workshops, that aim to generate a large funding bid and new innovative research activities. 

The scheme has become an important part of Wales’s research landscape, supporting 94 projects since it launched with just under £95,000 in total, and up to £1,000 for each successful project. Last year’s 21 recipients show how popular it has become in a short space of time, with projects ranging from young people’s vaping and the future of Welsh animation to Wales-Asia historical connections, seagrass in international climate policy and the impact of online hate.  

Our partnership with Academi Heddwch Cymru also continues as an important feature of this grant scheme, with special consideration given to projects that address how Wales might promote peace within Wales or internationally, and with additional funding of £1000 available to support projects involving international collaborators. You can read an overview of last year’s funded projects by clicking here. 

What can a Research Workshop Grant achieve? 

In our latest blog, Anita Pilgrim (Honorary Research Fellow at the Open University) reflects on how a £1,000 Research Workshop Grant supported the development of a growing community of practice focused on widening access to higher learning in Wales. The grant funded two hybrid seminars hosted at Coleg Cambria in Wrexham and Bridgend College, bringing together practitioners and researchers to share unpublished research, innovative practice, and insights on supporting disadvantaged learners.  

The seminars provided an opportunity for participants to connect with one another, exchange knowledge, and engage directly with national policymakers, including the then Minister for Further and Higher Education, who attended the Bridgend event. The work has since led to a special issue of the open-access journal Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, giving first-time authors from Further Education colleges a route to publication. The initiative also supported student engagement through a co-authored article on learner voice. You can click here to read Anita’s full blog.  

Another successful story involves the project Peace Through Language: Measuring Online Hate’s Impact led by Dr Phoebe Teh (Reader in Social Computing, Wrexham University. Supported by our Pathways to Peace stream sponsored by Academi Heddwch Cymru, the workshop grant brought together researchers, educators, and wider stakeholders to explore how language can be used as a tool for peace-building, inclusion, and positive community engagement. The project focused on translating research into practical resources that can be used by a broad public audience, and a significant outcome of the project was the development of the book, Peace Through Language: Simple Steps to Building a Kinder World Online. The publication provides practical guidance on how everyday communication can help create more respectful, empathetic, and inclusive online environments. Building on the LSW seed grant, the team secured the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants Award to develop the project further. 

What we are looking for 

The key principles of the scheme are: 

• Working with external partners to co-produce research outcomes and generate knowledge exchange across sectors 
• Adopting the principles and best practices of interdisciplinary working from the outset, allowing truly collaborative partnerships that provide solutions to complex challenges 
• Considering and contributing to at least one of the seven well-being goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 

Apply to this round 

In this round, we will be able to fund up to 22 projects for institutions in Wales. Up to £1,000 is available per project, and proposals must align with one of four research themes:  

• Wales Studies 
• Early Career Researchers 
• Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 
• Pathways to Peace (sponsored by Academi Heddwch Cymru). Pathways to Peace workshops that include an international partner may apply for up to £2,000.  

The application form is available by clicking here.  

Please read the Guidance for Applicants and Question Bank before applying.