British Academy/Wolfson Foundation Launch Research Professorships

Funded by the Wolfson Foundation and offered through the British Academy, these awards offer an opportunity for extended research leave to a small number of the most outstanding established scholars to enable them to concentrate on a significant research programme, while relieved of their normal teaching and administrative commitments.

These awards are designed primarily for established UK based scholars who already have a significant track record of publication of works of distinction in their field, and who have a major programme of research which would benefit from the uninterrupted concentration offered by the award of the Research Professorships.

Applicants should be intending to pursue original, independent research in any field of study within the humanities or social sciences.

The Academy invites applications from serving members of research active staff employed in UK universities, other UK institutions of higher education or Independent Research Organisations.

The value of each award is a fixed sum of £204,000, (£63,000pa for time buy-out for each of three years plus £5,000pa for travel and research expenses for each of three years).

Funding is expected to be used primarily to meet the costs of replacement teaching, with only a limited sum available to the award-holder as research expenses.

The awards are tenable for three years from the autumn of 2022. The earliest start date is 1 September 2022, and the latest start date is 1 January 2023.

The deadline for employing institutions to approve applications and submit them to the British Academy is 08 December 2021 (5pm UK time).