PLEASE READ THESE SCHEME NOTES CAREFULLY. ANY APPLICATION INCORRECTLY SUBMITTED WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR AWARD. Applications should be submitted well in advance of the deadline; we recommend at least five days prior to allow for institutional approval.
Summary
1.The British Academy is inviting proposals from UK-based researchers working with international partners wishing to develop interdisciplinary projects involving both the humanities and the social sciences on the theme of Global (Dis)Order.
2.The Academy is able to offer awards of up to £200,000 for 24 months in duration (with Full Economic Costing at 80%). Applications must be submitted by 19 October 2022, 17.00 (UK time).
Programme Aim
3.The purpose of each project will be to develop new international research in the humanities and social sciences, to further our understanding of global order and disorder. Research may be problem-focused, creatively innovative and exploratory, and should bring together relevant disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, where appropriate, for maximum impact/effect. The Academy expects all applications to fundamentally involve and integrate both the humanities and social sciences. The Academy particularly encourages applications led from the humanities.
4.The Academy is interested in projects of an interdisciplinary nature that go beyond the day-to-day matters that this theme might engender, and instead focus on the deeper and more long-term issues of global (dis)order. The Academy sees this broad scope as essential in bringing together the range of disciplines across the humanities and social sciences which are required for an award under this programme. The Academy expects awards under the programme to engage deeply with the values, heritage, justice, languages, vocabularies, traditions, cultures, literatures, histories and self-understandings that are critical to an effective approach on this topic and their historical development.
5.The Academy is keen to support new thinking and novel research on global (dis)order. The Academy reminds applicants that they should give as much consideration to the ‘global’ aspect as to the order and disorder possibilities, and the kinds of ordering that may wish to be considered. The ‘global’ aspect should not be seen as a singularity but as an open process with a diffusion of agency that has existed and will exist at different levels over time including the planetary. The Academy wishes to make clear that the aim with this call is to support research that brings to bear perspectives on global (dis)order from across all of the regions of the world and across different languages internationally. The Academy would encourage multilingual perspectives to the applications under this call.
6.The Academy envisages the awards made through the Programme will:
- By such understandings of Global (Dis)Order bring to bear a deeper, more nuanced, and historically aware thinking to the topic;
- Identify the contributions that could be made to international and national knowledge exchange, practice and policy development in this area and what lessons can be learnt to navigate any future landscape(s);
- Develop ways of communicating and collaborating in cross-disciplinary and multilingual working in partnership with colleagues internationally.
Scope of the Call
7.Applications must meet the Programme Aims set out above, demonstrating an interdisciplinary approach between both the humanities and social sciences through international research collaborations, related to one or more of the subthemes below. These are set out below to spark thought and provide a framing for the call, they should not be seen as prescriptive. The Academy wishes to encourage novel thinking rather than offering a pre-designed idea of the form of the research.
8.The Academy also does not have any pre-determined ideas regarding the exact type of project, outputs, and dissemination of the research. Instead, the onus is on the applicants to convince the Academy that their projects bring genuine added value to addressing the Programme Aims and Scope of the Call and bring valuable insights and perspectives of relevance to the question of Global (Dis)Order.
- Complexity: There is no single solution to the challenges, or the ordering, of global (dis)order. International engagement has always relied upon strategic interactions with others, and on what others decide to do, and how they understand and interpret these interactions. The Academy would like to support projects that bring a plural understanding of the facets of global (dis)order, and that bring to the fore the cultural and historical elements of such an understanding. This would include an understanding that the complexity of international systems and technological change themselves cause disruption, as well as the interaction between their different contextual economic, social, political and institutional domains.
- Change: A major part of the complexity has to do with the changing nature of the times at any moment in history. This can involve interest-driven bargains as well as legitimising discourses and an understanding of the values and self-understandings that have often motivated the search for status, for recognition and a different kind of international order emanating in different regions and parts of the world. The Academy is keen to support projects that engage with the changing nature of societies and economies – past or present – and what that has meant for the forces of global (dis)order, and what kinds of ordering may have come from these new forms.
