The 2026 Research Impact Award is now open for applications!
Closing date: 27 March 2026.
The Research Impact Award is awarded annually to members of ASEAS to support research and impact activities in Southeast Asian Studies.
Click here to find out more about the benefits of ASEAS membership and to join.
Types of projects funded include:
- Fieldwork in Southeast Asia or key sites in the diaspora;
- In line with ASEAS’s commitment to do its part in combating climate catastrophe, the Research Impact Award supports low-carbon and more inclusive research practices. The award can be used to support the hiring of a research assistant to consult archives remotely or the purchase of an individual subscription to an online resource database. If remote research is not possible, scholars can also apply to travel for research purposes, but they will have to include a brief statement explaining why travel is necessary;
- Research visits to important regional archives, museums, collections, exhibitions or performances (concerning but not necessarily located in Southeast Asia);
- A visit to engage in collaborative work (for example, writing, artistic practice or the development of a digital project) with an academic or practitioner colleague from another institution in Southeast Asia;
- The development or dissemination of a film, audio piece, website, or other artistic project in order to communicate research to a non-academic audience. Click here for guidance and advice on developing a digital project by former ASEAS award recipient Dr Charlie Rumsby;
- Delivery of a paper to an academic or practitioner audience based on research previously conducted on/in the region.
Eligibility
- Applicants can be based anywhere in the world but must be members of ASEAS and Early Career Researchers. ‘Early Career’ scholars are those working at postgraduate level or above or within five years of their first continuing lecturing or research appointment.
- One award of up to £2000 is allocated each year.
- The decision on allocating the award will be made on the basis of the proposed project’s fit with the criteria outlined in the Guidance Notes (see below) and on the expected outcomes. Awards cannot be made retrospectively.
How to apply
Please complete the RIA Application Form below and save as a PDF document. Applications must be submitted as a PDF document to awards@southeastasianstudies.org by midnight on the closing date of 27 March 2026. Please read through the RIA Guidance Notes before completing the Application Form.
Applicants should ensure that references from two senior scholars are sent to awards@southeastasianstudies.org by midnight on the closing date of 27 March 2026, using the RIA Referee Form below. The ASEAS Research Grants Committee may also call on additional referees to assess an application.
The Application Form, Referee Form, and Guidance Notes are available to download below.
For enquiries about the award, please contact awards@southeastasianstudies.org
Required documents
Previous recipients
Click here to find out more about previous RIA recipients and their projects.
ASEAS 