British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships 2027: One Year of Research Leave for Established UK-Based Scholars

The British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships 2027 offer established researchers in the humanities and social sciences an opportunity to dedicate an entire year to completing a significant research project without the usual demands of teaching and administrative responsibilities. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust and the Thank Offering to Britain Fund, the scheme is designed for scholars whose research progress has been constrained by other professional duties and who need sustained time to bring major academic work towards completion.

The fellowship is particularly relevant to experienced academics who have made substantial progress on an important research project but have struggled to give it the attention it requires because of their teaching schedules, administrative obligations and other institutional responsibilities.

Administered by the British Academy, the programme provides a structured period of research leave lasting 12 months. During this time, successful applicants can focus on advancing their scholarship, completing significant research outputs and preparing their work for dissemination through publications and their continuing academic careers.

The 2026 application round opened on September 30, 2026, and the deadline is Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. GMT. Applicants must submit their applications online through the British Academy’s Grant Management System, Flexi-Grant, and ensure that the required UK institutional approval is completed before the deadline.

1. Overview of the British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships

The British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships are intended to give established scholars the time and space needed to complete a significant piece of research. The programme recognises that experienced academics often balance multiple responsibilities, including lectures, student supervision, departmental administration, committee work, research management and other institutional duties.

Although these responsibilities are essential to universities, they can limit the time available for sustained, independent scholarship. This fellowship seeks to address that challenge by enabling successful applicants to take a year away from their normal teaching and administrative commitments.

Rather than primarily supporting the beginning of a new research project, the scheme places particular emphasis on bringing an important piece of existing research towards completion. Applicants should therefore demonstrate that their proposed work is substantial, clearly defined and capable of meaningful advancement during the fellowship period.

The programme is funded by the Leverhulme Trust and the Thank Offering to Britain Fund and administered by the British Academy, the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences.

Key details at a glance

2. Purpose of the Senior Research Fellowship

The main purpose of the British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship is to enable scholars to bring a significant research project towards completion by providing a sustained period of leave from teaching and administrative responsibilities.

The programme recognises that academic research requires more than occasional periods of free time. Major scholarly projects may involve extensive reading, archival investigation, fieldwork, data analysis, interpretation of evidence, writing, revision and the preparation of research findings for publication. When academics must continually divide their attention between research and institutional responsibilities, these activities can take considerably longer to complete.

The fellowship provides a structured opportunity to address this problem.

2.1. Providing relief from teaching responsibilities

Teaching is a central responsibility of university academics, but preparing lectures, conducting seminars, marking assessments, supervising students and supporting academic programmes can consume a significant amount of time.

The fellowship allows successful applicants to undertake a sustained period of research leave while a replacement lecturer covers eligible teaching responsibilities.

This arrangement is intended to enable the award-holder to concentrate on the research project rather than continue carrying their normal teaching workload throughout the fellowship.

2.2. Reducing administrative pressures

Academic administration can include committee meetings, departmental management, programme coordination, student administration and other institutional duties.

Although such responsibilities are important, they may make it difficult for scholars to dedicate uninterrupted time to a major piece of research.

The fellowship is particularly relevant to academics whose research has been delayed because of these competing responsibilities. By facilitating a year of research leave, the programme creates an opportunity to focus on completing the work.

2.3. Bringing major research towards completion

The scheme places particular emphasis on completing a significant research project. Applicants should therefore be able to explain what they have already accomplished, what remains to be done and how the fellowship period will enable them to advance the work.

The proposed project might involve preparing a substantial scholarly publication, completing a major research study or bringing an important body of research to a stage where its findings can be disseminated.

The critical consideration is that the research should be significant and sufficiently developed for a dedicated 12-month period to make a meaningful difference.

2.4. Supporting future academic development

The British Academy expects award-holders to disseminate their research findings through publications and to incorporate the outcomes into their continuing academic careers.

The fellowship is therefore not simply an opportunity to take time away from teaching. It is intended to support meaningful scholarly progress that continues to benefit the researcher, their academic institution and the wider research community after the award ends.

3. Who Should Apply for the British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship?

The fellowship is intended for established and senior researchers who need a sustained period of research leave to complete an important scholarly project.

It is especially suitable for academics whose research progress has been affected by substantial teaching and administrative commitments and who can demonstrate that a year of dedicated research time would help them bring their work towards completion.

Potential applicants include:

• Established university researchers with significant research projects approaching completion.

• Senior academics whose teaching schedules limit their ability to undertake sustained research.

• Scholars responsible for substantial departmental, faculty or institutional administration.

• Researchers in the humanities and social sciences who need concentrated time to complete a major scholarly work.

• Academics who intend to publish their research findings and build on the results in their future academic careers.