- Power: Study of international governance across periods of time and regions must sit alongside analysis of strategic interests, (in)justice, values and what is described today as geopolitics. Power is protean, diffuse and evolving incorporating challenges to the established patterns of authority and justice. Power relies on an understanding of others. In order to tackle global problems – such as, in today’s terms, climate change, global health, or the regulation of new technologies and of the private actors that exercise such control over them – this understanding of others is critical. The Academy wishes to support projects that explore the question of power in global (dis)order.
- Conditions of Knowledge: Understanding the wide range of regionally and historically constructed narratives of the global requires interdisciplinary consideration. When exploring complexity, change or power the notion of the local must be linked. Discussion of global (dis)order should be attached to lived experience. The Academy is keen to support projects that focus on marginalised voices and voices beyond the system of states and governing authorities, including those today that would be called non-state actors. In this regard, the Academy would like to see projects that engage with causal analyses and understandings of social situations and how that pertains to the experience and notions of global (dis)order; with interpretative and historical understandings of how traditions including epistemic traditions, heritage, cultures and values view their place in world; and the role of normative ideas in the development or demise of global (dis)order.
Equitable Partnerships
9.Partnerships is key to this call. UKRI has developed the following statement of expectations for research partnerships. “Partnerships should be transparent and based on mutual respect. Partnerships should aim to have clearly articulated equitable distribution of resources, responsibilities, efforts and benefits. Partnerships should recognise different inputs, different interests and different desired outcomes and should ensure the ethical sharing and use of data which is responsive to the identified needs of society.”
Research Methodology
10.Successful projects will be likely to employ a variety of research methods, and to include a collaborative group of researchers across relevant disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, aiming to develop ways of communicating and collaborating in cross-disciplinary and multilingual working in partnership with colleagues internationally. In all cases, it is for the applicants to demonstrate the feasibility of their proposed research methodology. Applicants should also demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of their proposed programme of research.
11.All proposals must include relevant plans for the appropriate communication and dissemination of findings. This should include identifying the contributions that could be made to international and national knowledge exchange, practice and policy development in this area and what lessons can be learnt to navigate any future landscape(s).
12.Research outputs must include both peer-reviewed work for academic publication and more targeted briefings for wider stakeholders. This can include, but need not necessarily be limited to, reports, blogs, evidence submissions or oral presentations at conferences and stakeholder meetings.
13.The UK host organisation is expected to adopt the principles, standards and good practice for public engagement with research set out in the Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research(2010) and subsequent amendments.
Research Ethics
14.Applicants must ensure the proposed research will be carried out to a high ethical standard. They must confirm that any potential ethical issues have been considered and explain how these will be addressed. The Academy requires the research it funds to be conducted in an ethical manner, including with regard to safeguarding.
15.The UK host institution is responsible for ensuring that ethical issues relating to the research project are identified and brought to the attention of the relevant approval or regulatory body.
16.Ethical approval to undertake the research must be granted by the relevant authority before any work requiring approval begins. Wherever necessary, appropriate consent should be obtained from or on behalf of participants or others affected by the research.
17.Applicants will be asked to indicate whether their proposed research raises any special ethical issues, and whether their application has been approved by the host institution’s Research Ethics Committee or other relevant authority.
18.The UK host organisation should meet the requirements of the Concordat to Support Research Integrity (2012) and subsequent amendments and must have in place formal procedures for governing good research practice and for handling and reporting allegations of fraud or research misconduct.
Risk Management
19.Researchers funded under this programme may choose to undertake fieldwork in the course of the research project. We expect an assessment of any risks entailed within the research project to be outlined within the proposal (for example, risks associated with the delivery of the research, financial management and oversight/governance).
20.Research groups will be required to indicate if (and where) they intend to undertake research in the field. For countries/regions considered by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as a host nation of medium or high risk, the application will also require researchers to demonstrate that the PI (and the PI’s host institution) understands the risk management implications and can monitor and manage the risks effectively. This should include, but need not be limited to, any risks that researchers will encounter in an area of civil unrest, violence and/or crime. This aspect will be explicitly covered in the approval of any application by the appropriate authorities at the PI’s host institution, to confirm that the duty of care responsibility rests with the host institution.
Eligibility of Principal Investigators, Co-Applicants and Other Participants
21.Each project will be led by a named Principal Investigator (PI). The PI must be a researcher in a discipline within the social sciences or the humanities. The PI is expected to direct the research and the management of the project and has responsibility for the overall project reporting requirements.
