Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) is proud to celebrate the achievements of our early-career researchers recognised in the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) Seed Fund Awards 2025–26
The prestigious British Academy Early Career Researcher Network Seed Fund Awards support innovative, humanities and social science led projects across the UK, helping emerging researchers build momentum, develop new collaborations and strengthen their research portfolios.
This year’s awards are particularly significant for Edinburgh Napier, with three of the six projects funded within the Scotland Cluster led by ENU researchers. Their success reflects the strength, ambition and societal relevance of the work being carried out across our research community.
The seed fund is designed to empower early-career researchers, particularly those with limited experience of securing external funding, by providing space, time and resources to explore new ideas. Awardees undertake nine-month projects that foster fresh research directions, interdisciplinary partnerships and pathways to future funding.
A growing national platform for early-career talent
The British Academy’s ECRN Seed Fund continues to expand its reach, supporting diverse and ambitious projects across the UK’s academic landscape. The Scotland Cluster plays a vital role in this network, bringing together researchers from across the region to collaborate, share expertise and build capacity in the humanities and social sciences.
Edinburgh Napier’s strong representation in this year’s Scotland Cluster awards highlights the University’s growing influence and the creativity of our early-career researchers.
Edinburgh Napier’s funded projects include:
Dr Khristin Fabian
In The Age Of AI: Investigating Filipino And UK Pre-service Teachers’ Perspectives On The Future Of Education Award: £4,716
Dr Fabian’s cross-cultural study explores how future teachers in the UK and the Philippines imagine the long-term future of education in an era shaped by artificial intelligence. Using speculative research methods, the project will engage pre-service teachers in workshops and interviews to examine their expectations, concerns and aspirations. The findings will offer valuable insights into how teacher education can prepare future educators for rapidly evolving technological landscapes.
Dr Adrianna Zabrzewska
Pump Priming For Collaborative International Research On Friendship, Vulnerability, And Resilience In A Polarised World Award: £4,900
Dr Zabrzewska’s project lays the foundations for an international, interdisciplinary study exploring how friendship can act as a form of resilience in an increasingly polarised world. Through online team meetings and a writing retreat, the project will develop a collaborative research agenda examining how friendship networks support individuals facing precarity. The work challenges traditional understandings of vulnerability and resilience, positioning relational bonds as a powerful resource for social cohesion. This seed funding will support the preparation of a future ESRC grant application.
Dr Guanyu Jason Ran
Towards Inclusive Climate Action (TICA): Understanding and Promoting Ethnic Minority Communities’ Public Engagement in Scotland’s Net Zero Transition Award: £4,945.10
Dr Ran’s project addresses a critical gap in Scotland’s Net Zero transition: the lack of understanding and engagement strategies for ethnic minority communities. Working with community organisations, government partners and academics, the project will combine a networking event with participatory drama workshops to explore barriers and opportunities for inclusive climate action. The findings will help shape future research and policy, positioning Scotland as a leader in equitable public engagement on environmental issues.
Strengthening ENU’s research culture
Participation in the British Academy ECRN brings significant benefits for our researchers and for the wider institution, including:
- Enhanced research visibility within a UK wide network
- Opportunities for collaboration across institutions and disciplines
- Support for career progression, including experience in project leadership and external funding
- A platform for innovative, exploratory research that may not yet fit larger funding schemes
These awards also strengthen Edinburgh Napier’s growing reputation in the humanities and social sciences, showcasing the breadth of expertise and the ambition of our early-career researchers.
Commenting on ENU’s strong representation in this year’s awards, ENU’s Head of Research Environment and Services, Dr Gráinne Barkess said:
“It is very encouraging to see Edinburgh Napier so strongly represented in this year’s Scotland Cluster awards. These projects demonstrate the creativity, commitment and societal focus that define our early career research community.
“The BA ECRN Seed Fund provides an important platform for researchers to test new ideas, build collaborations and grow their confidence in external funding. I am incredibly proud of our awardees and look forward to seeing how their work develops over the coming months.”
Dr Guanyu Jason Ran, Academic Lead for Edinburgh’s Napier’s ECR network added:
“The ECRN Seed Fund is a powerful catalyst for early career researchers, encouraging us to take risks, collaborate widely and pursue work that responds to real societal needs. These awards also reflect ENU’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, innovative research culture that engages meaningfully with Scotland’s diverse communities and supports researchers to create lasting impact.”
Networks and support for early-career researchers
ENU Early-Career Researchers (ECRs) Network
Edinburgh Napier has an Early-Career Researchers (ECRs) Network to provide a welcoming, self-defined space for colleagues who see themselves at an early stage of their research careers.
Bringing together academic and research staff from across the University, the ECR Network fosters connection, community, and the sharing of experiences around the issues that matter most to emerging researchers.
Fnd out more about the Edinburgh Napier ECR Network and their activities on the Researcher Development page our Edinburgh Napier Intranet (accessible to ENU staff only).
British Academy Early-Career Researcher Network (BA ECRN)
The British Academy also has an Early Career Researcher Network (BA ECRN) offering a powerful space to grow your skills, confidence, and connections. The Network brings together researchers working in SHAPE disciplines across the UK who want to strengthen their personal and professional development, expand their networks, and actively shape their futures in and beyond academia.
Find out more: Early Career Researcher Network | The British Academy
Looking ahead
As the British Academy continues to invest in early-career talent, Edinburgh Napier remains committed to supporting our researchers to seize these opportunities through mentoring, internal peer review and tailored development programmes.
We look forward to celebrating the outcomes of the 2025–26 Seed Fund projects and to seeing how this work evolves into future publications, partnerships and funding successes.