British Academy Global Professorships 2020 Program for outstanding overseas scholars to work & collaborate in the UK

Funded by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (through the National Productivity Investment Fund)

This programme provides mid-career to senior scholars in any discipline within the humanities and social sciences, who are currently employed outside the United Kingdom, with the opportunity to be based for four years in the UK and make a contribution to UK research and higher education.

Each appointment is intended to be a complete project in itself and is expected to involve a specific research focus, although the British Academy does not have a preferred model for the balance of time to be spent between research and teaching (which may vary over the course of the award and will depend on the UK host institution’s needs).

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.

Awards will not be made retrospectively: the work for which support is requested must not have commenced before the award is announced.

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The Academy welcomes applications from a diverse range of UK host institutions. In the current competition round, the Academy wishes to particularly encourage applications from historically and / or structurally disadvantaged groups, low-income countries and from female applicants.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must:

Be recognised scholars or researchers with exceptional promise who are on a permanent contract outside the UK (which may be part-time or full-time) or, if temporary, would normally be on 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, in any field of the humanities or the social sciences.
Hold a doctoral degree (or have equivalent research experience).

Be available to take up an unpaid leave of absence, a long-term secondment or employment at an eligible UK host institution. Eligible institutions include but are not limited to the British International Research Institutes.
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).
Nominate one academic referee who is not based at the UK host institution or at the overseas institution at which the applicant is currently based at the time of application and is not involved in the programme of research and other activities submitted as part of the application.

Value and duration

Awards are for a period of four years and must be taken up between 1 August 2020 and 1 February 2021.

The British Academy will provide funding of up to £187,500 per annum, and up to £750,000 over four years.

The host UK institution is expected to contribute up to £37,500 per annum (or 20% of the Academy’s annual contribution) towards the costs of the Professorship, excluding indirect and estate costs.

Application process

Applications must be submitted online using the British Academy’s grants application system, Flexi-Grant.

Application, reference, supporting statement and UK host institution application approval deadline: 17.00 (UK time) on Wednesday 19 February 2020.