British Academy Fellowships and Scholarships

15 September 2022

An average of 52 distinguished UK-based scholars are elected to the British Academy each year for their achievements in the humanities and social sciences. Our Fastepo experts have listed all British Academy Fellowships and Scholarships available with details and deadlines in this post.

The British Academy 

National academy for the social sciences and humanities in the United Kingdom, the British Academy. Founded in 1902 and granted its charter the same year, it received a royal charter in 1933. A funder of research projects across the United Kingdom, it now includes more than 1,000 leaders in all disciplines across the humanities and social sciences. A registered charity located in London, the academy is an independent and self-governing organization.

Annual grants are provided by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to the British Academy. A total of 33,100,000 pounds were earned by the British Academy in 2014/15, including £27,000,000 from the British government. The University distributed $32,900,000 in research grants, awards, and charitable activities during the past year.

British Academy Fellowships and Scholarships

Below you will find information on British Academy Fellowships and Scholarships, as well as their deadlines.

Title: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship

Location: UK-based university or higher education institution

Fund: The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

Level: early career researchers

Duration: three years

Summary:

A British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship is awarded for a period of three years each year to researchers in the humanities and social sciences.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Researchers at Risk Fellowships

Fund: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Career stage: Established researcher, Mid-career, Postdoctoral or equivalent research, Senior researcher

Fields: physical and biological sciences, medical and health sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences and the arts

Duration: Two years

Summary:

They are developing a Researchers at Risk Fellowships Programme in collaboration with Cara (the Council for At-Risk Academics), the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Royal Society. This program aims to provide fellowships across various disciplines, including natural sciences, medical sciences, engineering, humanities, and social sciences. Applications for these fellowships will be accepted through UK-based institutions.

Requirements:

To be eligible for this program, an individual is considered “at risk” if they face discrimination, persecution, suffering, or violence based on factors such as race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The determination of risk is not made by the UK National Academies but through a risk assessment conducted by Cara. Cara will issue a supporting letter if the risk is deemed real. Each application must demonstrate a relevant threat. Only UK host institutions can contact Cara for a threat assessment, providing the researcher’s passport ID pages, an updated CV, and an explanation of the specific threat. Requests for risk assessments must be submitted to Cara at least two weeks before each submission deadline.

In this program, a “researcher” is someone engaged in teaching or research at a university, research institute, or similar institution. An “innovator” is defined as an individual with knowledge, expertise, and qualifications similar to a researcher, primarily focused on developing, testing, and implementing new approaches in a particular field.

Applicants in various fields, including physical and biological sciences, medical and health sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and the arts, may be considered if they:

  1. Hold a doctoral degree or have equivalent experience.
  2. Have been confirmed by Cara as being at risk.
  3. Are either currently in Ukraine or left Ukraine within the past five years.
  4. Possess the necessary language skills for their academic project.
  5. Hold academic qualifications and can provide evidence of an active academic career, such as publications.
  6. Have not previously received support from a similar program.

The fellowship awards are expected to last up to two years, with a funding amount of approximately £37,000 per year (totaling £74,000 over two years). The Selection Panel may adjust the award value based on individual circumstances, such as large families or subsidized accommodation arrangements.

Eligible expenses for the application include contributions to living expenses and research expenses. However, UK host institution costs are not eligible. The program does not cover estate and indirect costs or follow Full Economic Costing (FEC) principles. The purchase of assets is generally not supported under this program.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research

Fund: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Career stage: Postdoctoral or equivalent research

Duration: Two years

Fields: social sciences and the humanities

Summary:

As part of the Knowledge Frontiers programme, they support projects aimed at exploring the relationships between expert knowledge, public understanding, and policy implementation worldwide. They emphasize the significance of fostering collaboration among communities of practice, disciplines, capacities, and borders. This program offers awards lasting 24 months and provides funding of up to £200,000.

Requirements:

  1. The Principal Investigator (PI) should be a researcher in the humanities and social sciences and should be affiliated with an eligible UK university or research institute. The PI must hold postdoctoral status or possess equivalent research experience.
  2. Involvement of Co-Applicants based overseas is mandatory. Additionally, there should be a diverse range of disciplines from both the humanities and social sciences among the PI and Co-Applicants.

More Details and Apply.

Before applying it is helpful to know about the salary of PhD and Postdocs in the UK.

Open Academic Positions at various Universities in the UK

There are a number of academic positions available at other British universities listed below. There is a dedicated page for each university, where you will find the latest job opportunities. Regular updates will be made to these vacancies.

Would you like to know the salary amount of PhD and postdoc positions in Europe? 

You can find all the available full-funded PhD positions in different countries here.

Please visit the homepage if you haven’t found any suitable vacancies that match your skills.