The British Academy Global Professorship Grant are large investigator-led award to attract internationally recognized established scholars to work in the United Kingdom, to undertake new, coherent, and cutting-edge research projects.
With the Global Professorships, the Academy is looking to support researchers who are proposing ambitious, beyond the state-of-the-art research that breaks new ground. Interested applicants are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to carry out groundbreaking research in the United Kingdom.
British Academy Global Professorship Grant | DETAILS
The Academy views the Global Professorships as an opportunity to apply to undertake high-risk, curiosity-driven research in the humanities and social sciences that enables the award-holders and their UK host institutions to achieve a step change in their respective research programs.
With the Global Professorships, the Academy is looking to support academics that are proposing ambitious, beyond the state-of-the-art applications that break new ground. The Academy will provide up to £900,000 per award.
Aims of the British Academy Global Professorship
- Attract established international researchers to be based in the UK – Enable internationally-based researchers to undertake cutting-edge research in the UK.
- Contribute to advancing the research goals and strategies of the UK host institution – The projects are expected to be complete in themselves, with clearly demonstrable outcomes of value both to the career development of the individual and the strategy of their host UK institution.
- Fund high-quality original research – provide long-term funding to enable established researchers to focus on their research vision.
Eligibility Requirements for the British Academy Global Professorship Grant
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (or have equivalent research experience).
- An individual cannot be the PI on more than one bid under this Program, including through different host institutions.
- PIs may not hold more than one British Academy award of a comparable nature at any one time.
- Awards are only available to individuals, and to be held in an institutional context. Co-applicants are not permitted.
- Grants are available to mid-career and senior researchers in any discipline within the humanities and social sciences (recognized in their field or with exceptional promise) who are currently employed outside the United Kingdom, on a permanent contract (which may be part-time or full-time) or, if temporary, would normally be a contract that will not end during the grant.
Any exceptions must be expressly agreed with the Academy before the application is submitted for such an application to be considered eligible.
- Awards will not be made retrospectively: this means that the work for which support is requested must not have commenced before the award is announced. Applications must be for new research ideas that are coherent on their own and are cutting-edge.
- Applicants must be available to take up an unpaid leave of absence, a long-term secondment, or employment at an eligible UK institution. If this is unclear from an applicant’s national setting, then the Academy welcomes communication with applicants before applications are submitted. Eligible institutions include but are not limited to the British International Research Institutes.
- Applicants are required to provide a formal statement of support from a senior member of their proposed host institution in the UK (normally expected to be a Pro-Vice-Chancellor or equivalent, or at minimum Head of Department/Faculty/Institute).
Value and duration
Awards are expected to run for four years each from a starting date to be agreed with the British Academy. The starting date must not be before 26 March 2025 – 30 September 2025. The Academy will provide up to £900,000 per award.
Required Documents
Please have these documents in hand:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the applicant
- A formal statement of support from the proposed UK host institution
- Detailed research proposal outlining the project’s new, coherent, and cutting-edge nature.
- Completed online application form via the British Academy’s Grant Management System, Flexi-Grant
Frequently Asked Questions
- When can I expect to hear back about the results?
We aim to have both the successful and unsuccessful applicants informed about the final decisions of the panel by mid-March 2025. Please note this is a provisional date and as such may be subject to change.
- When is the deadline for application submissions?
The deadline for submitting your application is 17.00 GMT Wednesday 23 October 2024. However, applications should be submitted well in advance of the deadline; we recommend at least five days before allowing for institutional approval.
- Is there a specified number of awards reserved for each discipline (i.e. can only a certain number of awards be given to candidates from the humanities/social sciences)?
There is no limit on how many of these individuals are assigned to a specific discipline – i.e., your success is purely dependent on the merit of your proposal rather than the area of interest.
- When does the award begin?
You may begin your award anytime between 26 March and 30 September 2025.
- Am I eligible to apply while holding Emeritus Status at my home institution?
Individuals holding Emeritus Status are eligible to apply, provided they can demonstrate proof of contract.
- I am currently a Principal (or Co-Investigator) on another British Academy grant. Am I eligible to apply?
There can be no duplication of funding for the same purpose by more than one British Academy scheme. As the Global Professorship buys out 100% of the Award-holder’s time, any existing award must be completed, and a final report submitted, before the Global Professorship can be taken up.
- I received a Global Professorship Award from the Academy previously – can I apply again if I still comply with the eligibility criteria?
No, previous Global Professorship holders are not permitted to submit another application to this scheme.
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