The British Academy and Wolfson Foundation launch new search for exceptional early-career researchers as funding confirmed for new Fellowships

The British Academy is delighted to announce another round of funding from the Wolfson Foundation for early career research fellowships in the humanities and social sciences.

The British Academy / Wolfson Fellowships have supported 25 early career researchers (ECRs) across four cohorts since launching in 2019.

Funding of £890,000 has now been awarded towards the programme which will support six more researchers who show exceptional talent in both research and public engagement in the SHAPE (social sciences, humanities and the arts) subjects.

Worth up to £140,000 over three years, the Fellowships enable researchers to spend time away from some of their normal duties to pursue outstanding research in their fields, along with funding for public engagement work, travel and mentorship.

Previous awards funded through this scheme include:

• Addressing the Adverse Impacts of Domestic Violence During Pregnancy - Professor Aja Murray, University of Edinburgh
• The Age of Copper, Ivory and Gold: England and West Africa in the Middle Ages – Dr Lloyd de Beer, The British Museum
• Determinants, Dynamics and Policy Implications of Deep Poverty - Dr Daniel Edmiston, University of Leeds
• Climate Smart Cities: Responsible Policies for Governing Artificial Intelligence in Transitions to Low Carbon Societies - Professor Katharine Rietig, Newcastle University

Support for the Fellowship programme began in 2019 as part of a major funding initiative of £10 million awarded by the Wolfson Foundation to the British Academy, which supported the Academy in opening-up to broader and more diverse audiences through the development of a state-of-the-art events space at the Academy’s building in central London, and the creation of the Early Career Research Network (ECRN). This grant provides support for a fifth cohort of the Fellowship programme.

Professor Margot Finn FBA, Vice President for Research and Higher Education Policy at the British Academy, said: "The Wolfson Foundation has been one of the British Academy’s most valued partners for more than half a century, and we’re delighted that this relationship continues to grow and develop. Supporting researchers early in their careers can be genuinely transformative for them, giving them time and space to work on some truly impressive, interesting and valuable research in the humanities and social sciences, and to deliver outstanding public engagement.”

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive at the Wolfson Foundation, said: “At a time when humanities and social sciences are facing significant pressures, it is more important than ever to support the next generation of researchers. We are therefore thrilled to announce funding that will give talented, early-career scholars the freedom to pursue ambitious, imaginative research that will help shape our understanding of the world.”

The funding call will open on 21 October 2026 and closes 14 December 2026.

For further information contact the Press Office on [email protected]  / 07500 010 432.