Title: The British Academy THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
1The British AcademyTHE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR THE
HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
2The British Academy
- UK national academy
- Learned society
- Grant-giving body
-
3Aims and Objectives
- To represent the interests of scholarship
nationally and internationally - To give recognition to excellence
- To promote and support advanced research
- To further international collaboration and
exchange of knowledge - To promote public understanding of research and
scholarship - To publish the results of research
4- The British Academy
- The Humanities
- The Social Sciences
- The Royal Society
- The Physical Sciences
- The Biological Sciences
5Relation to Research Councils
- The British Academy
- ESRC social sciences
- AHRC arts and humanities
- The Royal Society
- EPSRC engineering and physical sciences
- MRC medical sciences
- NERC natural environment
- PPARC particle physics and astronomy
- BBSRC biological and life sciences
6Programmes
- Activities in four main areas
- Fellowship (membership Fellows of the British
Academy elected on basis of academic
excellence) - Publications and Activities (lectures,
conferences, publications programme, web site) - Research (grants, posts, projects)
- International (agreements, joint projects,
overseas institutes)
7Programme Budget 2005-06
12.1m
8Research Programmes
- Research and Conference Grants
- Research Posts
- Research Projects
9Research budget 200506
Plus Policy Studies 100,000
7,785,000
10Research awards
- For personal individual research
- Humanities and social sciences
- Postdoctoral level
- Applicants resident in the UK
- Small-scale projects
- Normally travel and maintenance
- Complement the schemes of the AHRC and the ESRC
- Non-directive
11Subject areas
- Humanities
- Ancient History, Archaeology, Area Studies,
Cultural Studies, Drama, Film Theatre Studies
(non-performative), History, History of Art,
Languages and Literature, Music, Philosophy,
Theology and Religious Studies - Social Sciences
- Demography, Economics, Economic History,
Education, Geography, Law, Socio-legal Studies,
Linguistics, Political Studies, Psychology,
Social Anthropology, Sociology
12Research Grants
- Small research grants (up to 7,500)
- Larger research grants (up to 20,000 FEC)
- primary research
- individual or collaborative research
- clearly defined, self-contained projects
- identifiable outcomes
13Small Research Grants
14Conference Grants
- Overseas Conference Grants
- Travel grants for UK scholars giving papers at
conferences abroad - British Conference Grants
- To bring key speakers to conference organised and
held in the UK - Worldwide Congress Grants
- Congresses of major subject areas or disciplines
in the UK
15Research and Conference Grants
2003-04 Academic session
16Research Posts
- Postdoctoral fellowships
- currently 37 each year, tenable for three years
- experience of independent research
- introduction to teaching
- career development
- output and dissemination
- from 2006-07 will include FEC
17Research Posts
- Research Leave Fellowships
- 15 each year, tenable for two years
- from 2006-07 will include FEC
- Senior Research Fellowships
- 7 each year, tenable for one year
- will NOT include FEC as privately-funded
- to complete major programme of research
- relief from teaching and administration
18Research Projects
- recognition of c. 40 long-term infrastructural
projects - support for British contribution to collaborative
international enterprises - occasional major initiatives
19International Activities
- Budget 4.1 million in 2005-06
- but
- 3.48 million on British Schools and Institutes
overseas and Sponsored Societies - c. 600,000 on International Relations
20Institutes and Sponsored Societies
- The British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara
- The British School at Athens
- The British Institute in Eastern Africa
- The British School of Archaeology in Iraq
- The British Institute of Persian Studies
- The British School at Rome
- The Council for British Research in the Levant
- The Egypt Exploration Society
- The Society for Libyan Studies
- The Society for South Asian Studies
- The Committee for South-East Asian Studies
- The Council for British Archaeology
21International Relations
- Primarily to encourage and facilitate scholarly
collaboration through Agreements with partners - Area Panels for Africa, and for Latin America and
the Caribbean - New Visiting Fellowships scheme
- Budget 598,500 in 2005-06
22International Relations
- Agreements
- With 38 academies, research councils and other
bodies in 26 countries - Provide for individual research visits
- And/or small scale joint projects
- including workshops and seminars in connection
with joint projects
23International Relations
- Area Panels
- Academy has no current links with Africa or Latin
America and the Caribbean. How best to develop
these? What kind of activities should be
supported? - Visiting Fellowships
- New scheme in 2006 to bring young postdoctoral
scholars to the UK for between 2 and 4 months - Will include FEC (ie funded at 80 of FEC)
- Full details available from July 2005
24Evaluation Criteria
- Research and International Grants
- academic merit
- originality of proposal
- relationship to and volume of research already in
the field - feasibility of research programme
- specificity of scheme of research
- presentation
- intended outcomes
25Evaluation Criteria
- Research Posts
- academic merit
- academic record capacity to make a significant
contribution to research - For PDFs potential to go on to a successful
academic career in higher education - For Research Leave Fellowships how pressing is
the need for the research time applied for
26Selling the proposal
- You should
- Specify context and research objectives
- Describe the methodology
- Set out realistic research programme
- Avoid too much jargon
- Cost carefully and explain what it is for
- Explain planned output
27Selling the proposal
- Practical points
- Check closing date and timetable for
consideration - Involve referees in the drafting of the proposal
and allow them time to prepare references - Stick to the space on the form
- Dont use a tiny font
- Avoid attaching unnecessary extra material
- Dont ask for funding for ineligible purposes
- Discuss with your research office
28Peer Review
- light assessment procedures, proportionate to
scale of funding - subject specialists within Academy
- recommendations confirmed by Award Committees, in
light of budget available - external evaluation for larger awards
- Code of Practice for all assessors
29Contacts
Research Grants Department grants_at_britac.ac.uk /
020 7969 5217 Research Posts Department posts_at_bri
tac.ac.uk / 020 7969 5265 International
Relations Department overseas_at_britac.ac.uk / 020
7969 5220
30Email Bulletin
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31The British AcademyTHE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR THE
HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
www.britac.ac.uk