2026 Call to the Research Innovation Programme

We invite applications for a large collaborative project that will advance sociological research on Greece and Cyprus in the fields of class analysis and the sociology of the elite.

Recent sociological research on Greece (and, to a lesser extent, Cyprus) has centred on the social consequences of prolonged crisis, especially austerity, inequality, and new forms of political mobilisation and social solidarity, alongside topics concerning political attitudes, electoral behaviour, migration dynamics, and the reconfiguration of labour markets. Within this context, questions of class, privilege, and social reproduction have received less attention than seen in the international literature.

In this call we are particularly interested in new research that will examine how class status and social privilege is produced, reproduced and/or reconfigured, with particular attention to the mechanisms that sustain or transform social stratification and the boundaries that structure it. While conceptualised under this frame, proposals should also identify specific questions to be addressed empirically, preferably drawing from among the following:

• Kinship, networks, and elite reproduction: the role of family ties, social networks, and institutional interlocks in the persistence and transmission of privilege
• Class background and life trajectories: the influence of social origins on education, career progression, aspirations, and responses to economic incentives, including intersectional dimensions (e.g. gender, ethnicity, spatial divides)
• Meritocracy and perceptions of fairness: the construction and contestation of meritocratic ideals (e.g., talent vs access vs effort), and their relationship to social mobility, inequality, and distributive justice
• Education and social mobility: the role of education (access, provision, content) in shaping opportunities and reproducing or mitigating class-based inequalities
• Symbolic boundaries and class identities: the classed dimensions of language, culture, and discourse, and their role in the reproduction of social distinctions and identities

Proposals are encouraged to engage with these themes from a clearly defined sociological perspective, demonstrating strong grounding in, and contribution to, relevant theoretical and empirical literatures on class, stratification, and social reproduction. All methodological (ethnography, discourse analysis, quasi-experimental methods, lab experiments, etc) and analytical perspectives (Marxian, Weberian, Bourdieuian, etc) are welcome. Preference, however, will be given to proposals that show methodological and analytical pluralism and combine interpretive analysis with causal-inference techniques into their research design. Proposals that seek to build sustained research agendas, and to foster collaboration across institutions (internationally), are especially encouraged.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to consult with the Hellenic Observatory team regarding the fit of their proposal with the aims of this Call by contacting HellenicObservatory.Research@lse.ac.uk .

We invite applications for research seeking to examine the position of women in Greece and/or Cyprus in selected domains, adding to existing relevant debates in the international literature.

Across Europe, gender equality has progressed unevenly, with persistent disparities in labour markets, income, representation, and access to opportunities. In Greece and Cyprus, these challenges are shaped by specific institutional, cultural, and economic conditions, including labour market segmentation, welfare state design, family structures, social norms and the legacies of recent crises. At the same time, rapid transformations – ranging from digitalisation and financial innovation to shifting norms around participation and representation – are reshaping both the forms and the boundaries of gender inequality.

Within this broad thematic area, this call solicits proposals seeking to explore the barriers and opportunities experienced by women in Greece and/or Cyprus across economic, social, and political domains, with particular attention to the interaction between structural constraints, institutional frameworks, and evolving individual behaviours. We are particularly interested in proposals that seek to address one of the following themes:

• Gender gaps in labour markets and economic participation: patterns and drivers of inequalities in employment, wages, career progression, and job quality, including the role of institutions, skills, and social norms
• Gender, financial inclusion, and digital transformation: gendered patterns in financial literacy, access to financial services and the adoption of financial technologies, including implications for economic empowerment
• Entrepreneurship and gender: barriers and opportunities faced by women entrepreneurs, including access to finance, networks, and markets, and their role in shaping innovation and growth
• Gender-based violence and social outcomes: the prevalence, determinants, and consequences of forms of gender-based violence, including femicides, and the role of social norms, institutional responses and legal frameworks
• Political participation and representation: gendered patterns in political and public policy engagement, leadership and representation, including barriers to participation and the effects of policy and societal-normative constraints

Proposals are encouraged to engage with these themes from a clearly defined disciplinary perspective (e.g. sociology, economics, political science, anthropology, psychology, etc), demonstrating strong grounding in, and contribution to, a relevant academic literature. All methodological approaches (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods) are welcome.

Particular emphasis will be placed on analytical rigour, conceptual clarity and the extent to which proposed research speaks directly to, and advances, established debates within the chosen field. While interdisciplinary perspectives are not excluded, priority will be given to projects that exhibit depth of engagement and methodological coherence within a single discipline.

The Call is open to researchers with a university affiliation who hold a PhD and normally have at least two years of postdoctoral research experience. This criterion does not apply to research assistants appointed to the project.

Applications from groups of researchers are also eligible, provided that the Principal Investigator and lead team members meet the eligibility criteria.