Applicants should note that the programme is not restricted to individuals holding a particular academic title. The British Academy explicitly states that an applicant’s age and current academic status, such as professor or lecturer, are not taken into account when determining eligibility.

However, this does not mean that every academic automatically qualifies. Applicants must satisfy the scheme’s other requirements, including the UK employment requirement and the need for a suitable research project.

Why the fellowship may be valuable for established academics

For researchers who have spent years balancing research with teaching and administration, the fellowship can provide an opportunity to make substantial progress on work that might otherwise remain unfinished.

For example, an academic who has collected extensive research material but has struggled to complete a manuscript because of teaching and administrative obligations could use the fellowship period to concentrate on analysis, writing and revision.

Similarly, a scholar working on a significant social-science study might need uninterrupted time to integrate findings, develop arguments and prepare the results for publication.

These examples illustrate the kind of circumstances in which sustained research leave may be useful; applicants must still demonstrate that their own projects meet the scheme’s requirements.

4. Eligibility Criteria for the 2026–2027 Fellowship Round

Applicants should review the eligibility conditions carefully before investing time in preparing their applications.

4.1. Employment at a UK institution

Applicants must be employed by a UK institution.

This is a central eligibility requirement. The scheme is designed for scholars working within the UK higher-education and research environment.

Researchers who are employed exclusively by institutions outside the United Kingdom should not assume that they qualify simply because their research falls within the humanities or social sciences.

For international researchers, eligibility depends on satisfying the UK institutional employment requirement and all other applicable scheme conditions. Nationality alone does not establish eligibility.

4.2. Established or senior research career stage

The scheme targets established and senior researchers who need relief from teaching and administration to complete significant research.

However, the British Academy does not determine eligibility solely by looking at an applicant’s academic title. Being a professor does not automatically establish eligibility, and holding a lecturer position does not automatically disqualify an applicant.

Instead, the Academy considers eligibility under the scheme’s requirements and expects award-holders to be able to disseminate their research results and build on the work in their future academic careers.

Applicants should consult the official guidance for the full conditions applicable to their circumstances.

4.3. Research in the humanities or social sciences

The fellowship supports research in any field of study within the humanities and social sciences.

These disciplines encompass a wide range of academic subjects, including:

• History and historical research.

• Political science and political studies.

• Public policy and governance.

• Sociology and social research.

• Anthropology.

• Philosophy and ethics.

• Languages and linguistics.

• Literature and literary studies.

• Cultural studies.

• Religious studies and theology.

• Economics and related social-science research, where covered by the scheme.

• Other eligible fields within the humanities and social sciences.

Applicants should ensure that their proposed project falls within the scheme’s disciplinary remit rather than assuming that every interdisciplinary or applied research project is automatically eligible.

4.4. A significant research project

The proposed work must be substantial enough to justify a dedicated year of research leave.

Applicants should be prepared to explain the significance of the project, the progress already made and the work that remains outstanding.

A proposal should also make clear how the fellowship period will help bring the research towards completion and how the results will be disseminated.

4.5. Ability to disseminate the research findings

The British Academy expects award-holders to disseminate the outcomes of their research through publications and to feed the results into their future academic careers.

Applicants should therefore think carefully about the intended outputs of the fellowship. Depending on the project, these could include a substantial scholarly publication or other appropriate research outputs.

The proposed work should have a clear intellectual purpose and a credible plan for communicating its findings.

4.6. Restriction on applicants to the 2026–2027 Mid-Career Fellowship round

There is an important restriction for applicants who have already applied to the British Academy’s 2026–2027 Mid-Career Fellowship scheme.

According to the published scheme information, these applicants are not permitted to apply to the British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship scheme in autumn 2026.

Researchers who have applied to the Mid-Career Fellowship round should therefore check their position before beginning a second application.

This restriction is particularly important because an otherwise eligible academic may still be ineligible to apply to this specific round due to their participation in the other scheme.

5. Research Fields and Types of Projects Supported

The fellowship is open to research in any field within the humanities and social sciences. The broad disciplinary remit means that scholars working on different subjects can be considered, provided that their proposed work meets the scheme’s objectives and requirements.

The key consideration is not simply the academic subject but whether the project represents a significant piece of research that would benefit from a sustained period of dedicated work.

Humanities research

Humanities scholars may undertake projects involving historical documents, archival materials, cultural analysis, literature, philosophy, religion, languages or other forms of humanistic inquiry.

For instance, a historian may need concentrated time to analyse archival sources and complete a major manuscript. A literary scholar may require a sustained writing period to bring a substantial study towards publication.

Social-science research

Social-science researchers may work on projects involving political institutions, public policy, social behaviour, governance, economic relationships, communities and other social phenomena.

