The British Academy and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation are inviting applications for early career researchers in the humanities and social sciences to attend a research collaboration symposium on the broad theme of Truth, Justice and Peace (10-12 June 2026 in Bonn, Germany).
The symposium is designed specifically to encourage collaboration and networking, and aims to draw on a broad range of disciplines and expertise to reimagine notions of truth, justice, and peace for the 21st century.
Key questions:
- How can a re-examination of the categories and concepts used to discuss issues of truth, justice and peace lead to a more nuanced approach to these issues?
- How might we understand, for example, the conception, articulation and representation of transitional justice mechanisms past and present in relation to narratives of dignity, shame and identity?
- How do differing understandings of truth, justice and peace – within and across groups, communities and nations – not only shape but also potentially hinder or contest the discourses and practices through which sustainable and inclusive peace is pursued?
- How do new forms of knowledge and communication, digital and otherwise, affect these peacebuilding and reconciliation processes?
- How might we understand, for example, the conception, articulation and representation of concepts such as reconciliation and justice in relation to the complexities surrounding notions of truth and peace?
- How can intersectional perspectives, including considerations of social inequalities, help us understand differing conceptions of truth, justice and peace, and the ways in which processes of inclusion and exclusion shape the design and implementation of transitional justice mechanisms?
- How can representations of truth, justice and peace in literature and visual art illuminate the exploration of these?
- How does a comparative and/or historical context further shed light on these complexities?
- How do individuals and communities narrate conceptions of truth and justice in a range of forms, and how are they put into practice in concrete peacebuilding, reconciliation or conflict transformation processes?
ELIGIBLITY
Eligible applicants must be early career researchers affiliated with research institutions in the UK or Germany. For the purpose of this symposium, early career is defined as being within a 10-year period from the award of a doctorate.
Applications will be evaluated based on the applicant’s research interest in the theme of truth, justice and peace, commitment to interdisciplinary engagement, and potential for career development through symposium participation.
VALUE AND DURATION
The symposium covers travel, accommodation, and visa costs (participants are expected to attend the entire symposium and travel on designated dates).
In order to incentivise long-term collaboration and networking, seed funding will be made available for international collaborations formed during the symposium.
KEY DATES
Deadline: 29 October 2025
Successful applicants notified: End of November 2025
Symposium: 10-12 June 2026
More information, including details of past awards, can be found on the opportunity webpage.