22.The PI must be of postdoctoral or above status (or have equivalent research experience). The PI must hold an established role in an eligible UK university or research institute. The PI’s position must last at least the duration of the grant funded by the Academy.
23.PIs may not hold more than one British Academy award of a comparable nature at any one time.
24.An individual cannot be the PI on more than one bid under the British Academy’s Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research programme.
25.The PI will be expected to commit time to the project during the course of the award equivalent to at least four hours per week
26.Duplicate applications for the same purpose to more than one British Academy funding programme will not be accepted.
27.Collaboration between researchers in different disciplines and/or institutions where appropriate is required given the nature of this programme, and applications must include at least one named Co-Applicant who will be actively assisting in the direction and management of at least parts of the project. Co-Applicants may be expected to be in a position to take over the leadership of the project in the event that the PI is unable to continue in the role.
28.The involvement of Co-Applicants based overseas is required.
29.It is required that amongst the PI and Co-Applicants there is a range of disciplines from the humanities and the social sciences. Applicants are reminded that the Academy expects all applications to fundamentally involve and integrate both the humanities and social sciences.
30.No individual may be a Co-Applicant on more than two projects under this call (nor may a PI be additionally a Co-Applicant on more than one other project).
31.Projects may also include any number of specified ‘Other Participants’, who may, for example, be relevant stakeholders participating in networking or dissemination events, academic or policy advisers, practitioners, industry representatives, etc.
32.Research assistance is an eligible cost under this programme and it can be supported where a reasonable case is made in line with the type of work that is required to be undertaken.
33.The UK host organisation is expected to adopt the principles, standards and good practice for the management of research staff set out in the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers (2019) and subsequent amendments. Research staff should be appointed on terms that are no less favourable than those of comparable posts in the host organisation.
Duration and Value of Awards
34.Projects must be 24 months in duration, with a maximum value of £200,000.
35.All projects must begin in March/April 2023.
36.Funding may be used to support:
a.the time of the PI and Co-Applicants
b.research assistance
c.travel, fieldwork and related expenses
d.networking costs
e.university costs in hosting and supporting the project, with award-holders expected to base the division of spend on the Full Economic Costing basis at 80%
37.The following items are not currently eligible for funding:
a.Purchasing of assets
b.computer hardware including laptops, electronic notebooks, digital cameras, etc.
c.books and other permanent resources
d.the preparation of camera-ready copy, copy-editing, proof-reading, indexing, nor any other editorial task
e.subventions for direct production costs (printing, binding, distribution, marketing etc.)
f.costs of publication in electronic media
g.travel and maintenance expenses for purposes such as lecture tours or to write up the results of research
38.All grants will be paid to the employing institution of the PI, and not to the individual researchers involved. Institutions must be officially recognised by the British Academy prior to the proposal being submitted.
Selection Criteria
39.All eligible proposals submitted in response to this call will be assessed by relevant British Academy peer reviewers and then considered by a final selection panel.
40.Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
a.The quality, significance and originality of the proposal, in particular its ability to break new international research ground;
b.Evidence of how international interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary approaches between both the humanities and social sciences are providing new insights into the topic of study and will address the overarching aims of the call and one or more of the four sub-themes;
c.The feasibility of the proposal in terms of appropriate and robust methodology and appropriate timing and plan of action;
d.The feasibility of appropriate plans to manage the project and disseminate findings to relevant audiences;
e.Value for money.
Application and Assessment Procedure
41.All applicants must register in the British Academy’s online Flexi-Grant system to enable the processing and assessment of their application. All applications must be submitted in English.
42.All applications will be subject to an eligibility check undertaken by appropriate British Academy staff before being put forward for assessment, and applications that are not completed correctly and on time will not be considered.
43.The deadline for submissions and UK institutional approval is 19 October 2022 at 17.00 (UK time). Applicants will not be allowed to make any changes to their applications or submit any additional information after the 19 October deadline.
Code of Practice
44.The British Academy has a Code of Practice for assessing applications, setting out the principles of equity, integrity and confidentiality governing the treatment of all applications for research support. The Code of Practice also covers Data Protection, the Academy’s ethics policy and the appeals procedure.
