We are the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences
We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone.
We champion fields of study which concern the human world – from history, philosophy and languages to human behaviour, economics, business and psychology.
Anyone seeking to understand and solve our world’s most complex challenges - from inequality, AI, climate change or changing global orders - needs the insights and expertise of our disciplines.
The British Academy Summer Showcase
The British Academy’s free festival of ideas returns on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 June. Through interactive exhibits and workshops, inspiring performances and screenings, and thought-provoking talks, our funded researchers will share their innovative social sciences and humanities research that is shaping the society we live in – and informing the one we want to create. Come along, try something new, and be inspired to think differently about the world around you.
Around the Academy
Research funding opportunities
Every year, we run over 30 funding schemes open to researchers across the UK and around the world.
From small-scale seed funding grants to longer-term Fellowships or challenge-led collaborative grants, we fund researchers at key stages of their careers, from postdoctoral to professorship, as they harness the humanities and social sciences to shape our world.
Journal of the British Academy
The Journal of the British Academy has been relaunched to improve access to its diverse range of world-class SHAPE research. The Journal has expanded its scope, spotlighting interdisciplinary research from across the British Academy, including from British Academy Fellows, its funded research programmes, and academic events and activities.
British Academy SHAPE Observatory
Bringing independence, authority and objectivity, the SHAPE Observatory monitors the health and development of the humanities and social sciences
Global Challenges Research Fund policy briefings
The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is a £1.5 billion fund that supports researchers seeking to address challenges faced by developing countries and forms part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA). The GCRF addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The British Academy runs programmes through the GCRF that are challenge-led and interdisciplinary.
Support the British Academy
Support us
As a charity, we rely on donations and gifts from individuals and organisations to invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone.
