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Funded conferences

A key part of the BIH mission is the promotion of new ideas and forms of understanding in the humanities, which is achieved by fostering a climate of interdisciplinary research and collaboration among colleagues across Birkbeck and beyond.

We develop occasional conferences and other events with other partners, for example, in early 2020 the Dissent in Dark Times festival of critical thought was held in partnership with the London Review of Books in the main Birkbeck building in London's Bloomsbury, while its second iteration (March 2021) was an entirely virtual event.

In addition, each year the BIH steering group committee allocates a part of the annual budget to support conferences, symposia and workshops convened by colleagues within Birkbeck. Staff and researchers submit applications for funding appropriate to the remit of the BIH: interdisciplinary research in the field of critical thinking and questions of social justice in the humanities (i.e. increased inequalities; the rise of authoritarianism; decolonisation; sexuality and gender).

There is consonance between the topics we cover at BIH and the preliminary ideas of the OSF Ideas Workshop – in particular with reference to the Anthropocene, Climate Crisis, Learning from the Right, Democracy and its Discontents, Complicating Identity Politics, Recreating the Global, Mapping Ideas. We are grateful of the generous support received by the Open Society Foundations, thanks to which we are able to fund circa four to six conferences, workshops or symposia. These would take place between early December 2025 and early July 2026.

As an external-facing institute, BIH events are generally open to the public. We encourage funded conferences, workshops and symposia to be open to the public in whole, or in part. This includes using media resources to document and disseminate events more broadly.

What to expect

  • Applications are considered by the BIH steering group on an annual basis. The next decision-making meeting will be in November 2025.
  • In 2025-26, we are able to fund circa four to six conferences, workshops or symposia. These would take place between early December 2025 and early July 2026.
  • We especially welcome proposals that challenge conventional thinking and have a contribution to makes in relation to key, critically urgent ideas under three main themes: Dissent; Aesthetics and Transformational Politics; Psychoanalysis and Freedom.
  • The BIH conference funding can be used for speakers’ fees, travel and/or accommodation expenses as well as other general conference expenses as detailed in following pages. Catering costs cannot be funded.
  • Read the guidelines and further information for potential applicants.

How to Apply