45.Feedback is not a feature of this programme and the Academy is, regretfully, unable to enter into correspondence regarding the decisions of the awarding committee, which are governed by the Code of Practice. Please note that by applying to this programme, applicants undertake to accept the terms under which applications are assessed.
Contact Details and Further Information
46.Please contact [email protected] for further information.
Application Information
Applications can only be submitted online using the British Academy Flexi-Grant® Grant Management System (GMS) via (https://britishacademy.flexigrant.com/). If you have not previously used the British Academy’s Flexi-Grant® GMS and were not registered in the previous e-GAP system, please follow the registration process from the Flexi-Grant® homepage. Applications cannot be submitted on paper or in any other format.
Before completing the online form, all applicants should check that they comply with the eligibility requirements and ensure all necessary information is presented in the application. These requirements are strictly adhered to, and applications without all the necessary information, or evidence to show the assessment criteria are met, will be rejected.
Registered approving organisations will be available in the search bar. If your organisation is not listed and is not affiliated with any organisations already in the system, then please contact us at [email protected] to request the addition of the organisation.The deadline for submissions and UK host organisation approval is 19 October 2022 (17.00 UK time). Applicants will not be allowed to make any changes to their applications or submit any additional information after the 19 October deadline.
When completing your application on the British Academy Flexi-Grant® GMS, it is recommended that you take particular note of the following points:
- Personal details: When registered in the British Academy Flexi-Grant® GMS, a user has the option to add or update personal information such as contact details, log-in details (including email address and password), interests, research and employment details, at any time. This represents a personal record of your account in the system and will help to populate the contact details in any application form you complete. It is useful if this information is kept up to date, but it is not essential to the progress of an application.
- Automatic log-out: You are strongly advised to save your work regularly to prevent accidental loss of information. In particular, you should be aware that if the system does not detect any activity for 1 hour it will log out and save the application at that time. Please note that moving between pages within an application form will save the page that you are exiting but completing a field on a page is not considered an activity. It is recommended that you write the text for longer sections/fields in a word processor such as Word and then copy and paste into the relevant text box to avoid being timed out in this way.
- Multiple sessions: You should not have multiple browser windows/tabs of your application open at the same time as this may cause information to be lost. Only one user should edit an application at a time, otherwise changes might be lost.
- Word limits: When completing boxes that have a restricted length (note that it refers to words) you should note that if you exceed the specified amount you will not be able to save when you press the save button. You should type the text for the longer-length boxes in a word processor. You will then be able to check the word count and paste it into the British Academy Flexi-Grant® system. You will then still have a copy of the text to return to in the word processor. The word limit applies to text boxes.
- Plain text: If entering plain text, please avoid using symbols as some may not be accepted by the British Academy Flexi-Grant® system. You should generate and view a PDF of your application to check that the application appears as you want it to by clicking on ‘print application’.
- Uploading PDF documents: Please note the only item you may upload is a copy of a CV, which must be a maximum of 2 pages.When uploading PDF documents, please add your name and a heading at the top of every page to show what the document is. Any CV submitted which is over the 2-page limit will render your application ineligible for consideration.
- Email addresses: The British Academy Flexi-Grant® GMS relies heavily on automatic email contact. It is essential that you ensure you enter accurate email addresses where requested as it may cause considerable delay in the submission/processing of your application if any of these are incorrect. You cannot make changes to email addresses after your application has been submitted for approval.
- Submission of application: You will not be able to submit your application until you have completed each section in full. You should submit your application for approval by a designated approver at your host organisation at least 5 working days before the closing date to allow for your host organisation’s administrative procedures. Please note that the institutional approver is a person within the UK host organisation, usually within the central research support office, who has authority for approving all applications submitted to the British Academy. Please be aware that any Co-Applicants or other contributors will need to mark their sections as ‘complete’ before you will be able to submit your completed application form.
Once you have submitted your application for approval by your host UK organisation, automatic emails will be sent to your host UK organisation approver asking them to log on to the system. You will not be able to edit your application after it has been submitted to your host UK organisation for approval. The host UK organisation approver will either: approve and submit your application, ‘send back’ your application and contact you to request modifications (if before the 19 October deadline) or decline your application and contact you.
Please be aware that it is your responsibility to ensure that you complete your application in time for your host UK organisation to process it (including requesting changes) and provide their approval by the closing date. It is recommended that you allow at least five working days for this process, but please check with your proposed host UK institution as their internal timetables may require earlier submission.
