The British Academy / Wolfson Fellowships

We will be commissioning an external evaluation of this scheme to inform our thinking about future funding in this area. While this work is being undertaken, we will not be accepting any new applications for these fellowships.

These awards provide early-career academics with the most valuable commodity – time – by releasing them from some of their administration and teaching duties to pursue their research, along with funding for public engagement and travel. The award duration is three years.

Emphasis is also placed by the Academy and the Wolfson Foundation on the importance of award-holders communicating their plans and results to a broad audience. It is expected that six awards will be offered and that they will continue to participate with future cohorts building a network of outstanding researchers.

The grant maximum is £130,000 across three years. Awards can be used flexibly: at least £90,000 for time buy out, and up to £40,000 for research and travel expenses and dissemination of findings. The funding is expected to be divided: first, to buy out time of the academic duties of the award-holder in order to focus on their research goals. Secondly, for travel and public engagement across the three years of the award to help with research costs and to undertake dissemination of the findings from the fellowship research locally, nationally and globally.

Applicants must have a full-time or part-time permanent or fixed term post that covers the length of the award (three years) at a UK university or other research institution, such as a museum or gallery, which can provide a suitable environment and support for applicants. Applicants should have research, teaching and other related duties from which they would need to be released in order to heighten their focus on the research and engagement supported through the fellowship. Applicants should be within nine years of completion of their doctorate, though we also welcome applications from those researchers who have had to take time out since the completion of their PhD for maternity/paternity/adoption leave, for caring responsibilities or for periods of illness.

The British Academy welcomes applications from museums and galleries, including but not necessarily limited to those with Independent Research Organisation (IRO) status.

For more details about the programme and eligibility requirements, please see the British Academy / Wolfson Fellowships Scheme Guidance and FAQs.

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