The Innovation Fellowships – Route B: Policy-Led (Sustainable Futures) in UK

The Innovation Fellowships scheme is a dual-route scheme designed to enable researchers in the humanities and social sciences to partner with organisations and businesses in the creative and cultural, public, private, commercial, or policy sectors that have a base in the UK, to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions that are relevant to the UK.

The Innovation Fellowships – Route B: Policy-Led (Sustainable Futures) Fellows will work the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra); the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ); and the Government Office for Science (GO Science).

Focus Areas

• Landscape Recovery (Defra)
• Public Participation Strategy (DESNZ)
• Climate, Society and International (GO Science)

Funding Information

• The maximum that can be claimed is £150,000 at 100% FEC, of which the Academy will pay 80% FEC (i.e. up to £120,000 if the full sum is requested).
• Duration of award: 12 months.

Eligible Costs

• Directly Incurred Salary Costs
• Directly Incurred Research Expenses
• Directly Allocated Costs (incl. Estate costs)
• Indirect Costs

Ineligible Costs

• Research assistance
• Purchasing of assets
• Equipment costs
• Computer hardware including laptops, electronic notebooks, digital cameras, etc
• Books and other permanent resources
• The preparation of camera-ready copy, copy-editing, proof-reading, indexing, nor any other editorial task
• Subventions for direct production costs (printing, binding, distribution, marketing etc)
• Costs of publication in electronic media
• Carbon offsetting
• Open access fees

Eligible Activities

• Evidence notes/policy briefings – reports, notes and responses to key challenges/approaches for developing connections with policy leaders or innovators
• Data analysis – identifying and analysing datasets that may be relevant to enhancing understanding and framing new solutions
• Case studies – exploring practical or policy-orientated solutions, engagement between academic and non-academic environments and the wider benefits to individuals/communities/regions
• Briefings/blogs/presentations/podcasts/videos and other outputs to reach a variety of policy audiences and environments
• Conferences/workshops/webinars/training/toolkits/- outputs which enable and embed knowledge exchange with a wider academic and policy audience
• Academic papers are encouraged but will need to be cleared with the partner prior to writing up and publication.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be an early or mid-career researcher based at a UK institution (e.g. a Higher Education Institution or Independent Research Organisation) with expertise in a Humanities and/or Social Science discipline.
• While the British Academy and its partners do not have preconceived ideas about the disciplinary background of Fellows, applicants will need to demonstrate a solid understanding of the relevant policy areas. Fellows will need to assess qualitative and quantitative evidence to produce evidence-based conclusions and/or policy advice/steers.
• Applicants should be open-minded, and willing to explore new perspectives and innovative approaches. They will have an appetite for working across academia and policy. They will be challenge-driven and receptive to integrating the perspectives, needs and priorities of the partner.
• UK Residency:
  • Please note, you must be ordinarily resident in the UK – have a registered UK address – to be eligible for this scheme.
• Experience, PhD or Equivalent:
  • Please note, PhD or equivalent experience is required in order for your application to be considered.
• Outstanding Reports:
  • Please note, any outstanding reports must be submitted by the earliest start date of your proposal, otherwise your application will be withdrawn.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Postgraduate students are not eligible to apply for grant support from the Academy and lead applicants must not be currently working towards a PhD, nor awaiting the outcome of a viva voce examination.

Assessment Criteria

• The relevance of the applicant to the Scope of the Fellowship as defined above
• The experience and suitability of the applicant in engaging closely with policy counterparts and future colleagues in government departments, including but not limited to the partner, and/or experience in working with policymakers on similar topics or areas of interest previously
• The anticipated benefit and impact on the partner’s areas of interest as expressed above on pages 6 – 13 and the applicant’s future policy engagement ambitions
• The anticipated benefit of the proposed partnership with regards to knowledge exchange between academic and non-academic environments
• The anticipated contributions to the British Academy’s wider policy work
• The ability of the applicant to provide policy relevant, clear and succinct oral briefings (will be assessed at interview if applicants are invited to interview)
• Comparative judgements about value for money may be considered at the final stage of assessment

For more information, visit The British Academy.