New BA Fellowship Scheme

After all the cuts, something (quite) positive: a new scheme from the BA. The Mid Career Fellowship Scheme looks, on first view, a bit like the old BARDA: £160k fully economically costed, but with a cap of £80k on salaries. It looks like they’re rushing this out slightly, as the first deadline is 9 March 2011.

There's nothing on their website yet, but here's the information that was included in their email today:

Proposals are invited for a new scheme of British Academy Mid-Career Fellowships. The Academy intends, through this scheme, both to support outstanding individual researchers with excellent research proposals, and to support outstanding communicators who will promote public understanding and engagement with humanities and social sciences. The scheme contributes to the Academy’s strategic commitments both to the support of ideas, individuals and intellectual resources and to public engagement and dovetails with the Academy’s new Languages and Quantitative Skills programme.

Aim of the award
The aim of the scheme is to allow successful applicants to obtain time freed from normal teaching and administrative commitments. The time bought by the scheme should be devoted to the completion of a major piece of research and/or to the promotion of a programme of public engagement and communication. Awards will be judged both on the excellence of the research proposed and on the capacity of the applicant to communicate with a broad audience.

Scope of the award
Applicants for the Mid Career Fellowships should be intending to pursue – or, in the case of those applying to support a programme of communication, have pursued – original, independent research in any field of study within the humanities or social sciences. In respect of some of the awards, the Academy will take into account the aim of providing particular support for certain important fields, including modern languages and quantitative and other formal skills. A small proportion of the total number of awards will be offered specifically to contribute to the Academy’s new Languages and Quantitative Skills Programme. All applicants are invited to state how they see their particular programme, whether directly meeting current challenges or not, contributing to the identification of future priorities and challenges.

Eligibility
These Fellowships are awards to individuals, and the Academy is looking particularly to support mid-career scholars. The Academy takes no account of an applicant’s physical age or current status in determining eligibility, but will look to provide opportunities for scholars who have established a significant track record of publication or as an excellent communicator and ‘champion’ in their field, and who are normally within no more than 15 years from the award of their doctorate. In considering eligibility, the Academy will make due allowance for applicants who have had career breaks, and for established scholars who do not have doctorates.

Level of Grant
These Fellowships are covered under the Full Economic Costing (FEC) regime, but the Academy’s contribution to the salary of the Mid-Career Fellow will be capped at £80,000. It is not expected that the total value of an award will exceed £160,000. Awards can be held over a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 12 months, beginning in the autumn of 2011.

Closing Date
The closing date for applications is 9 March 2011. Decisions will be announced in late May.
Applications must be submitted via eGap, the Academy's electronic grant application system.