Funding Call – #BritishAcademy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships 2024-25

The aim of this scheme is to allow established researchers to concentrate on bringing a major piece of research towards completion, with particular attention on individuals who have not been able to focus on research due to their other responsibilities.

Please note – applicants who have already applied to the Academy’s 2024-25 round of the Mid-Career Fellowship scheme should note that they are not permitted to apply to the British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship scheme in 2024-25.

Aims

The purpose of these Fellowships, funded by the Leverhulme Trust and other non-government sources, and administered by the British Academy, is to provide a period of research leave for one year for established scholars. During this time academics will be able to concentrate on bringing a major piece of research towards completion, while their normal teaching and administrative duties are covered by a full-time replacement. The Fellowships are tenable for one year and must be taken up in the autumn of 2025.

Number of Awards

The Academy invites applications from serving members of academic staff employed in UK universities, other UK institutions of higher education or Independent Research Organisations. It is expected that up to 12 Senior Research Fellowships will be available to be taken up in the autumn of 2025, ten funded by the Leverhulme Trust, one Thank Offering to Britain Fellowship and one Donald Winch Fund Fellowship in Intellectual History. The Thank Offering to Britain Fellowship will be funded by the proceeds of the Thank-You Britain Appeal – an appeal initiated by the Association of Jewish Refugees as a mark of gratitude to Britain for its provision of a home for Jews persecuted by the Nazi regime. The Donald Winch Fund Fellowship will be funded by an endowment by Professor Donald Winch FBA through his Will in 2017.

Applicants who meet the overall standard for award and meet the subject criterion of the special awards will be awarded the relevant named Fellowships.

Eligibility Requirements

The Academy takes no account of an applicant’s age or current status (e.g. Professor, Lecturer) in determining eligibility for these awards. Rather, in all cases, award-holders are expected to be able to disseminate the results of their research not only through publications, but also through feeding into their future academic career after the end of the awards. Any field of study in the humanities and social sciences is suitable for support. Additionally, applicants must be employed in a UK institution.

Value and Duration

These awards are not covered under the Full Economic Costing (FEC) regime. The only costs payable will be the salary of a replacement lecturer, who should normally be at an early career stage and appointed at the usual starting salary for first-time appointments, together with associated employers’ costs of NI and USS (and London Allowance where applicable); and limited research expenses up to a maximum of £5,000. No other directly incurred, directly allocated or indirect costs can be met by the British Academy or the Leverhulme Trust in connection with these Fellowships. Providing it is for the same project, it is acceptable to apply for a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant scheme at the same time, and to hold both awards if successful in both schemes, provided that there will be no duplication of costs.

Fellowships are tenable for one year with the start date falling between 1 September 2025 and 1 January 2026.

Applications must be submitted online using the British Academy’s Grant Management System (GMS), Flexi-Grant®.

The deadline for submissions and UK institutional approval is Wednesday, 13 November 2024 (17:00 GMT)

Contact details

Email: grants@thebritishacademy.ac.uk