The British Academy UK national academy Learned society Grant-giving body

The British Academy The Humanities The Social Sciences The Royal Society The Royal Academy of Engineering The Academy of Medical Sciences The Royal Society of Edinburgh

Relation to Research Councils The British Academy ESRC – social sciences AHRC – arts and humanities

Strategic Framework Strategic priorities Ideas, individuals and intellectual resources International engagement Communication and advocacy Fellowship

Spending Review 2010 Change in focus Individuals International engagement Excellence and engagement Languages and Quantitative Skill s

Programme Budget

Research budget

Major changes are: No Small Research Grants for individuals (last closing date 23 March 2011) No Conference grants for travel abroad or organising meetings (last closing date 16 March 2011) No British Academy Research Development Awards Rolling up of current international schemes into one programme

Research support Humanities and social sciences Postdoctoral level Applicants resident in the UK Complement the schemes of the AHRC and ESRC Major focus on individuals through Postdoctoral and Mid-Career Fellowships New International partnerships and mobility scheme

Languages and Quantitative Skills New programme: £5m over 4 years 3 strands: – Fellowships – Partnership awards – Promotional activity: events, communications

Research Posts Postdoctoral fellowships (3 years) Early career (Apply within 3 years of award of doctorate) Mid-Career Fellowships (1 year) Mid-career (research and communication) Senior Research Fellowships (1 year) Aimed at mid-career: privately funded, no FEC Newton International Fellowships (2 years) Early career: for overseas scholars

Postdoctoral Fellowships currently offering up to 45 awards each year tenable for three years – experience of independent research – introduction to teaching – career development – output and dissemination

Postdoctoral Fellowships Annual competition 2-stage application process Deadline for outline applications Oct 2011 Shortlist announced in February Final awards announced in May Awards to be taken up from Sep 2012 Heavy competition – 900+ applications last year High priority scheme

Mid-Career Fellowships (1 year) Mid-career (research and communication) First round launched January 2011, recently closed c. 450 applications, likely to be around 35 awards Awards for 6-12 months: research leave, FEC basis Emphasis on: – Strength of research proposal – Communication to a broad audience Next round opens summer 2011 for awards from autumn 2012

Senior Research Fellowships 7 each year, tenable for one year to complete major programme of research relief from teaching and administration Non-FEC, sponsored by Leverhulme Trust One closing date per year – mid-autumn 2011; decisions announced in February Awards tenable from the following autumn

Newton International Fellowships Run by two national academies (Royal Society, British Academy) Supports visits by foreign scholars to the UK for up to two years Covers any discipline within remit of RS and BA Electronic application via RS e-Gap system Next closing date 4 April 2011 for fellowships from January 2012 See Next competition opening January 2012

International Capacity Development programmes International Partnership grants Africa, Middle East, South Asia Foster collaboration and capacity development Up to three years; up to £10,000 a year Link programme Latin America and the Caribbean 2-way seminar programme 2 years, up to £10,000 a year Closing date 30 March 2011

International Partnerships and Mobility scheme Bringing together existing: – Agreements – research visits and joint projects – Visiting Scholars – International Partnerships and Link Programmes

International Partnerships and Mobility scheme Mobility: research visits Open to applicants at any career stage Short research visits possibly in connection with a small joint project Earmarking for different parts of the world? First call likely to be autumn 2011

International Partnerships and Mobility scheme Partnerships and joint projects Institutional partnerships, or projects between groups of scholars? Focus on particular parts of world, or bringing the best scholars together? Research primary focus: or capacity development and training elements? Time frame: probably over 3 years First call likely to be Spring 2012

International Sponsored Institutes and Societies 6 research institutes with premises in Ankara, Athens, Nairobi, Tehran, Rome, Amman, Jerusalem An access arrangement to 23 field centres across Asia through a European consortium 6 sponsored societies supporting research in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, South and South-East Asia

Evaluation Criteria For all awards: o academic merit o originality of proposal o relationship to and volume of research already in the field o feasibility of research programme o specificity of scheme of research o intended outcomes

Evaluation Criteria Research Posts: additional factors: For PDFs: potential to go on to a successful academic career as a teacher in higher education For MCFs: the communication plan and the public benefit of the intended outcomes For Senior Fellows: how pressing is the need for the research time applied for

Evaluation Criteria International awards: additional factors Still under discussion: for partnerships, priority might be on working with areas of world where barriers to research collaboration – financial, cultural, political

Peer Review assessment procedures proportionate to scale of funding subject specialists within Academy for international grants, may also use area specialists recommendations confirmed by Award Committees, in light of budget available Code of Practice for all assessors

Birkbeck College Recent and current awards include: 2 Postdoctoral Fellowships 1 British Academy Research Development Award 1 Visiting Scholar 1 Conference Support Grant 7 Small Research Grants 1 Neil Kerr Memorial Fund Grant 8 Overseas Conference Grants

Contacts Research Awards Team / / International Department /

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