A political scientist might need time to synthesise years of research into a major publication. A sociologist might need a dedicated period to analyse research findings and develop a substantial scholarly argument.

These are illustrative examples rather than a list of pre-approved project types. Each application must be assessed against the official scheme requirements.

Interdisciplinary research

Projects that draw on more than one discipline may also be relevant where they fall within the humanities and social sciences.

Applicants should explain the intellectual contribution of the project and demonstrate how the proposed research can be advanced during the fellowship period.

The scheme is not described as being restricted to a single research methodology. The suitability of a particular project will depend on its disciplinary fit, significance and alignment with the fellowship’s purpose.

6. Funding Amount and What the Fellowship Covers

The British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship has a specific funding structure. It is important to understand that the award is not an unrestricted personal grant or a general research budget.

The scheme is not covered by the Full Economic Costing (FEC) regime. Only specified costs are payable.

6.1. Replacement lecturer salary

The fellowship covers the salary of a replacement lecturer who takes over eligible teaching responsibilities while the award-holder concentrates on research.

The replacement lecturer should normally be at an early-career stage and appointed at the usual starting salary for first-time appointments.

This provision is designed to enable the researcher’s institution to maintain its teaching provision while the award-holder undertakes the research leave.

6.2. Associated employer costs

The scheme also covers eligible employer costs associated with the replacement lecturer’s appointment, including:

• National Insurance contributions (NI).

• Universities Superannuation Scheme costs (USS), where applicable.

• London Allowance, where applicable.

These costs are subject to the scheme’s terms and conditions and the relevant institutional arrangements.

6.3. Research expenses of up to £5,000

In addition to eligible replacement lecturer costs, the fellowship provides for limited research expenses of up to £5,000.

Applicants should prepare a realistic estimate of the research expenses necessary to complete the project during the fellowship period.

The published information does not provide an unrestricted entitlement to spend the full £5,000 regardless of need. Applicants should consult the official scheme and application guidance to establish which costs can be claimed.

6.4. Costs the fellowship does not cover

The British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust will not meet other directly incurred, directly allocated or indirect costs in connection with these fellowships.

Consequently, applicants and their institutions should not assume that the award will cover every cost associated with the project or the wider institutional environment.

The budget must follow the scheme’s specific rules rather than a standard university research-grant costing model.

Summary of eligible funding

Applicants should consult the official scheme guidance for the definitive rules on allowable expenditure and the preparation of the financial request.

7. Fellowship Duration and Start Date

The British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship lasts 12 months.

The award is intended to provide a sustained period of research leave, enabling the successful scholar to focus on completing the proposed research project without the normal burden of teaching and administration.

When can the fellowship begin?

For the 2026 application round, the fellowship must commence between:

• September 1, 2027, and

• January 1, 2028.

Applicants should take this window into account when developing their proposed research timetable and coordinating arrangements with their employing institution.

The start date should allow sufficient time for the replacement lecturer to be appointed and for the researcher’s teaching and administrative responsibilities to be appropriately covered.

What can researchers accomplish in 12 months?

The precise outputs will depend on the nature of the project, but a year of dedicated research time may enable a scholar to:

1. Complete a substantial manuscript or book project.

2. Analyse and synthesise previously collected research material.

3. Complete a major stage of a long-running research project.

4. Develop findings into publishable scholarly outputs.

5. Revise and finalise work that has been delayed by other professional responsibilities.

6. Strengthen the research programme that will inform their future academic career.

These are potential outcomes, not guaranteed deliverables. Applicants should define realistic objectives appropriate to the maturity and complexity of their proposed research.

8. Can Applicants Hold Another British Academy Grant at the Same Time?

Yes, under certain conditions.

The published scheme information states that applicants may apply simultaneously for a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant for the same project. If successful in both schemes, they may hold both awards, provided that there is no duplication of costs.

This provision may be useful for researchers whose projects require additional eligible support beyond the costs covered by the Senior Research Fellowship.

However, applicants should distinguish this arrangement from the restriction affecting those who have already applied to the 2026–2027 Mid-Career Fellowship scheme. The Small Research Grant provision expressly permits simultaneous applications under the stated conditions, while the Mid-Career Fellowship restriction prevents eligible participation in the Senior Research Fellowship round in autumn 2026.

Researchers considering multiple applications should carefully review the relevant scheme guidance to ensure that their proposed funding arrangements comply with all applicable rules.

9. How to Apply for the British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship 2026–2027

Applications must be submitted online through the British Academy’s Grant Management System, known as Flexi-Grant.

The process requires applicants to prepare their research proposal, establish the appropriate institutional arrangements and ensure that the application receives the necessary UK institutional approval.

Follow these steps to prepare your application.

