The British Academy / Wolfson Fellowships: terms and conditions of award

Please refer to Part 1 of Terms & Conditions of Award.

The Academy will confer upon the successful applicant the title of British Academy/Wolfson Fellow.

The Fellowship is made to support the programme of research and engagement activity described in the application. It is unlikely that the Academy will agree to any significant variation of the proposed programme after an award has been made, and if it is proposed to make any such variation it is essential that prior approval is sought from the British Academy.

The Fellowship is expected to be held for a period of three years, from a starting date, to be agreed between the Academy, the award-holder and the host institution, not earlier than 1st September 2023 and not later than 1st January 2024. No award is renewable, but Fellows when they become alumni of the scheme are expected to continue to collaborate and network with subsequent award-holders.

Award-holders will be required to give an undertaking that they will devote themselves to the research and activity that the Academy will sponsor under this programme, including attendance at an induction event to be held at the British Academy premises in London.

The Fellowship is personal to the award-holder. It is not transferrable to another colleague in the same or alternate department of the employing institution. Requests for transfer to another employing institution during the award will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academy and may be agreed when the award-holder takes up a new post.

The Academy requires all activity that it funds to be conducted in an ethical manner. The employing institution is responsible for ensuring that any ethical issues relating to the proposed engagement are identified and brought to the attention of the relevant approval or regulatory body. Ethical approval must be granted by the relevant authority before any activity requiring approval begins.

USE OF GRANT

Grants may be used only for items eligible under the scheme, and in accordance with the type of items originally requested in the application. The items for which these grants may be used are set out in Table 1. If any exceptions have been approved, they will be specified in the letter of award.

Expenditure may be vired between budget heads, within reason. Small adjustments may be made without recourse to the Academy, but if any significant adjustment to the proposed expenditure is envisaged, prior permission should be sought from the Academy.

Applicants must inform the Academy of the outcomes of any other applications relating to the project. There is no objection to the applicant holding awards both from the Academy and from another funding agency to cover separate elements of the proposed engagement.

PAYMENT OF GRANT

Awards are paid to the award holder’s relevant institution. Payment will be made by electronic transfer (BACS) quarterly in advance. The first payment will be scheduled so far as possible to coincide with the start of the award. The timing of payment is at the Academy’s discretion, but every effort will be made to ensure that funds are released in good time. Please note that it may take up to 28 days for the initial payment transfer to be completed by the Academy’s Finance Office.

It is the responsibility of award holders to ensure that suitable arrangements have been agreed with the relevant institution for the administration of their award before activity begins. The Academy expects the funds to be administered by institutions in accordance with their normal procedures for managing grant income.

Please note that the institution is responsible for accounting to the Academy for the use of the award, in all circumstances including the relocation of the principal investigator, in accordance with the Academy's rules on eligible expenditure set out in Table 1 below. Where the award is transferred to another institution, these provisions also apply. (Please note, this programme is not included in the FEC regime, and therefore some items of expenditure such as estates and indirect costs are not payable.) Grants are cash-limited at the value stated in the letter of award. There is no scope for increasing the level of grant awarded.

USE OF LOGOS

All awards are expected to make due reference to the support of the British Academy and the Wolfson Foundation through this programme. The logos of the British Academy and of the Wolfson Foundation should be present on the website, relevant promotional and printed materials, webpages and other materials – the Academy will supply appropriate versions.

REPORTS AND ACCOUNTS

Reports Award holders are required to submit an interim report each year on the anniversary of the start date on all research and activity carried out in relation to the award during the year. Further payments will not be released if an interim report is overdue. A final report will also be required within three months of the end date of the award which should provide an account of the full range of outcomes, actual and planned, from the award, including plans for future collaboration.

Accounts An itemised statement of expenditure should be provided by the award-holder’s employing institution at the same time as the interim report. Unspent funds at the end of each interim year may be rolled over to the following year provided a reasonable justification for this is provided. A final statement of expenditure must be submitted as part of the final report form. The report will be deemed incomplete until the grant has been fully accounted for and any financial reconciliation made. Any remaining unspent funds at the end of the award must be returned to the British Academy.

OTHER DISSEMINATION

Due acknowledgement of the support received from the British Academy and the Wolfson Foundation should be made in any form of media communication, including media appearances,

press releases and conference literature. Please contact the Academy Press Office for approval for any press releases.

The award-holder is also asked to notify the Academy of any anticipated public activity related to this award when it is planned. By impact we mean making a significant contribution to an academic field and/or to policy and practice decision-making. This could be an impact in economic terms, affecting the profits of firms or the revenue of government, or in terms of having an impact on less quantifiable areas such as the environment, public health or quality of life.

COMPLIANCE

Persistent failure to comply with the conditions of award will result in the Academy writing to the Vice-Chancellor of the scholar’s institution, and lead to the possibility of sanctions.

The sanction for non-compliance with the conditions of award is penalty-listing: that is, to disbar, sine die, the scholar concerned from applying to the Academy under any of its grant-giving schemes; and to disbar, for a period of two years, all members of that institution from applying to the Academy under any of its grant-giving schemes. In cases of grants awarded those who have left academic life without complying with the conditions of award, the sanction is to disbar, sine die, the individual from applying to the Academy under any of its grant-giving schemes.

ACCEPTANCE OF CONDITIONS OF AWARD

The award holder must confirm acceptance of these conditions of award as part of the acceptance before the grant is released. The Academy may at its discretion, terminate any award, and all obligations in respect of that award shall thereafter cease.