The British Academy Visiting Fellowship Program 2025 (Fully Funded)

About the British Academy Visiting Fellowship Program 2025

The Visiting Fellowship Program 2025 is currently accepting applications! This program offers established academics and researchers the opportunity to pursue research projects or engage in professional development at prestigious institutions abroad. Fellowships typically last from several months to a full academic year, allowing participants to tailor their experience to their goals. Additionally, funding is often provided to cover travel, living expenses, and sometimes even research costs.

There are numerous programs available worldwide. For example, the British Academy Visiting Fellowships enable scholars to conduct research projects in the UK for up to six months. Another example is the ASCL Visiting Fellowship Programme for African Researchers, which offers three-month fellowships at the African Studies Centre Leiden in the Netherlands. The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program is also an option, with program lengths and eligibility varying by country.

The Aim of the Visiting Fellowship Program

The British Academy’s deep and continuous dedication to global engagement is demonstrated by its visiting fellowship program. This program aims to maintain the UK as a desirable, hospitable, and productive research location for scholars worldwide. Through the Academy’s program, it hopes to:

Strengthen and create new connections between academics in the UK and around the world;

Create opportunities and support the formation of current and future alliances for cooperative humanities and social science research.
To make it possible for scholars worldwide to collaborate on research and/or professional development with colleagues in the UK;
Bolster the humanities’ and social sciences’ research foundations in the United Kingdom.

A special exchange of ideas and knowledge is also promoted by taking part in a visiting fellowship program. Fellows not only offer their expertise to the host institution, but they also expose themselves to novel research methodologies and perspectives. Significant advances in a variety of academic disciplines may result from this idea-crossing.

Benefits of the British Academy Visiting Fellowship Program 2025

The British Academy Visiting Fellowships Program offers the following advantages:

This program promotes collaboration between international scholars in the humanities and social sciences by enabling you to pursue research or professional development in a wide range of disciplines.

With the program, you can spend as much as six months living and working in the UK, giving you the chance to fully immerse yourself in the academic and cultural scene.
The program lessens the financial burden of your fellowship by offering substantial financial support of up to £40,000 to cover living expenses in the UK, travel expenses, and even some research expenses.
Working with scholars at esteemed UK research centers and universities will provide you the opportunity to produce potentially ground-breaking studies and publications.

Through knowledge sharing and potential future partnerships, this fellowship encourages the formation of new research networks between foreign researchers and UK academics.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility for the British Academy Visiting Fellowships Program is as follows:

Postdoctoral candidates or those with comparable experience are required at the time of application.

At the time of application, candidates cannot be in the process of finishing their PhD or waiting on the results of their viva or corrections submission.
The location of the applicant at the time of application must be outside of the UK. Individuals who are employed primarily by UK institutions or who currently reside in the UK are not eligible.
Short fieldwork excursions overseas may be feasible, but applicants are not permitted to carry out research associated with their Visiting Fellowship outside of the UK. Visiting Fellows are typically allowed to conduct such fieldwork outside of the UK for a maximum of one month during the award (if holding a fellowship for six months).

The duration of the applicant’s contract, whether fixed-term or permanent, cannot expire before the Visiting Fellowship deadline. We encourage applications from independent scholars.
The ability to show that they communicated with their UK host institution before applying is a requirement for applicants.

How to Apply

The process for applying to the British Academy Visiting Fellowships Program is as follows:

1. Applicants must submit their application electronically through the British Academy Flexi-Grant® Grant Management System (GMS).

2. Applications must be approved by the relevant authority at the chosen UK host institution. The application must include:

A personal statement outlining the applicant’s career background and research experience.

An abstract summarizing the proposed research.
A description of the proposed research program, methodology, and timeline.
An explanation of why the applicant chose the specific UK host institution and how the fellowship will benefit both the researcher and the institution.

A budget outlining the expected costs of the fellowship. The budget should not exceed £40,000, and it should include:
Up to £15,000 for subsistence and accommodation costs.
Up to £10,000 for research expenses (e.g., archival research, training, conferences, and dissemination).

Up to £3,000 for travel expenses.
Up to £12,000 to support the UK host institution.
For more information regarding the program and eligibility requirements, click the link below.