1. Read the official scheme guidance.

   Read the eligibility requirements, funding rules, terms and conditions and application instructions before proceeding.

2. Confirm your eligibility.

   Check that you are employed by a UK institution, that your research falls within the humanities or social sciences and that your proposed work fits the purpose of the fellowship. If you have already applied to the 2026–2027 Mid-Career Fellowship scheme, pay particular attention to the restriction on applying to this round.

3. Define the research project you intend to complete.

   Identify the major research work that would benefit from a year of dedicated leave. Explain its significance, current stage of development and the work required to bring it towards completion.

4. Discuss the arrangements with your institution.

   Because the award covers the salary and eligible employer costs of a replacement lecturer, applicants should coordinate with the relevant institutional personnel responsible for research support, finance and teaching arrangements. The institution must be able to support the proposed period of research leave.

5. Prepare the funding request.

   Develop a budget that reflects the eligible replacement lecturer salary, associated employer costs and research expenses of up to £5,000. Do not include costs that the scheme expressly excludes.

6. Complete the online application.

   Access the  official fellowship application page and follow the instructions to apply through Flexi-Grant.

7. Obtain institutional approval.

   Ensure that the required UK institutional approval is completed by the deadline. Submission by the applicant alone may not be sufficient if institutional approval remains outstanding.

8. Submit before November 11, 2026.

   The application and UK institutional approval deadline is Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. GMT. Allow enough time for institutional checks and any requested corrections.

Official application and guidance links

Applicants should use the current scheme documents and online application instructions as the authoritative source for submission requirements.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

10. Application Deadline and Important Dates

The application round opened on September 30, 2026. The deadline for both submission and UK institutional approval is November 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. GMT.

The following dates are important for prospective applicants.

Applicants should not leave their institutional approval arrangements until the final day. Universities may require internal review, budget preparation and authorisation before submitting or approving an application through Flexi-Grant.

A researcher who completes the application but fails to secure the required institutional approval by the deadline may not satisfy the submission requirements. Applicants should therefore contact their institution’s research office as early as possible.

11. Contact Details for Enquiries

Researchers who require clarification about the scheme can contact the British Academy using the email address provided in the published fellowship information.

When making an enquiry, applicants should clearly identify the British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship and describe the particular eligibility, funding or application issue they need clarified.

12. How to Make the Most of the Fellowship Opportunity

Although the fellowship offers a valuable opportunity for established researchers, applicants should approach the process with a clear understanding of what the scheme is designed to achieve.

Focus on completion rather than simply proposing new research

The scheme’s primary objective is to give established scholars the time to bring a significant piece of research towards completion. Applicants should explain why their existing research requires a sustained period of leave and what meaningful progress they expect to make during the 12 months.

A proposal that clearly identifies the outstanding work, the research outputs and the expected benefits of dedicated research time will help reviewers understand the purpose of the request.

Establish a realistic work plan

A year can provide substantial research time, but it is still a defined period. Applicants should plan their work carefully, allowing sufficient time for research, analysis, writing, revision and preparation of outputs.

The proposed plan should be ambitious but achievable, taking into account the stage of the project and the nature of the research.

Coordinate with your institution early

Institutional support is particularly important because the scheme requires a replacement lecturer and associated eligible costs. Applicants should communicate with their university’s research office and relevant academic managers early enough to establish the practical arrangements.

This can also help ensure that the budget is prepared correctly and that institutional approval is secured before the deadline.

Understand the funding restrictions

The fellowship does not operate under the Full Economic Costing regime. Applicants must therefore prepare their funding requests within the specific limits of the scheme.

In particular, the research-expense allowance is capped at £5,000, and other directly incurred, directly allocated and indirect costs are excluded.

Plan for the long-term value of the research

The fellowship is intended to support work that continues to benefit the researcher’s academic career after the award ends. Applicants should consider how the research outputs will be disseminated and how the findings will contribute to their future scholarly work.

The objective is to make the year of research leave a meaningful investment in the completion of important academic work.

Conclusion

The British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships 2026–2027 provide established scholars in the humanities and social sciences with a 12-month period of dedicated research leave to complete significant academic projects. By funding a replacement lecturer’s salary and eligible employer costs, together with research expenses of up to £5,000, the programme helps researchers reduce the pressures of teaching and administration while concentrating on their scholarship.

The fellowship is particularly relevant to UK-employed academics whose research has been delayed by other professional responsibilities and who have a clear plan for bringing an important piece of work towards completion. Applicants should pay close attention to the eligibility requirements, funding restrictions, institutional approval process and rules concerning simultaneous applications to other British Academy schemes.

Researchers who meet the criteria should review the official guidance, consult their institution’s research support team and prepare their applications well before the deadline.

Application deadline: Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. GMT.

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