British Academy awards over £1m in funding for small research projects across the UK

The British Academy has awarded around £1million of funding to small research projects across the UK, following a record number of applications to the Academy’s Small Research Grants scheme.

Nearly 1200 applications were received in what was the most heavily-subscribed single round of competition in the history of the Academy’s Small Research Grants scheme.

Altogether the Academy, in partnership with the Leverhulme Trust, has awarded £1.1m to 161 projects in the 2017-2018 financial year, at an average cost per project of £6,664.

And in a sign of increasing diversification within the Academy's Small Research Grants scheme, 56.5% of this round's award-holders are women.

This continues the trend in recent years of women winning more than half of the awards.

Linda McDowell, FBA and Chair of the British Academy Research Awards Committee, said:

“We are delighted to announce the recipients of the Academy’s Small Research Grants for 2017-18. It was wonderful to receive so many applications from across the range of disciplines. The quality of the applications we received was so high that the selection process proved extraordinarily difficult.

“We wish all the researchers the best of luck with their work and look forward to seeing the results.”

Some of the research projects set to receive funding include ‘What universities can learn from workplace policies on preventing sexual misconduct’, ‘Days of Future Past? The impact of robots on work in the UK and Norway’ and ‘Blood & Honour! A Transnational History of the White Power Skinhead Movement’.

The British Academy/Leverhulme Trust’s Small Research Grants, up to £10,000 in value and tenable for up to 24 months, are provided to cover the cost of the expenses arising from a defined research project.