Boost for Researchers at Risk Fellowships scheme

The British Academy’s Researchers at Risk scheme is to be significantly expanded thanks to support from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and SAGE Publishing.

The Researchers at Risk scheme aims to support excellent researchers under threat to continue their work in the UK for up to two years. Since its launch in April, the scheme has supported 27 Ukrainian academics.

This week the government announced that a further £9.8 million is to be made available for this scheme, in addition to its initial £3 million funding. It is expected that this will support around 130 Ukrainian researchers.

SAGE Publishing will provide discretionary support for researchers relating to travel, visas, housing expenses and the cost of living. This invaluable funding will enable researchers to conduct their work in the UK, amidst a rise in the cost of living.

The Fellowships will cover the physical and biological sciences, medical and health sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences and the arts with applications made via UK-based institutions. The fourth submission window for applications starts this week; see details about how to apply.

The British Academy is delivering this scheme with the other UK national academies and Cara (the Council for At-Risk Academics). The programme has previously received funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Nuffield Foundation. If you are interested in further supporting this scheme, please get in touch with [email protected].

Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, said:

“We are delighted to have the means to expand this vital scheme and are grateful to both the government and SAGE for their generous support. The protracted crisis means that there is a pressing need to support researchers from Ukraine to find safety for themselves and their families and continue their work. Demand for the Fellowships has been very high, so we are thrilled that additional funding has been made available to support them.

“In time we hope to secure funding to broaden access to the scheme and support at-risk researchers more widely.”