Researchers at Risk Fellowships — Fellowship

The Researchers at Risk Fellowships Programme is run by the British Academy with Cara and support from the other UK National Academies. It enables eligible researchers and innovators at risk to continue their work temporarily at a UK institution with an academic mentor.

The scheme covers all academic fields and requires the fellow to be present at the host institution, apart from appropriate research travel. The official page currently says applications are closed and gives no next opening date.

Benefits & funding

A standard award of about £37,000 per year, up to £74,000 over two years.
The selection panel may reduce the award by up to 15% for subsidised accommodation or increase it by up to 15% when the researcher has dependants.
Cara pays the award in monthly stipends as a restricted donation; the fellow is not an employee of the host institution.
Eligible costs include living and research expenses, and reasonable travel costs for taking up the fellowship.
Fellowships may be full-time or part-time and last from six to 24 months.

Eligibility

The researcher or innovator must hold a doctorate or have equivalent experience and show an active academic career.
Cara must confirm that the person is at risk.
The person must still be in Ukraine or have left Ukraine no more than five years earlier; nationality itself is not the sole eligibility route.
The person must have the language skills needed for the proposed project and must not have received support through an equivalent scheme.
A UK institution must host the fellowship, provide an academic mentor and submit the application; an individual without a UK institutional contact cannot apply directly.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

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Education required
PhD

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Application process

1
The researcher and a UK host institution establish a suitable academic placement and mentor.
2
The host institution asks Cara for a risk assessment, normally at least two weeks before the submission deadline.
3
The host prepares the researcher’s CV, Cara letter, joint mentor-researcher statement, institutional support statement, accommodation information, and financial justification.
4
A staff member at the recognised UK host starts the application in Flexi-Grant and submits it for institutional approval, ideally at least five working days before the deadline.
5
The UK National Academies and Cara assess eligibility, the host’s support environment, and the fit among the fellow, mentor, and institution.

Program timeline

Scheme opened.
Jul 25, 2022
Cara risk-assessment request deadline for the last published submission window.
Jan 25, 2023 at 17:00 GMT
Last published application deadline.
Feb 8, 2023 at 17:00 GMT
By the end of the calendar month after a completed submission
Expected outcome notification.
Start date
Agreed with the British Academy after an award; no fixed date is published.
Current status
Closed for applications, with no next opening date announced.