If your host UK organisation approver requests modifications through the British Academy GMS email facility, they can unlock your application, allowing you to edit it. They can do this by selecting ‘Return to Applicant’. An automatic e-mail will be sent to you alerting you of this fact. Once you have completed and saved the requested changes, please re-submit your application for approval by your host UK organisation.
Once your host UK organisation has approved your application and submitted it to the British Academy, it will not be possible to make any changes.
- Application sharing: All applications must be started by the applicant who is to be the Principal Investigator (PI) on the award. You can invite other contributors to join the application (e.g. Co-Applicant, Finance Office contact etc.), but in order to do so your contributor will need to be registered in the British Academy’s Flexi-Grant® system first. You will need to ensure you have their registered email address to invite them to participate in your application. You can let other British Academy Flexi-Grant® GMS users view your draft application in advance of submission by providing their email address. They will be able to log in using their existing password and see your application and, depending on permissions, amend your application.
- Application deletion: You can delete your application at any time although it is often a lot easier to just re-edit your existing application. We will be able to recover a deleted application for a period of 7 days after deletion. After this, it will be permanently removed from the system.
- Application returned for editing: The approver can return your application to you for further editing before the closing deadline of the call. See ‘Submission of Application’ above.
- Guidance: In the tables below you will find in the left-hand column each question as set out in the application form and in the right-hand column useful guidance on its completion.
- Further clarification: If any of this advice is unclear, or you need further information, please do not hesitate to seek clarification from the British Academy’s International Team (contact details at the end of these notes).
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU CREATE A PDF OF YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION (by clicking ‘Print Application’), AND CHECK IT THOROUGHLY, INCLUDING EMAIL ADDRESSES AND UPLOADED PDF FILES, BEFORE SUBMITTING IT FOR APPROVAL BY YOUR UK HOST ORGANISATION. IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO RECTIFY MISTAKES IN TIME FOR THE DEADLINE.
WORD LIMITS APPLY TO PLAIN TEXT ONLY. PAGE LIMITS APPLY TO PDFs ONLY.
ALL FIELDS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK (*) ARE MANDATORY.
YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE MULTIPLE BROWSER WINDOWS/TABS OF YOUR APPLICATION OPEN AT THE SAME TIME AS THIS MAY CAUSE INFORMATION TO BE LOST. ONLY ONE USER SHOULD EDIT AN APPLICATION AT A TIME, OTHERWISE CHANGES MIGHT BE LOST.
Completing the application form: The application can be completed by using the navigation tabs on the application summary page, with each page categorised as follows:
Page 1: Research Proposal
Page 2: Financial Details
Page 3: Primary Applicant Details
Pages 4-9: Co-Applicant Details
Page 10: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
A full list of question fields to be completed as part of the application can be found in the following table. Each box in the table represents a page of the application form: the left-hand column contains the questions within each of these pages as set out in the form; the right-hand column contains useful guidance on its completion. A red asterisk (*) indicates which questions are mandatory and therefore must be complete before the application can be submitted. Not all questions have a word limit; only those questions which have a maximum word count noted are subject to a word limit.
Please read the guidance notes carefully before completing the form.
Summary
Summary Table
When your application form is complete, all sections on this summary table will be marked as ‘Complete’. Only once all mandatory fields are marked as “Complete”, and all Contributors are all marked as “Complete” will a ‘Submit’ button appear for you to be able to submit your application. All mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk ‘*’. Please note that if you do not wish to include Co-Applicants 2-6 in your application, you must select ‘No’ under each Co-Applicant page to mark the page as complete.
Page 1: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Title of Research Proposal*
Please state the title of your proposed research
Abstract*
Please provide a short abstract summarising your proposed research in terms suitable for an informed general audience, not one specialised in your field.(150 words)
Principal Aims of Project*
Please describe the principal aims of your project, and how they relate to the programme's theme: Global (Dis)Order.
Proposed Programme and Plan of Action*
Please give a detailed description of the research programme, including its methodology and timeline. Applicants should be aware of the importance that assessors place on the viability, specificity and originality of the research programme and of its achievability within the timescale.The plan of action should be as detailed as is practicable, but suitable allowance may be made for variation in the event of an award being offered.(2,500 words)
Outputs, Publications and Dissemination*
Please describe your plans for outputs and publications and how you plan to disseminate them, including details of potential publishers, journals, and conferences etc.
