British Academy / Cara / Leverhulme Researchers at Risk Research Support Grants

British Academy / Cara / Leverhulme Researchers at Risk Research Support Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The British Academy
Amount: £2,000 - £10,000
Last Updated: April 28, 2025

Summary

The British Academy / Cara / Leverhulme Researchers at Risk Research Support Grants offer £1 million over five years to provide essential research support for at-risk researchers. Funding of up to £10,000 is available for activities such as project planning, research assistance, and conferences. Eligible applicants include established and mid-career researchers, as well as postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences, with a focus on scholarly excellence and innovative project development.

Overview

British Academy / Cara / Leverhulme Researchers at Risk Research Support Grants The Leverhulme Trust is providing funding of £1,000,000 over five years targeted at providing research support for researchers at risk. Aims Funds are available to facilitate initial project planning and development; research assistance; and to enable the advancement of research through conference/workshop or visits by or to partner scholars. Applicants may seek support for any combination of eligible activity and cost up to the overall limit of £10,000. Applications will be assessed equally on their merits, with no preference as to the mode of enquiry.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Grants are available to support research project activities for eligible researchers in all disciplines except medical and health sciences.Career stage: Established researcherMid-careerPostdoctoralEquivalent research - Senior researcherEligible researchers include the following except where their research falls within the medical and health sciences which is not eligible:Existing award-holders through Cara’s Fellowship Programme.Applicants to Cara’s Fellowship Programme who have been deemed eligible for support and for whom a placement is being sought (awards will only be paid over once the placement is secured).Existing award-holders through the British Academy’s Researchers at Risk Fellowship Programme.Applications for collaborative or individual research projects are equally welcome under this scheme.They must hold an appropriate UK visa before the funds can be released.The maximum grant is £10,000 over the remaining duration of the relevant fellowship award held by the applicant – applications will not be considered for less than £2,000.The award period for any research support funding will not exceed the duration of the relevant fellowship award that the applicant holds from either the British Academy or Cara.General informationAll awards are for scholars in the Humanities and Social SciencesAll awards are for scholars at postdoctoral level. i.e. after the award of a PhD.For most schemes, the Principal Applicant must be resident in the UK.Generally the Academy’s awards are for support of ideas and individuals rather than large-scale institutional projects.With a few exceptions for specific geographic regions, or one-off schemes, the Academy’s awards are non-directive, wholly responsive in mode.For all awards, the primary criterion for award is scholarly excellence.Recommendations for award are made by relevant Academy Committees in the light of the available budget for the specific scheme.Eligible CostsThe funding must be utilised for distinct activity or activities in the support of a research project. The funding is for research support only. Eligible costs include:Project planning and development costs. (cost of travel for discussion in the UK and overseas; initial workshops with potential partners).Travel and maintenance for the applicant, including travel to disseminate results of the research at meetings/workshops held either in the UK or abroad.Travel and maintenance for overseas scholars engaged in collaborative research activity with the applicant.Research expenses.Workshops or conferences to advance the programme of research.(principally the costs of travel and maintenance for key participants, though organisational costs may be considered).Consumables.Specialist software.Language training.Costs of interpreters in the field.The cost of child or parent care may be considered if the carer is conducting research away from home and it is not possible to make alternative arrangements.It is expected that a non-exhaustive set of examples of research support could include the below.Initial project planning and development.Attendance at or organisation of workshops and conferences with a specific relevant research objective to enable the advancement of the research.Visits by or to partner researchers or to specific infrastructures, archives or similarly relevant places where there is a clearly specified research objective.

Ineligibility

The Academy has no funding schemes for postgraduate students, masters students or candidates studying for other professional qualifications.Duplicate applications that have previously been rejected more than once will not be considered for a third timeThe costs of normal regular childcare whilst at home are not eligible for support.The funding is not for the support of:Administration, overheads or any other costs at the host institution.The applicant personally or their dependents.Purchasing equipment.Payment in lieu of salary.Replacement teaching.Advocacy or lobbying.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.Duplicated costs (covered in a previous award).Grants are not intended to support interchange between researchers where there is no planned programme of activity to meet a clearly specified research objective. Applications purely to organise a conference, whether held in the UK or overseas will not be considered.