Innovation Fellowships Scheme 2024-25 – Route B: Policy-Led (FCDO)

The Innovation Fellowships scheme is a dual-route scheme designed to enable researchers in the humanities and social sciences to partner with organisations and business in the creative and cultural, public, private and policy sectors in order to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions.

The British Academy has been funded by the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) to support the Innovation Fellowships. The Academy is also working on this scheme in partnership with other partners, including the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), as per this call.

The FCDO has specialised research requirements, operating in a context where timely access to high-quality evidence-based analysis can mean the difference between success and failure. Exerting influence, negotiating and leveraging others’ power at precisely the right moment is at a premium. This can make it difficult for researchers operating outside the FCDO to have a significant impact. These Fellowships will provide an opportunity to change that by enabling close interaction with FCDO policymakers directly in the heart of this government department’s work.

The Academy and the FCDO invite applications for Fellowships in any of the following areas.

  1. India: security and defence, foreign policy, climate policy, and/or economic growth
  2. The politics of energy transition and climate change in Africa
  3. The role of technology in shaping citizen-state relations in Africa

Eligibility: Eligible applicants must be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom with a current long-term appointment that will continue for at least as long as the period of the award at a UK-based institution (e.g., a Higher Education Institution [HEI] or Independent Research Organisation [IRO]). Postgraduate students are not eligible to apply for grant support from the Academy, and Applicants are asked to confirm in the personal details section(s) that they are not currently working towards a PhD, nor awaiting the outcome of a viva voce examination, nor awaiting the acceptance of any corrections required by the examiners.

Level of funding: The Academy is able to offer awards of up to £120,000 for 12 months in duration (with Full Economic Costing at 80 per cent).


Key dates

  • 27 November 2024: applications close at 17:00 GMT

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