Global Professorships Programme 2023 (UK)

With the Global Professorships, the Academy is looking to support researchers that are proposing ambitious, beyond the state-of-the-art research that breaks new ground.

Programme Aims

• The Academy views the Global Professorships as an opportunity for established researchers to undertake high-risk, curiosity-driven research in the humanities and social sciences in a UK research institution. The Global Professorships are awards for individuals in an institutional setting. Applications must be for new, coherent and cutting-edge projects. The Global Professorships are expected to add significant value to the UK host institutions and vice versa, and thus the projects must be significant, leading to novel and innovative collaborations.
• 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 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 programmes.
• The Academy wishes to encourage applications from historically and/or structurally disadvantaged groups and female researchers.
• The aims of the Global Professorships are to:
  • Applicants should be intending to work in any aspect of the humanities or the social sciences. Outputs involving creative practice (e.g. musical composition and performance, visual practice, creative writing and film making) are welcome but will be considered to fall within the British Academy’s remit only when they form part of an integrated project of critical or historical significance.

Funding Information

• The Academy will provide up to £900,000 per award.
• 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 1 March 2024 – 30 September 2024
• Duration of Award: Four years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
  • Grants are available to mid-career and senior researchers in any discipline within the humanities and social sciences (recognised 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 course of the grant unless expressly agreed with the Academy prior to the application being submitted that such an application would be considered eligible.
  • Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (or have equivalent research experience).
  • 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 prior to applications being submitted. Eligible institutions include but are not limited to the British International Research Institutes.
  • Awards are only available to individuals, to be held in an institutional context. Co-applicants are not permitted.
  • 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 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).
• Candidates should be based outside the UK at the time of application. Applicants who are working outside the UK but are employed primarily by a UK institution are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must demonstrate that they have been in contact with their UK host institution prior to the application. Please note that the British Academy is not able to assist with locating or facilitating contact with UK host institutions.

Selection Criteria

• All eligible proposals submitted in response to this funding call will be assessed by relevant British Academy peer reviewers and then considered by a final selection panel.
• Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
  • The excellent research track record and/or promise of the applicant;
  • The quality, ambition and originality of the proposed research vision and programme, with the aim to support state-of-the-art applications that break new ground;
  • The distinct research contribution and added value that the applicant will be able to make to the UK host institution, and the suitability of the UK host institution for the applicant’s research project that enables the award-holders and their UK host institutions to achieve a step change in their respective research programmes;
  • Value for money.

For more information, visit Global Professorships Programme.