Primary*/Secondary Subject
Please select the subject(s) most relevant to your research.
Interdisciplinary Proposal*
Proposals under this scheme must be interdisciplinary, forming collaborations between researchers in the humanities and the social sciences. Please describe how your proposal meets this criterion.
Research Country*
Please select the relevant country/countries that your research is based on.
Other Participants
Under ‘other participants’ please give the names, appointments, and institutional affiliation of any other participants in the proposed research. Please also describe the contribution to the project to be made by other participants, citing any particular specialisms and expertise, under ‘role of other participants’.
If detail of Other Participants are not yet known, please use the blank text box below to provide indicative numbers and/or types of people who may be involved in the project.
Start and End Date Confirmation*
Please confirm that you will start your research in March or April 2023, and that your research will end 24 months later.
Deposit of Datasets*
Please provide details of how and where any electronic or digital data (including datasets) developed during the project will be stored, along with details on the appropriate methods of access. It is a condition of award that all data be freely accessible during, and beyond, the lifetime of the project. If it is anticipated that no electronic data of any sort will emanate from the award in question, then please state this in the field along with any justification for this. (500 words)
Ethical Issues*
This field is mandatory and must be addressed by all applicants.
Are there any special ethical issues arising from your proposal that are not covered by the relevant professional Code of Practice? Have you obtained, or will you obtain, ethical approval from your employing institution or other relevant authority?
It is not expected that any special ethical issues will arise that are not already covered by relevant professional Codes of Practice. The normal expectation, therefore, will be that applicants should answer the pair of questions with the answers ‘no’ and ‘no’.
If there are any special issues arising, but they have already been cleared by approval from a relevant authority, please answer ‘yes’ and ‘yes’.
If any special issues arise and approval has not yet been obtained, please answer ‘yes’ and ‘no’, and provide an explanation.
If the answers are yes to special ethical issues and no to having obtained prior approval, please describe in the available space the non-standard ethical issues arising from your research and how you will address them. Applicants must ensure the proposed research will be carried out to a high ethical standard and must ensure that any potential ethical issues have been considered and explain how these will be addressed. The British Academy requires the research it funds to be conducted in an ethical manner. The host institution is responsible for ensuring that ethical issues relating to the research project are identified and brought to the attention of the relevant approval or regulatory body. Ethical approval to undertake the research must be granted by the relevant authority before any work requiring approval begins. Wherever necessary, appropriate consent should be obtained from or on behalf of participants or others affected by the research.
Safeguarding*
Please use this section to outline any safeguarding and/or child protection issues which may occur in relation to or as a result of your project.
Risk Management*
Researchers funded under this programme may choose to undertake fieldwork in the course of the research project. We expect an assessment of any risks entailed within the research project to be outlined within the proposal. For example, risks associated with delivery of the research, financial management, and oversight/governance.
Depending on the country/region concerned, there is a risk that the researchers will be in an area of civil unrest, violence/crime. At this stage, all research groups are required to indicate if (and where) they intend to undertake research in the field. For countries/regions considered by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as a host nation of medium or high risk, applicants are also required to demonstrate that the PI (and the PI’s host institution) understand the risk management implications and can monitor and manage the risks effectively. This aspect will be explicitly covered in the approval of any application by the appropriate authorities at the PI’s host institution, to confirm that the duty of care responsibility rests with the host institution.(750 words)
Other Relevant Information
Please use this space to provide details of any other relevant information.
PAGE 2: FINANCIAL DETAILS
Financial Details/Justification*
Please refer to the Scheme Notes above for a full list of eligible costs.
Eligible purposes for the funding include the time of the PI, and any Co-Applicants involved in directing the project (the minimum commitment of a PI is expected to be equivalent to 4 hours per week across the period of the award); postdoctoral research assistance; travel and related expenses; networking costs; and a contribution to university costs in hosting and supporting the research team. Awards are offered at 80% FEC.
Please use the table to indicate the figures for such costs (in GBP) between the various headings.
- Travel Costs: please include all costs associated with travel, whether by the PI, Co-Applicants or other participants.
- Other Costs: please include in this section any other eligible costs, including consumables.
