British Academy: Global Professorships

The British Academy's “Global Professorships” 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. The Global Professorships provide an opportunity 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.

Applications open

1 Oct 2021

Applications closed

1 Feb 2022

Application type

Application required
How to apply

Benefit type

Annual payment
Full benefit details

Citizenship requirements

Australian / domestic student
International student

Total value

up to $1,400,000

Applicable study areas

Architecture, building and planning; Education, teaching and training; Environment and natural resources; Historical, philosophical, political and social studies; Language, literature and cultural studies; Law, legal studies and criminology; Music; Performing and visual arts, theatre, film and television

Number of scholarships awarded

Approximately 10

  • "Funding from the British Academy (jointly with the Royal Society through the “Newton International Fellowship”) provided invaluable support for my investigation of the combustion of second-generation liquid biofuels at the University of Cambridge. The stipend, travel and equipment funding enabled me to kick-start my independent research career and, as a consequence, I was hired by Rolls-Royce, where I led their Industrial Gas Turbine Research and Technology Team. The British Academy’s generous alumni program enabled me to maintain research collaboration with UK academics long into my career, leading to a patent on a novel low-emissions Gas Turbine combustor with Rolls-Royce and Cambridge."
    Read Dr Robert Gordon's story
  • Eligibility & selection criteria

    Eligibility

    To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:

    • Be a recognised scholar or researcher with exceptional promise who is 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).

    Please see the scheme's notes for full details on eligibility criteria.

    Selection criteria

    Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

    • The excellent academic track record of the applicant.
    • The contribution that the applicant will be able to make to the UK host institution, specifically with regard to its research strategy, and the suitability of the UK host institution for the applicant’s research project.
    • The quality of the proposed programme of activities beyond the specific research project and the degree to which the research environment and outreach of the UK host institution will be enhanced by the applicant’s activities.

    Refer to the British Academy's Global Professorships website for further information.

  • Application process

    The application form must be submitted online using the British Academy’s grants application system, Flexi-Grant. Refer to the scheme notes for guidance on completing the application form.

    For queries, email internationalgrants@thebritishacademy.ac.uk

  • When will I know the outcome?

    Results will be announced by email in July.

  • Variations of this award

    In addition to the Global Professorships, the British Academy offer a significant range of scholarships, funding and awards, principally for applicants who are ordinarily resident in the UK and/or who are employed in UK higher education institutions. The following awards, however, have broader eligibility for Australian citizens:

    • BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants with a value of up to £10,000.
    • Apex Awards with a value of £100,000.
    • Youth Futures awards with a value of up to £300,000.
    • Education and Learning in Crises awards with a value of up to £360,000.
    • Newton International Fellowships with a value of at least £32,000 per annum.
    • Visiting Fellowships with a value of up to £22,000.

What are the benefits?

A stipend of £187,500 per annum is available for 4 years to a maximum of £750,000.

The information listed here is subject to change without notice. Where we have listed information about jointly run scholarships programs, please also see our partners' websites. Information describing the number and value of scholarships awarded is indicative.