British Academy International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2027

The British Academy's flagship international programme funds interdisciplinary projects led by UK-based humanities and social-science researchers working with overseas partners. The 2027 round is themed Mobilities: the movement of people, materials, ideas, narratives and innovation across borders, societies and time. It is supported by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Collaboration may draw in any SHAPE or STEM discipline, provided the research is led by and grounded in the humanities and/or social sciences.

The Principal Investigator must be a humanities or social-science researcher based at an eligible UK university or research institute, of postdoctoral status or above, holding an established role for the duration of the award and committing at least 0.2 FTE.

The involvement of co-applicants based overseas is a requirement of the scheme, and no country restriction is placed on them. A Malawi-based researcher, therefore, qualifies to hold a funded co-applicant role but cannot be the PI.

Interdisciplinary research on Mobilities: the movement of people, materials and things; and the movement of ideas, narratives and innovation, across geographical space and over time. Projects must advance historically aware thinking on the theme, show how interdisciplinary humanities and social-science research feeds into international and national knowledge exchange, practice, and policy, and develop cross-disciplinary, multilingual ways of working through international partnerships.

Applications that are not interdisciplinary are ruled ineligible and are not assessed. Projects not led by and grounded in the humanities and/or social sciences are ineligible, as are bids led by a researcher outside an eligible UK institution. The Academy funds 80% of full economic cost, so the balance must be met by the UK host.

The UK-based PI submits through the British Academy's Flexi-Grant® grant management system, naming overseas co-applicants on the application.

UNIMA researchers should approach UK collaborators now, since the PI's institution must sign off on the bid before the deadline. Read the Scheme Notes and FAQs before drafting.