Deadline: 15-Sep-2025
The Cross-border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) research programme has launched a call for concept notes to commission innovative research on the relationship between climate change, informal trade networks, and instability in conflict-affected borderlands.
The focus of this call is to produce innovative, empirically grounded research examining the relationship between climate change, informal trade networks, and instability in conflict-affected borderlands, with a focus on the role of informal cross-border trade in the causal pathways linking climate stress to instability and conflict. Concept notes should address how informal, cross-border trade functions as a strategy for climate change adaptation in conflict-affected borderlands, how the expansion of informal trade networks driven by climate extremes may contribute to conflict and instability, and under what conditions such networks fuel instability and conflict and what the implications are for local communities and climate adaptation. Research is encouraged to highlight civilian agency, assess the gendered dimensions of informal trade in response to climate stress, and explore the implications for access to resources, participation in decision-making, and the distribution of risks and benefits.
Through this initiative, XCEPT aims to generate a deeper understanding of how climate stress, weak governance, and informal cross-border activities converge in fragile contexts, shaping community survival strategies and influencing broader peace and security dynamics. While informal trade networks can provide vital lifelines during climate shocks, they may also be exploited by non-state armed groups, creating risks of instability. This research seeks to shed light on these complex dynamics to inform future policies and interventions.
A single award of up to £120,000 GBP will be granted for a 12-month project beginning in December 2025. The research should focus on XCEPT’s core geographic regions, including fragile and conflict-affected areas of the Middle East, Horn of Africa, Coastal West Africa and the Sahel, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Myanmar. Comparative and interdisciplinary approaches are particularly encouraged to explore variations across different contexts.
The call is open to organisations, including both for-profit and not-for-profit entities, with experience managing research projects of similar scale and scope. Consortia are welcome, with one lead organisation designated. Preference will be given to applications led by or partnering with researchers and organisations from the Global South. Government bodies are not eligible. Principal Investigators should demonstrate strong academic or professional credentials, and ethical approval must be obtained where required.
Applications involve a two-stage process, beginning with a concept note of up to 1,200 words, followed by a full project proposal for shortlisted applicants. The deadline for submission of concept notes is 16 September 2025, with shortlisted applicants invited in early October to submit full proposals.
For more information, visit XCEPT.
