2026 Research Impact Award

The Association of Southeast Asian Studies (ASEAS) invites applications for the 2026 Research Impact Award, an annual award designed to support research and impact activities in Southeast Asian Studies. The award is intended to help early career scholars progress their research through activities such as fieldwork in Southeast Asia or key sites in the diaspora, research visits to archives, museums or collections relevant to Southeast Asia, and collaboration with academic or practitioner partners in Southeast Asia. In line with ASEAS’s climate commitments, the award also supports low carbon approaches such as funding a research assistant to consult archives remotely or purchasing individual subscriptions to online resource databases. Where travel is required, applicants should include a short justification explaining why travel is necessary. The award can also support dissemination and impact activities, including developing or sharing films, audio pieces, websites, or other creative or digital outputs aimed at non academic audiences, and delivering research based papers to academic or practitioner audiences. Awards are not retrospective and are assessed based on fit with the published guidance criteria and expected outcomes.

Applicants can be based anywhere in the world, but must meet all of the following: Must be a current member of ASEAS Must be an Early Career Researcher Early career is defined as postgraduate level or above, or within five years of the first continuing lecturing or research appointment Must submit an application as a PDF by the deadline Must arrange references from two senior scholars to be submitted by the same deadline Awards cannot be made retrospectively

Funding amount: One award of up to £2,000 What it can fund includes: a) Fieldwork in Southeast Asia or key sites in the diaspora b) Low carbon research alternatives such as hiring a research assistant to consult archives remotely c) Purchase of an individual subscription to an online resource database d) Research travel, only if remote research is not possible, with a short justification for why travel is necessary e) Research visits to archives, museums, collections, exhibitions or performances relevant to Southeast Asia f) Collaborative work visits with academic or practitioner colleagues from another institution in Southeast Asia g) Development or dissemination of film, audio, websites, or other artistic or digital projects to reach non academic audiences h) Delivery of a paper to an academic or practitioner audience based on prior research in or on the region How it is assessed: fit with guidance notes and expected outcomes How to Apply Complete the official RIA Application Form and save as PDF Email the PDF application to awards@southeastasianstudies.org by midnight on the closing date Ensure two senior scholars submit references using the official referee form to the same email address by the same deadline Read the Guidance Notes before completing the application