Funding to run a landmark event of lasting significance, as a central part of the British Academy’s events programme.
Successful conferences will bring together scholars from around the world to present and discuss new research in the humanities and social sciences. Held at the British Academy’s own premises in London, at other British venues, or online, these events will offer students, scholars and specialists an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in their subject areas and to expand their academic networks.
The scheme includes awards for a strand of British Academy/Wellcome Conferences which should foster discussion and debate on health and wellbeing related themes specifically. This is in addition to another strand supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
ELIGIBILITY
- Awards are open to postdoctoral scholars (or equivalent) in the fields of the humanities and social sciences.
- Applicants must be resident in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands (that is, classed as ‘ordinarily resident’ for tax purposes).
- Applications require the approval of the applicant’s employing institution, but are not limited to those of any particular status (e.g. Lecturer, Professor etc).
- Proposals should be for conferences which disseminate new research in the humanities and social sciences. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary proposals are particularly welcome, as are proposals that show the connection between our disciplines and the natural sciences.
- Proposals should be for open occasions; requests for closed, invitation-only conferences will not be considered.
- Conferences funded under the British Academy/Wellcome banner must explore health and wellbeing related themes. A broad definition which encompasses human and/or animal and/or environment health and wellbeing research across the spectrum of the humanities and social sciences, will be applied.
VALUE AND DURATION
Up to £20,000 per conference is available for British Academy/DSIT conferences. For conferences on health and wellbeing under the British Academy/Wellcome scheme, the upper limit of awards is £30,000.
Many awards will be made at a lower level, with sums in the region of £10,000-£15,000 likely.
Proposals should be for conferences that will take place over one to two days at a venue in the UK, or up to three days if online-only.
KEY DATES
Deadline: 29 January 2025
Principal proposers notified: June-July 2025
Conferences adopted into the next round of British Academy Conferences must take place between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027.
Full guidance can be found in the document below. See opportunity webpage for further details including application notes, FAQs and past conferences.