The primary emphasis is on completion of a significant piece of publishable research, which will be assisted by full membership of an academic community of established scholars working in similar fields. The Fellowship, tenable for 3 years, will cover the salary costs of the fellow plus £6,000 of research expenses over the three years.
Suitable subjects for the Fellowship include any field of study within the humanities or social sciences. However, the remit of British Academy funding schemes does not include primarily practice-based outputs such as in musical composition and performance, visual practice, creative writing, and film-making. Such outputs will be considered to fall within the BA's remit only when they form part of an integrated project of critical or historical significance.
The British Academy application process will be held in two stages. The deadline for Outline applications is 4th October 2023. The deadline for the second stage (by invitation only) is anticipated to be mid-February 2024.
For full details and further guidance please consult the British Academy website.
Please note that the 2023-24 round is due to open on 5 July 2023, when the British Academy will update details of the call, including providing Guidance Notes for the Outline application stage. Scheme Notes from the previous round have been kept online for reference only, the British Academy expects no major changes to the scheme.
Why should you apply with the University of Liverpool?
The breadth of our expertise in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences creates exciting opportunities for genuinely original, vibrant, innovative research that brings together diverse disciplines to make a positive impact on the world. Our Schools and Departments provide a focus for world leading subject specialisms while our Faculty Research Themes support collaborative, interdisciplinary communities of researchers with shared interests to produce world-class, valuable research.
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences provides comprehensive and tailored support to our candidates to help them develop their proposals. Complementing local support from mentors, Departments and Schools, the Faculty will hold an information workshop for selected candidates, providing advice on the scheme and how to develop a compelling postdoctoral fellowship application. We will also offer peer review on individual application drafts, providing feedback to strengthen applications before submission.
Testimonial: Dr Christian Cooijmans
Dr Chris Cooijmans, a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film since 2020, reflects on his time at the University of Liverpool:
“Despite having started my Fellowship at a challenging time for the University and its staff and students, I have received a warm welcome into a supportive and encouraging research environment, wherein creativity, collegiality, professional development, and public engagement are both cherished and championed. The UoL Research Team has been an invaluable resource in navigating my application process, and anyone considering a BA Postdoctoral Fellowship with the University of Liverpool should consider themselves in more than capable hands."
Selection and Support Process at the University of Liverpool (2023-2024 scheme)
Given the highly competitive nature of this scheme, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences has put in place an internal demand management process to select, and then closely support, candidates to be put forward with the University of Liverpool.
Interested applicants are invited to submit an Expressions of Interest to the relevant School Research Team by Monday 24 July 2023,5pm, consisting of the following:
- This completed BA Postdoctoral Fellowships EoI proforma
- A brief CV (max 2 pages)
- A list of publications (1 page max – this should include forthcoming publications and publications in preparation)
Selected applicants will be informed by 23 August 2023. All shortlisted candidates will then receive further support from their Department as well as the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, to develop and enhance their application before submission. A Faculty online workshop to support selected candidates will take place during the last week of August (likely to be on Wednesday 30 or Thursday 31 August 2023, for an hour and a half).
Please note
This selection process will be led by our School Research Teams – please check the details below to determine which is the appropriate School Research Team you should contact according to the Department you wish to apply with:
School of the Arts – Departments of:
- English
- Philosophy
- Music
- Architecture
- Communication and Media
Please contact sotares@liverpool.ac.uk
School of Histories, Languages and Cultures – Departments of:
- History
- Irish studies
- Politics
- Modern Languages and Cultures
- Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology
Please contact hlcrsrch@liverpool.ac.uk
School of Law and Social Justice – Departments of:
- Law
- Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology
Please contact SLSJRI@liverpool.ac.uk
Management School – Departments of:
- Accounting and Finance
- Economics
- Marketing
- Operations and Supply Chain Management
- Strategy, International Business and Entrepreneurship
- Work, Organisation and Management
Please contact ulmsfund@liverpool.ac.uk
Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place
Please contact catherine.durose@liverpool.ac.uk
Eligibility
Please ensure you check that you meet the eligibility criteria below before sending an Expression of Interest for consideration by the University of Liverpool:
- Usually, applicants must be within three years of the award of a doctorate (i.e. the date of their successful viva voce examination). For this round, this period extends from 1st April 2021 to 1st April 2024. Exemption from this criterion may be granted for reasons occurring after the date of the viva voce examination such as: maternity leave, illness, family commitments etc. If you are unsure about whether this applies to you, please contact the British Academy Research Funding Team.
- Applicants must be supported by the UK host institution in which they wish to hold the Fellowship
- Those who have been appointed to a permanent academic post in an institution of higher education at any time in their career are ineligible to apply.
- British citizens and nationals from the European Economic Area are eligible, regardless of where their doctorate was obtained. Anyone of any nationality who has a doctorate from a UK university is eligible. If an applicant does not meet the prior categories, they may be accepted if they can demonstrate ‘strong prior association’ with the UK academic community. This typically means a current significant period (minimum one year) of employment at a UK institution in either a teaching or research position at a postdoctorate level, which is not permanent.
- The British Academy does not allow for resubmissions for the Postdoctoral Fellowship. If you have previously applied and failed to reach the Second Stage of the competition, you are not eligible to re-apply.
Information for UoL staff and mentors
For University of Liverpool colleagues supporting applicants, we have put together an intranet page summarising internal support processes and timelines, as well as providing extra information on recruiting and supporting candidates.