BBC Ideas

Do you want your research to resonate beyond academia, to spark conversation and curiosity? Are you looking for bold, creative ways to communicate your work? Would you like to collaborate with the BBC to bring your research to life on screen? 

We want to hear from you!

We’re delighted to announce that the Social Sciences Division’s Research, Impact and Engagement Team is once again partnering with BBC Ideas to produce a number of films, for publication online (and on social media), to appeal to a general audience aged under 35.

Previous films that Oxford’s social scientists have made with  BBC have been a huge success – from the Webby award-winning Five things you probably didn’t know about periods and How to make sure gaming is good for your mental health, to How the humble bean can help the world and The surprising benefits of exercising with friends, they have gathered millions of views via the BBC and University of Oxford websites and their respective social media channels. They can all be watched here.

This time we’re looking for ideas for both 5-min films (shot or animated in landscape format for websites and YouTube) and 90-sec vertical films (optimised for Instagram, Tik Tok, etc.). The 90-sec films will be presenter-led – and that presenter could be you!

Eligibility

This call is open to all faculty members and research staff from departments in the Social Sciences Division. Fixed term researchers are particularly encouraged to apply. Established academics can nominate themselves or members of their research team to take part - this might include doctoral students and research staff. Students are not eligible to apply. 

Broad themes that BBC Ideas are particularly interested in pursuing as part of this series include:

• Physical/mental health and wellbeing
• Climate change, sustainability, nature and environment
• Work culture/leadership/future of work
• Archaeology
• Economics/business/personal finances
• Technology and society, including AI
• Space/futures

Please don’t feel limited by these subject areas - they are just an indication of the kinds of things BBC Ideas is interested in. Interdisciplinary ideas are very welcome! Ideas focused on international research are also very welcome, as long as they of of clear relevance and interest to a UK audience.

How to express your interest

You don’t have to specify the format to which you think your idea is best suited, but if you’re interested in making a 90-sec vertical film, please send a short, self-shot video explaining why you think your idea would be suitable for this project as part of your application.

If you have a social media presence already, feel free to include your handle.

To submit an outline of your idea, please complete this short form.

Deadline for submissions: 5pm, Friday 12 September. 

Timeline for applications

We expect to receive a high volume of submissions, so there will be a shortlisting process. We’ll confirm whether you have been shortlisted, and further details, by the end of September 2025. 

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an informal workshop (and lunch!) on Wednesday 15 October, to be held at the Social Sciences Divisional office (6 Worcester Street, Oxford). The workshop will begin with an introduction from BBC Ideas editors and there be an opportunity for each workshop member to briefly pitch/discuss their idea with a member of the team. 

Given the target age group for the films, this could also be a development opportunity for early-career researchers (or even a DPhils) in your programme or department. 

Selection criteria

• Does the idea showcase excellent, innovative and interesting research, and the work of Oxford academics, to a wide audience?
• Does it ‘feel’ like a BBC Ideas film? i.e. will there be some new / interesting / surprising takes for people watching?
• Will it be of wide interest to under-35 audiences? Can the idea be encapsulated in a simple headline?
• Has BBC Ideas done it before, or something very similar? (Google if you're not sure!)
• Does it feel timely in some way / zeitgeisty, without straying into news or current affairs? Or, if not, does it feel of universal / timeless interest?
• Can you imagine discussing this with your friends?
• Is it timely in terms of the dissemination plan for your research?

To get a better idea of the kinds of topics they cover, we’d encourage you to watch the previous films we’ve made with BBC Ideas, including:

How to stay cool without heating the planet

How to make sure gaming is good for your mental health

The surprising benefits of exercising with friends

Five things you probably didn’t know about periods

About BBC Ideas

BBC Ideas films are short but are designed to leave the audience learning something they genuinely didn’t know before and/or give them a fresh perspective on a topic. They aim for an engaging watch that leaves people with genuine take-homes - the kind of thing you might chat with your friends about and say “Did you know…?”. 

BBC Ideas commissions both film and animation, and tries to avoid anything that would be covered by BBC News. The objective is not to provide head-on news or current affairs, but rather to explore underlying issues/take a broader perspective etc. 

Their films are relatively evergreen, and will often be re-promoted multiple times. That said, films are generally commissioned on subjects that feel 'of now' and are in some way zeitgeisty - not too detached from reality - or on topics that feel timeless and universal. A news “hook” (even a loose one) is always useful in terms of getting initial promotion.

Films are promoted via the BBC News website, the BBC homepage and social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok where suitable), as well as via the University of Oxford and Social Sciences Division social media channels. BBC Ideas is keen that its films represent diversity in all its forms.