- Staff (Directly Allocated): please include all costs related to payment for the time of the PI and any Co-Is.
- Other Directly Allocated Costs: please include any other related costs; for example, for UK-based applicants, and university estates costs.
- Indirect Costs: Please include here any indirect costs such as central administrative costs or other university services.
- Research/Clerical Assistance: please include all costs of research or clerical assistance.
Consumables include the purchase of specialist software (not readily available in the UK host organisation), datasets, photocopies, microfilms, etc., and any other minor items that will be used up during the course of the project. Applicants may apply for short-term consultancy or salary costs for expert staff, or short periods of research assistance.
The following items are not eligible for funding (applicants registered with special needs may consult the Academy about possible exceptions): computer hardware including laptops, electronic notebooks, digital cameras, etc.; books and other permanent resources; the preparation of camera-ready copy, copy-editing, proof-reading, indexing, nor any other editorial task; subventions for direct production costs (printing, binding, distribution, marketing etc.); costs of publication in electronic media.
Applicants should prepare accurate costings for the proposed research expenses and should be particularly careful not to overestimate the resources required.
Costs should be clearly itemised and justified in terms of the research programme.
If a claim for childcare is included, please supply sufficient justification for the case to be assessed.
Please note that awards are cash-limited, and there is no scope for supplementation of an award. Projects should be fully costed from the outset.
Please do not use ‘£’ signs in the amount boxes.
Value Sought*
Please state the total amount of funding requested. Please ensure that this matches the total set out in the budget table.
Previous British Academy Applications*
Please use this space to provide details of any applications (successful or unsuccessful) that you have made to any British Academy funding calls.
Applications to Other Funding Bodies*
Please tell us here if you have made any other applications in connection with this project? If so, with what results?
Page 3: PRIMARY APPLICANT DETAILS
Primary Applicant Contact Details*
Please take care to review and complete your personal details accurately. Errors in this section can cause difficulties in the processing of your application.
You can update your personal details by checking ‘my account’ and selecting the link to ‘my contact details’ and ‘my organisation’ and ensuring the relevant details are up to date.
Employing Organisation*
Please be aware that it is your responsibility to ensure that you complete your application in time for your UK host institution to process it and provide their approval by the closing date.
Please use the search bar to find your home institution and add the organisation to your application. If your organisation is not available, then it may not be registered in our system. Before requesting the addition of a new organisation, please check that it is not affiliated with any organisation that is already registered. If it needs to be added, please email us at [email protected].
All applications must be approved by the UK host organisation authorities e.g. research grants office, finance department, etc. The approving department will receive email notification once you have completed your application and submitted it. They will be asked to provide approval and then submit the application to the British Academy. It is strongly recommended that the applicant maintains an open dialogue with the approving department at the UK host institution as the British Academy cannot be held responsible for emails being caught in spam filters or not being received. It is recommended that you allow at least five working days for this process. Once the UK host institution has checked your application, they will contact you if any changes are required; please note that if changes need to be made, these will have to be done before the 19 October deadline as they cannot be done afterwards.
Nationality*
Please use the drop-down list to select your nationality. Additional nationalities can be added after the initial selection if required, by selecting ‘add row’.
Employment Status*
Please confirm that your current position is either permanent or that your current employment will extend beyond the lifetime of the award.
Present Appointment*, Department*, Employing Institution*
Please give details of your current appointment. The Principal Investigator must be a researcher within the humanities and social sciences, must be based at an eligible UK university or research institute, and must be of postdoctoral (or above) or equivalent status. The Principal Investigator must either be in permanent position at the institution or have a fixed-term position for the duration of the award.
PhD Confirmation*/ Awarded Date
Early career applicants working towards a PhD or awaiting the outcome of their viva/submission of corrections are not eligible to apply. Please therefore confirm that you have a PhD by answering yes. If you are an established scholar with relevant equivalent experience, but no doctorate, please select 'no' and indicate in the 'personal statement' field why you should be eligible for consideration.
Please enter the date of your viva voce examination in the ‘PhD Awarded Date’ field.
