GW4 launches new British Academy Early Career Researcher Network South West Hub Seed Funding Award Scheme to support career development

Early Career Researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences can now apply for small grants of up to £3K thanks to a new seed funding award scheme launched on the 1st September by GW4 and funded by the British Academy and the Wolfson Foundation.

The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (BA ECRN) South West Hub Seed Funding Award Scheme aims to create and support new cross-sector research partnerships and offer funding to support ECR career development. The awards will support the direct costs associated with activities that support new research, the development of new stakeholder relationships, broadening knowledge of a sector, future career options or accessing resources and facilities.

Deadline for application is midday 26 September 2022 and spend must be completed by February 2023.

We encourage new and existing members of the British Academy ECR Network to apply for seed funding – there is still time to sign-up! New members can join by completing this form.

You will need to be affiliated with the BA ECRN South West Hub to be eligible for funding.

The award scheme is part of a suite of activities being developed by the BA ECRN South West Hub, which is led by GW4 Alliance and in partnership with the British Academy and the Universities of Bath, Bath Spa, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Gloucestershire, Plymouth and UWE and has funding to support events and activities for ECRs until March 2024.

Announcing the new awards, GW4 Alliance Director Dr Joanna Jenkinson MBE said: “The aim of the South West Hub, like the wider BA ECR Network, is to create an environment where all early career researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences can realise their potential by providing access to resources, opportunities and professional connections.

"This new seed funding is designed to support early, innovative activity that enhances ECR career development. It will enable ECRs to test out new ideas and partnerships to generate novel results which will help secure more substantial funding in the future."

Read more about the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network here, and apply for the BA ECRN South West Hub Seed Funding Award Scheme via this form.