British Academy/Wolfson Fellowships are designed to support early-career researchers who show exceptional talent in both research and public engagement, emphasising and demonstrating the importance of academic research and creative thought at a time of rapid political and societal change.

These awards provide early-career academics with the most valuable commodity – time – by releasing them from some of their administration and teaching duties to pursue their research, along with funding for public engagement and travel. The award duration is three years.

Emphasis is also placed by the Academy and the Wolfson Foundation on the importance of award-holders communicating their plans and results to a broad audience. It is expected that six awards will be offered and that they will continue to participate with future cohorts building a network of outstanding researchers.

The funding is expected to be divided: first, to buy out time of the academic duties of the award-holder in order to focus on their research goals. Secondly, for travel and public engagement across the three years of the award to help with research costs and to undertake dissemination of the findings from the fellowship research locally, nationally and globally.

Applicants must have a full-time or part-time permanent or fixed term post that covers the length of the award (three years) at a UK university or other research institution, such as a museum or gallery, which can provide a suitable environment and support for applicants. Applicants should have research, teaching and other related duties from which they would need to be released in order to heighten their focus on the research and engagement supported through the fellowship. Applicants should be within seven years of completion of their doctorate, though we also welcome applications from those researchers who have had to take time out since the completion of their PhD for maternity/paternity/adoption leave, for caring responsibilities or for periods of illness.

The British Academy welcomes applications from museums and galleries, including but not necessarily limited to those with Independent Research Organisation (IRO) status.