British Academy Elevate Programme

The British Academy Elevate Programme is a three-year pilot programme, funded by Wellcome, designed to support Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to develop leadership skills at all career stages.

It has two streams, Leadership and Advancement, detailed below. Both streams are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, actively reducing barriers to participation and ensuring equitable access for researchers from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, career paths and perspectives.

British Academy Elevate Programme - Leadership Stream:

• An intensive programme to equip ECRs with leadership skills through training, mentoring, coaching and networking. This selective programme is by application only, for a cohort 62 participants per year –from both the British Academy ECRN and Wellcome-funded researchers. The programme runs annually from March – June, with applications opening in September.
  • See guidance on applying, eligibility and costs.

British Academy Elevate Programme -Advancement Stream:

• Offers a wide range of professional and skills development opportunities, including free workshops, training sessions, and networking events focused on career planning, publishing, EDI, international collaboration and more. Sessions will be delivered through a mix of online and in-person formats. These sessions are open access and available on a first-come, first-served basis through the ECRN event booking system.
  • How to participate in the Advancement sessions
    • If you are a British Academy ECRN member, you will receive weekly updates via the Network with details of upcoming sessions. These are open to all ECRN members on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is required to secure your place via our event booking system.
    • Wellcome-funded ECRs in the SHAPE disciplines, including those based outside the UK, can participate by joining the ECRN. Many of the courses will be delivered online to ensure accessibility. You’ll be able to join remotely and take full advantage of the training and development opportunities.

All courses are free of charge

You will not need to pay to participate in the Elevate Programme courses.

We recognise the importance of enabling participants to showcase their skills and expertise to prospective employers and funders, while also highlighting the value the programme has added to their professional development.

For every training session completed from either stream of the British Academy Elevate Programme ECRs will receive a getTWOit Skills Passport credential, documenting the skills acquired from each training session.

This structured breakdown will allow prospective employers to clearly assess their expertise and experience, enhancing their CVs and professional profiles. Presented as a micro-credential, the getTWOit Skills Passport will further validate their achievements.

The British Academy Elevate Programme is an exciting and welcome addition to the ECRN portfolio.

The programme will provide ECRs across the SHAPE disciplines rich opportunities for focused professional development, essential for developing tomorrow’s research leaders.

It will capacitate ECRs to thrive and build resilience in an increasingly competitive job market. It is also timely, being launched against the backdrop of crises in the sector, where external development opportunities are much needed to plug the gaps from squeezed institutional budgets, and disciplines under threat.

- Dr. Blessing Marandure (De Montfort University, Midlands and Mid Wales Cluster Member, British Academy ECRN Governance Board member, 2025/26 British Academy Elevate Programme Cohort member)

For all enquiries about the British Academy Elevate programme please email [email protected].

Additionally, make sure you are registered for the British Academy newsletter, for Network members, the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network mailing list, and the Networks online community platform to receive notifications as soon as details become available.

Additionally, make sure you are registered for the British Academy newsletter, for Network members, the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network mailing list, and the Networks online community platform to receive notifications as soon as details become available.