Deadline: 24-Nov-21
The British Academy / Wolfson Fellowships is now accepting applications.These awards are designed to support early-career researchers who show exceptional talent in both research and public engagement, emphasising and demonstrating the importance of academic research and creative thought at a time of rapid political and societal change.
These awards provide early-career academics with the most valuable commodity – time – by releasing them from some of their administration and teaching duties to pursue their research, along with funding for public engagement and travel. The award duration is three years.
Emphasis is also placed by the Academy and the Wolfson Foundation on the importance of award-holders communicating their plans and results to a broad audience. It is expected that six awards will be offered and that they will continue to participate with future cohorts building a network of outstanding researchers.
Aim of the Scheme
- The third round of competition for the British Academy/Wolfson Fellowships continues a joint initiative between the Wolfson Foundation and the British Academy to support the next generation of research and engagement leaders in the humanities and social sciences.
- These awards are designed to support early career researchers who show exceptional talent in both research and public engagement, emphasising and demonstrating the importance of academic research and creative thought at a time of rapid political and societal change.
Funding Information
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The grant maximum is £130,000 across three years. Awards can be used flexibly: at least £90,000 for time buy out, and up to £40,000 for research and travel expenses and dissemination of findings. The funding is expected to be divided:
- First, to buy out time of the academic duties of the award-holder in order to focus on their research goals.
- Secondly, for travel and public engagement across the three years of the award to help with research costs and to undertake dissemination of the findings from the fellowship research locally, nationally and globally.
- It is expected that six awards will be offered in this second call, and that they will continue to participate with future cohorts building a network of outstanding researchers.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Academy welcomes applications from recent postdoctoral scholars who have been appointed to a full-time or part-time permanent or fixed term academic post for the duration of the award (at least three years). In order to be eligible, you must be in a permanent or fixed term post and have successfully passed your viva voce examination and completed any corrections.
- Eligible applicants must be resident in the United Kingdom, within seven years of the award of their doctorate, and have a permanent or fixed term post that covers the length of the award (three years) at a UK university or other research institution including museums and galleries.
- Applicants on part-time contracts are encouraged to apply as the scheme aims to be flexible in offering support, including those who have taken maternity leave or have caring responsibilities. Exemption from this criterion may be granted for reasons occurring after the date of the viva voce examination such as: maternity leave, illness, family commitments etc.
- The scheme encourages those working within Independent Research Organisations (IRO) to apply. The applicant must have a track record of research achievement consistent with the early career focus of the scheme, demonstrated through their previous academic work and public engagement activity. They should also demonstrate the potential for outstanding qualities of intellectual and academic leadership, especially through their track record of willingness to connect, collaborate and network. They must have shown exceptional talent and imagination in researching issues of global significance and be able to demonstrate their ability to engage a broad audience, both in the lecture theatre and via other modes of communication.
- Applicants must have a mentor, either a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) or another academic, during the course of the Fellowship, championing their project and their candidacy, a mentor cannot be a referee.
- Applicants are responsible for contacting and obtaining the support of a mentor prior to the submission of their application. Please note that the Academy does not expect the mentor to be based in the same institution as the applicant. Their role is to give academic support and guidance, not specific support within the institution at which the awardholder is employed.
For more information, visit The British Academy
For more information, visit https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/british-academy-wolfson-fellowships/
