Harnessing ACU member expertise to support Commonwealth member states in translating policy into action.
Applications opens: 28 April 2027
Applications closes: 9 June 2027, 15:00 UTC
The ACU’s Expert Groups seek to bridge academic policy gaps, harnessing ACU member expertise to advance key Commonwealth policy priorities and build strategic partnerships with policymakers, civil society, practitioner bodies, and ACU members to support their implementation.
Purposefully aligned with collective Commonwealth mandates, ACU Expert Groups bring together academic leaders from ACU member institutions working in key areas of sustainable development.
To engage even more ACU members in this work, the ACU runs a dedicated research fund to commission policy-relevant research on topics thematically linked to each Expert Group.
What does the research fund include?
Three awards of up to GBP 13,000 are available.
How to apply
- The applicant/project lead must be employed at an ACU member university.
- Proposals may be delivered by a wider interdisciplinary team (including doctoral students), with applications encouraged to specify how collaboration between individuals and disciplines/departments will support delivery.
- Review the application guidance.
- Submit an application through the online application form.
- If you have a MyACU account, you can access the application form through the platform when applications open.
- If you do not have a MyACU account, please ensure that you first register for an account and then follow the instructions in the registration email to log in to the system before accessing the application form.
Further information on the focus of the Expert Groups Research Fund for the 2026-27 cycle will be shared and updated on this web page once confirmed.
