Social Sciences Fellowships

The Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships aim to provide career development opportunities for those who are at a relatively early stage of their academic careers but who have a proven track record of research.  The expectation is that the Fellow should undertake a significant piece of publishable work but the project put forward should not be a reworking or extension of their doctoral research project.   

Each year the Faculty supports a limited number of Fellowship applications to this scheme. UEA is committed to supporting the scholarship and career development of our Fellows and each is assigned an academic mentor and will be fully integrated into the life of their host School.

Fellowships can be held in the School of Economics; School of Education and Lifelong Learning; School of Global Development; Law School; Norwich Business School; School of Psychology, and the School of Social Work.

Information on the scheme can be found on the Leverhulme website. Please read this to get an understanding of the requirements of the Fellowship to be clear about the eligibility criteria.

Please see information on how to apply to UEA for the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship 2024.

The Faculty of Social Sciences (SSF) invites potential applicants wishing to hold a Fellowship at UEA from autumn 2025 for three years to submit an outline application to the faculty by 5pm on 12th July 2024. British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships are designed to offer opportunities for outstanding early career researchers to strengthen their experience of research and teaching.

These can be held in the School of Economics; School of Education and Lifelong Learning; School of Global Development; Law School; Norwich Business School, School of Psychology; School of Social Work.

UEA is fully committed to supporting the scholarship and career development of our fellows, and each will be assigned an academic mentor and will be fully integrated into the life of their host School. 

The Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF2021) has classified 91 per cent of the University’s research as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The result also puts UEA in the top 20 of Times Higher Education's (THE's) overall ranking table for REF2021.

For more information about the research in the Faculty of Social Sciences and further information on REF2021 their respective webpages.

Information on the scheme can be found on the British Academy website. Please read this to get an understanding of the requirements of the Fellowship to be clear about the eligibility criteria.

Please see information on how to apply to UEA for the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship 2024.

British Academy have now announced their call for Global Professorships 2024 Global Professorships 2024 | The British Academy which has a closing date of 23 October 2024. These are investigator-led awards to attract internationally recognised established scholars to work in the UK, to undertake new, coherent and cutting-edge research projects.  The Academy is looking to support researchers intending to work in any aspect of the humanities or the social sciences that are proposing ambitious, beyond the state-of-the-art research that breaks new ground.

For more information about the research in the Faculty of Social Sciences and further information on REF2021 their respective webpages.

Information on the scheme can be found on the British Academy website. Please read this to get an understanding of the requirements of the Fellowship to be clear about the eligibility criteria.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

• Be mid-career or senior researchers in any discipline within the humanities and social sciences (recognised in their field or with exceptional promise).
• Currently employed outside the United Kingdom, on a permanent contract (which may be part-time or full-time) or, if temporary, would normally be a contract that will not end during the course of the grant unless expressly agreed with the Academy prior to the application being submitted. 
• Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (or have equivalent research experience). 
• Applicants must be available to take up an unpaid leave of absence, a long-term secondment or employment at an eligible UK institution.
• Awards are only available to individuals, to be held in an institutional context. Co-applicants are not permitted. 
• Candidates should be based outside the UK at the time of application.
• Applicants who are working outside the UK but are employed primarily by a UK institution are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants are required to provide a formal statement of support from a senior member of their proposed host institution in the UK (Pro-Vice-Chancellor or equivalent, or at minimum Head of Department/Faculty/Institute).
• Applications must be for new research ideas that are coherent on their own and are cutting-edge. 
• Applicants must demonstrate that they have been in contact with their UK host institution prior to the application. 

Value and duration

The total funding available from the Academy over the four years is up to £900,000 and expected to commence between 26 March to 30 September 2025.

Process to apply at UEA

Each institution is allowed to submit up to 4 applications so there will be an institutional sift at UEA with an expression of interest stage.  

For the University sift, applicants needs to provide: 
Four-page CV (maximum length allowed) which includes key publications and grant funding. 
Two-page expression of interest (maximum length allowed), answering the following questions: 

• Global Professorships must be for new, ambitious, high-risk, beyond the state-of-the-art applications that break new ground – how would your Global Professorship achieve this? 
• What would be the outputs from the Global Professorship? 
• Why UEA?  How would being at UEA enable you and the University to achieve a step change in your respective research programmes?
• Explain briefly what you would use the funding for?

Please email expressions of interest to RINHUMSSF@uea.ac.uk by 9am on the 2nd September at the very latest. This is a hard deadline. 
 
Please note:

From the British Academy guidance: Outputs involving creative practice (e.g. musical composition and performance, visual practice, creative writing and film making) are welcome but will be considered to fall within the British Academy's remit only when they form part of an integrated project of critical or historical significance.