SGS Research
Our research themes
- Feminism
- History of Sexuality
- Intersex/trans/non-binary
- Language/literature/discourse
- Media discourse and politics (sexual/morality/identity)
- Medical, scientific and health discourses and mental health
- Prejudice and discrimination, stigmas and stereotypes and homophobia
- Queer activism and public policy
- Queer spaces and services
- Research methodology
- Sexual behaviour, activities and practices
Visiting Fellowships and Scholarships
SGS is pleased to welcome Dr Marta Prandelli (Dublin City University, Ireland) as an IAS Fellow for 2025-2026, hosted by Dr David Griffiths, Sociology. Dr Prandelli's fellowship will focus on combining empirical and theoretical insights on intersex issues and LGBTQ+ politics.
SGS also welcomes Saher Bano (IIT Roorkee, India) as a Commonwealth Split-site PhD Scholar for 2025-26, supervised by Professor Diane Watt and Dr Lena Mattheis, English Literature. While at Surrey Saher Bano will be working on ‘Decoding Digital Media Queer Poetry: Crafting Cyber-Community Spaces from Britain and South Asia’
Recent funded projects
Fasoli, F. & Riquelme, A. HUMOR-GV: Perceptions and Effects of Gender-Based Violence Subversive Humor, funded by Horizon Europe - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) (2025-2027)
Fasoli, F. & Reggiani, M., "Enhancing Inclusion: Evaluating, Co-Creating, and Implementing Effective Practices to Address Barriers for LGBTQ+ Researchers in STEM and Energy" funded by IGNITE Network+ (2024-2025)
Fasoli, F., Firth, H., Noel, N., & Hutton, S., "Breaking Barriers in Research Funding Applications: Evaluating Narrative CVs and Co-Designing Solutions for Application Processes" funded by EDI Caucus (2024-2025)
Fasoli, F (PI) and Formanowicz, M (Co PI), “When voice interplays with the message. Linguistic strategies to counteract voice-based stereotyping and discrimination” Funded by the European Association of Social Psychology (2021 - 2022).
Fasoli, F (PI), “Humour as a Way to Counteract the Effects of Sexual Objectification” Funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grant (2020-2021).
Hall, M (PI), "Navigating Masculinity among Heterosexual Men Who Dance with Men (MDM)" Funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grant (2023-2024).
King, A (PI) and Sanders, F “Creating LGBTQ+ Resident Inclusivity in UK Social Housing” Funded by an ESRC Impact Accelerator Award (2021-2022).
King, A (PI), “Housing with Pride, a knowledge exchange project to actively promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the social housing sector”. Funded by the UK Centre for Collaborative Housing Evidence ESRC/Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2019-2020).
King, A. (PI), Castro Varela, MdM., Santos, A.C., and Taylor, CILIA-LGBTQI+ – Comparing Intersectional Life Course Inequalities amongst LGBTQI+ Citizens in Four European Countries. NORFACE Consortium/ESRC. (2018-2021)
Muir, R. (PI), "Dream Big Princess? Consumer Meaning Making of the Disney Princess Phenomenon" Funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grant (2022)
Russell, S (PI), Cohen-Chen, S , Rusconi, P & Fasoli, F (Co-PIs), “The World Needs Hope” Funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grant (2020-2021)
Watt, D (PI), “God’s Own Gentlewoman: A Life of Margaret Paston” Funded by a Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2023-2024)
Watt, D (PI), "Women's Literary Culture Before the Conquest" Funded by a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship (2017-2019)
Weidhase, N (PI), "From #Girlboss to #LazyGirlJobs: Young Women's Working Lives on and through Social Media" Funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grant (2020-2021)