Personal Statement
This field is optional, but may be used, for example, in providing information regarding interruptions to an academic career or your equivalent research experience. (150 words)
CV Upload*
A brief CV should be uploaded here as a PDF file. This should be no more than 2 pages long. Any CV submitted which is over the 2-page limit will render your application ineligible for consideration. In order to comply with this 2-page limit, the applicant could omit, for example, conference presentations from their CV
Publications*
Please list up to 6 of your principal and/or relevant publications to date in reverse chronological order.
Principal Investigator Time Allocated*
Please indicate how many hours per week the Principal Investigator will spend on the proposed project. The minimum time commitment is four hours per week.
Where did you hear of this scheme?*
It helps the British Academy to target appropriate resources towards the promotion of the scheme to know where an applicant hears about it. As appropriate, please state: BA website; BA literature; PhD supervisor; Institution Research Office; Twitter, colleague, etc.
Pages 4-9: CO-APPLICANT DETAILS
Co-Applicants*
Please note that it is mandatory to include at least one named Co-Applicant who is based overseas.
Your Co-Applicant(s) will need to register themselves on the British Academy Flexi-Grant® system before they are able to complete this section. If applicable, please enter all the details of your Co-Applicant(s) by clicking ‘Contributors’ tab on the Application’s ‘Summary’ page. Please click on the ‘Invite’ button, enter the co-applicant’s email address and then click ‘Send Invitation’. If necessary, it is possible to enter additional co-applicants by repeating the instructions above. Once you have clicked on the ‘Send Invitation’ button, your co-applicant will be able to view your application and amend their section of the application.
Please note that all applications must have one lead applicant (PI). Please note that all correspondence is sent via the system only to the individual in whose name the application is submitted on the British Academy Flexi-Grant® system. The lead applicant is responsible for notifying any other parties. If there is more than one applicant, or the research involves other partners, please complete this section, and the relevant sections of the co-applicant personal details and co-applicant career summary. A ‘co-applicant’ is a joint director of the project with equal responsibility for the academic management of the project. Postgraduate students are not eligible to apply for grant support from the Academy, and applicants (and co-applicants) are asked to confirm in the personal details section(s) that they are not currently working towards a PhD, nor awaiting the outcome of a viva voce examination, nor awaiting the acceptance of any corrections required by the examiners.
Please note that only UK-based Co-Applicants would be able to take over the leadership of a project should the PI not be able to continue in this role.
Other participants in a project, whose involvement does not equate to being a ‘co-applicant’, should be named in the relevant section (‘Other Participants’) in the Research Proposal section
Nationality*
Please use the drop-down list to select your nationality. Additional nationalities can be added after the initial selection if required, by selecting ‘add row’.
Present Appointment*, Department*, Employing Institution*
Please give details of your current appointment. Co-Applicants from international institutions are strongly encouraged and must be of postdoctoral (or above) or equivalent status. The Co-Applicant must either be in a permanent position at the institution or have a fixed term position for the duration of the award.
PhD Confirmation*/ Awarded Date
Early career applicants working towards a PhD or awaiting the outcome of their viva/submission of corrections are not eligible to apply. Please therefore confirm that you have a PhD by answering yes. If you are an established scholar with relevant equivalent experience, but no doctorate, please select 'no' and indicate in the 'personal statement' field why you should be eligible for consideration.
Please enter the date of your viva voce examination in the ‘PhD Awarded Date’ field
Statement of Qualifications*
Please give details of up to 4 qualifications in reverse chronological order.
Personal Statement
This field is optional, but may be used, for example, in providing information regarding interruptions to an academic career. (150 words)
CV Upload*
A brief CV should be uploaded here as a PDF file. This should be no more than 2 pages long. Any CV submitted which is over the 2-page limit will render your application ineligible for consideration. In order to comply with this 2-page limit, the applicant could omit, for example, conference presentations from their CV.
Publications*
Please list up to 6 of your principal and/or relevant publications to date in reverse chronological order
PAGE 10: EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Equal Opportunities
This section is optional. However, the British Academy would greatly appreciate it if you can complete the details to assist us in our equality, diversity and inclusion monitoring. The British Academy is committed to its policy of Equal Opportunity in the provision of its grants and awards. Please help us to monitor the effectiveness of this policy by providing information concerning your age, gender, ethnic origin and disabilities (if any).
This information will be kept separately from the rest of your application and will not be seen by those involved in making decisions in the selection process. It will also not be seen by others contributing to your application.