Call for Participants
We are excited to invite early-career researchers based in the UK and Iraq to participate in a 4-day online workshop across two weeks in April jointly organised by the London School of Economics (LSE) in the UK and Moja Organization for Human Rights in Iraq. This workshop will explore the challenges posed by climate change for women in Iraq and identify innovative solutions to improve their resilience. This workshop is a key component of the project ‘ELEVATE: Early Career Researchers’ Initiative for Strengthening Women's Climate Resilience‘ led by Dr Sara Mehryar (LSE) and Dr Akeel Abbas (Moja).
During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to develop collaborative research proposals addressing challenges identified during the event. A £15,000 total prize fund will be available to support up to four exceptional projects. The selected projects will receive a tailored financial award designed to meet its unique needs. The teams will implement their projects over four months in the summer of 2025, with guidance and support from the mentors and partners.
Iraq faces extreme climate-related challenges, including severe heat, drought, and water scarcity, which disproportionately impact women. Many women, particularly in rural areas, are at greater risk due to limited access to resources such as clean water, energy, and healthcare. These conditions exacerbate gender disparities and economic vulnerabilities. The workshop will focus on
- Understanding how climate change affects women in Iraq;
- Identifying strategies to improve women’s resilience to extreme heat and water scarcity; and
- Encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and fostering new research ideas.
- Dates: 1-15 April 2025. The workshop will be four days spread across the two weeks. The exact days will be confirmed closer to the time.
- Format: Online (virtual workshop)
- Language: The workshop will be in English.
- Activities: Expert-led presentations, collaborative discussions, interactive working sessions, networking sessions and capacity building training.
- Mentors: Dr Hasan Al-Janabi, Layla Amer, Professor Toby Dodge, Professor Michael Mason, Dr Sana Murrani and Dr Zainab Shuker.
All workshop participants will benefit from capacity-building training sessions, interactive discussions with policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, and opportunities to build strong networks between researchers from both countries.
Join us to contribute to this important conversation and help shape solutions to critical challenges at the intersection of climate change and gender inequality.
Download the Call for Participation.
We welcome applications from early-career researchers currently based in the UK on based in Iraq with an interest and work/research experience in climate change and environmental challenges, gender equality and women’s empowerment, and socio-economic and community resilience.
Applicants should have a PhD or equivalent research or work experience. Applicants who have research experience equivalent to a PhD holder and work in a field where a PhD is not a prerequisite for established research activity are eligible.
Applicants who have held or currently hold a permanent academic post with a relevant research element are not eligible. Applicants from for-profit organisations are not eligible. Applicants who are not based in Iraq or the UK are not eligible.
Please send your CV along with the completed Application Form explaining why you are interested in this workshop and how your background or current experiences align with its topic. Applicants should provide evidence of English language proficiency and may be asked to attend a short interview.
Download the Application Form here.
Applications should be emailed to Kendall Livingston (k.livingston@lse.ac.uk).
Closing date for applications: (23 February 2025, 23.59 UK time)
For questions about the workshop, eligibility or the application process, please contact: Kendall Livingston (k.livingston@lse.ac.uk).