British Academy- Postdoctoral Fellowships Grant

The British Academy's Postdoctoral Fellowships support early-career researchers in humanities and social sciences, offering funding for independent research projects. With over £50 million distributed in 2024, the program aims to enhance academic experience and facilitate the completion of publishable research. Successful applicants will benefit from guidance within established scholarly communities, while the Fellowship, tenable for three years starting Autumn 2026, is designed to bolster their academic careers and curriculum vitae.

The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences.
We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone. Our work and research grants are funded by the UK government, major benefactors and individual donations.
What sort of research do we fund?
In 2024 we distributed over £50 million of funding in awards to enable the most talented academics in the humanities and social sciences to pursue their research.
The British Academy is inviting proposals from early-career researchers in the humanities and social sciences wishing to pursue an independent research project, towards the completion of a significant piece of publishable research.
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship offers outstanding early-career researchers the opportunity to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in an academic environment. This scheme aims to help develop the award-holder’s curriculum vitae and boost their prospects of obtaining a permanent academic post. The primary emphasis is on the completion of a significant piece of publishable research, and the integration of the award holder into the community of established scholars within their field.
The Fellowship is non-renewable and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).
Referee
Applicants must be supported by one self-nominated referee, who will be asked to fill in a questionnaire via Flexi-Grant. The referee should normally be the external examiner or, if not available, someone else who is as external to the applicant as possible.
The referee may not be the applicant's proposed mentor, doctoral supervisor or internal examiner.
Value and Duration
The scheme is covered under the Full Economic Costing (FEC) regime. Currently, the Academy funds 80% of salary costs, directly allocated and indirect costs under FEC. The Fellowship is tenable for three years, starting from Autumn 2026 in a UK-based university or higher education institution.

Eligibility

The applicant must be a researcher from the humanities and social sciences and be based at an eligible university or research organisation for the duration of the Fellowship. Suitable institutions include any UK university or recognised research organisation based in the UK. British citizens and any nationals from the EEA are eligible, regardless of where their doctorate was obtained. Anyone of any nationality who has a doctorate from a UK university is eligible. If an applicant does not meet the prior categories, they may be accepted if they can demonstrate ‘strong prior association’ with the UK academic community.
Applicants must be of early-career status, meaning they must apply within three years from the date of their successful viva voce examination.
The applicant must already be of postdoctoral status at the time when the Research Awards Committee meets.