Applicants who have previously received funding from the Hellenic Observatory’s research calls may not reapply in the same academic year in which their previous project concluded.

Each individual or team may submit only one application per year.

A member of the LSE Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus - Hellenic Observatory may be included in the proposed project, but may not act as the Principal Investigator.

Proposals are to be submitted electronically in Word format to Hellenicobservatory.Research@lse.ac.uk

Proposals should not exceed 2,500 words and must address the five evaluation criteria outlined in the Selection Process section below. They should be structured under the following sub-headings:

• Summary: project title, name of the Principle Investigator (and other lead researchers together with a structure of the team and the allocation of tasks across its members), start and end dates, total budget figure
• Research objectives and project outline (including literature review)
• Methodology
• Time-Line
• Planned Publications (other than the Policy Brief and the Research Paper- see Deliverables below): format, content, publisher, date of submission
• Impact
• Annex 1: Personnel (including short biographies). Full CV’s should be attached as separate documents together with a listing of cited references.
• Annex 2: Detailed Budget - see Budget below. Please complete the Excel budget template provided.

The budget must provide a clear justification for all identified costs. Eligible costs include salaries, travel, research assistance, data and fieldwork, impact and knowledge exchange activities, and publications, provided that these can be reasonably considered essential to the proposed research.

Overhead costs of up to 15% of the total budget are permitted and must be included within the submitted budget. Any overhead costs must form part of, and not be additional to, the total amount requested under the scheme.

The Selection Committee reserves the right to request further clarification on budget items and may award a smaller amount than that requested or advertised. Funds awarded must be used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the application.

Proposals will be selected by the LSE Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece and Cypris - Hellenic Observatory and members of the Research Advisory Group according to the following criteria:

• Originality, significance, rigour and impact of the research
• Placement to internation literature / contribution to academic debates
• Dissemination and publication plan
• Policy relevance and impact
• Quality of the team / evidence of ability to deliver the stated outcomes

The Hellenic Observatory – Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece & Cyprus and the Research Advisory Group are solely responsible for approving the eligibility of applications and reserve the right to request additional information from applicants. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to participate in a video interview.

In all cases, the decisions of the Hellenic Observatory and the Research Advisory Group will be final. The Centre and the Research Advisory Group also reserve the right not to make any awards or to adjust the number of awards granted.

The successful researcher or research team is required to provide the following:

• Progress Report: A progress report of up to 1,500 words to be submitted in month 6 of the project (additional Progress Report at the end of month 12 for projects of a 24-month duration), detailing milestones achieved and any changes in the research plan (data, methodology, research design, etc).
• Final Report: A final report of up to 2,000 words to be submitted by month 12/24 of the project, outlining the main achievements of the project, explaining how each of the project objectives have been met (also in relation to the evaluation criteria listed above) and detailing the main results and empirical findings of the project and their key policy implications.
• Policy Brief: A policy brief of 1200 words, submitted at the conclusion of the project, following the template provided template – please see the documents section.

In addition, grant-holders undertake the following obligations:

• To provide a brief description of the project and short bios of the project team, for the project website.
• To update the HO regularly on any dissemination activities or publications accruing from the project, during and after the completion of the project.
• To give full acknowledgement to the Centre in all publicity and outputs related to the project.
• To deposit with the HO any primary data collected or created as part of the project, under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
• To present their work related to the project at the HO seminar series (upon invitation) and to facilitate the production by the HO or relevant publicity for the project outputs, including social media posts and podcasts/vidcasts (upon request).
• To submit a full research paper for consideration of publication at the HO’s GreeSE Papers series (subject to single-blind review), within 3 months from the completion of the project or as soon as possible thereafter.

The funds will be paid following the signature of a Research Grant Agreement between LSE and the institution(s) of the Principal Investigator(s) of the successful research projects. This Agreement will incorporate the programme of work proposed at the application stage. It will be drawn up upon notification of the successful candidates and must be signed prior to the commencement of the research project.

Projects are expected to start in January 2027 and no later than 1 March 2027. Payments will be made to an institutional research account at the Principal Investigator’s host institution.

Funds will be transferred in two equal instalments: the first upon commencement of the project, and the second upon completion of the defined outputs to the satisfaction of the Hellenic Observatory - Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece & Cyprus.

Application Deadline: 10 September 2026

Successful Projects advised: October 2026

Contracts drawn up: October – December 2026

Project Commencement: January – March 2027

Proposals should be submitted electronically in Word format to Hellenicobservatory.research@lse.ac.uk by 10 September 2026 (23.59 GMT) and the subject line of the email should read “HO Call 2026”. All applicants will receive a confirmation email upon receipt of their proposal.

All enquiries should be directed by email to Hellenicobservatory.research@lse.ac.uk.