Deadline: 4-May-22
The British Academy with Cara (the Council for At-Risk Academics) is seeking applications for its Researchers at Risk Fellowships Programme.
The Fellowships will cover the natural sciences, medical sciences, engineering, humanities and social sciences with applications made via UK-based institutions.
The Programme aims to complement and be additional to the work already being done by UK institutions, including through their existing cooperation with Cara as members of Cara Universities Network, enabling them to provide additional two-year fellowships to researchers at risk with funding of circa £37,000 per annum. Researchers and innovators supported through this Programme will be able to take up these temporary fellowships at UK institutions, continue their research, enhance their skills and build long-lasting collaborative links with UK counterparts.
Aims
The British Academy is establishing this Researchers at Risk Fellowships Programme, with the support also of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society and Cara. The first priority of the Programme will be as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has exposed Ukrainian-based researchers to direct threat. They wish to open the scheme more widely when possible.
Funding Information
The awards are expected to run for up to two years each from a starting date to be agreed with the British Academy. The total amount available is circa £37,000 per year (£74,000 over two years). There is the potential for the Selection Panel to recommend an increase or decrease in award value in response to individual circumstances such as large families or subsidised accommodation arrangements.
Eligibility requirements
For the purposes of this Programme, an individual is defined as being at risk if they are subject to discrimination, persecution, suffering or violence on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. The UK National Academies do not determine whether a risk exists. This is done via a risk assessment conducted by Cara, who will provide a supporting letter where the risk is assessed as real. The risk of a pertinent threat has to be proven for each application submitted.
- Researchers and innovators in any field – natural sciences, medical and health sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences and the arts – may be considered for funding if they:
- Hold a doctoral degree (or have equivalent experience).
- Are confirmed by Cara to be at risk.
- Are either still in Ukraine or it is not more than five years since they left Ukraine.
- Possess the language skills required for the successful completion of their academic project.
- Possess academic qualifications and can show other evidence of an active academic career (e.g. publications).
- Have not yet been supported through an equivalent scheme/opportunity.
Application requirements
- Applications must be made by UK-based institutions. See a summary of the requirements that will be needed to complete an application below. All elements must be submitted to be considered within the submission window. Any missing elements will result in the application remaining open for the following submission window.
- There will need to be a named applicant who the Academy expects will be a member of staff at the UK host institution; a named academic mentor at the same institution; and a named researcher at risk.
- Information to support an eligibility check on the researcher at risk, including a CV, location of researcher, confirmation of language proficiency, and confirmation that the researcher has not yet been supported by an equivalent scheme.
- A risk assessment letter provided by Cara.
- A joint statement from the academic mentor and researcher at risk.
- An institutional statement including information about the accommodation being offered.
- A financial statement and justification.
For more information, visit https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/researchers-at-risk-fellowships/