British Academy Innovation Fellowships Scheme 2026 (up to £120,000)

Overview

The British Academy Innovation Fellowships Scheme 2026 provides funding and support for established early-career and mid-career researchers in the humanities and social sciences. They partner with organisations and businesses in the creative, cultural, public, private and policy sectors to address challenges that need innovative approaches. The scheme helps researchers in the SHAPE community build new and deeper links beyond academia, enabling knowledge mobilisation and translation as well as individual skills development.

The scheme has two routes: Route A is researcher-led and Route B is policy-led. This call is for Route B, run by the Academy with the FCDO and the Cabinet Office.

Areas of interest

Applications are invited for fellowships in applied history, critical infrastructure and European warfare, South Asia geopolitics and regional security, the UK-France relationship in 2027 and beyond, and UK national security strategy.

What you get

The Academy offers awards of up to £120,000 for 12 months, with Full Economic Costing at 80 per cent.

Who can apply

Applicants must be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom with a current long-term appointment at a UK-based institution, such as a Higher Education Institution or Independent Research Organisation, that will continue at least as long as the award. They must also meet the requirements set out in the Working at and with the FCDO section. Early-career and mid-career researchers are welcome, but applications from independent researchers cannot be accepted in this round. Applicants may not hold more than one comparable British Academy award at a time, and should be pursuing challenges that benefit from humanities or social sciences expertise.

Postgraduate students are not eligible. Applicants must confirm that they are not working towards a PhD, awaiting a viva voce examination or awaiting acceptance of examiners' corrections.

Key dates

The deadline for submissions and UK institutional approval is 18 November 2026 at 17:00 (GMT).