My winning proposal: Getting the British Academy’s blessing

How a leap of faith was essential to a successful Senior Research Fellowship bid

Top tips

• Be confident—if your project matches the remit and you express it clearly, you have every chance of winning.
• The application is relatively easy, with no detailed costings required.
• Be explicit about why your project is radical and how it will change people’s perception of your area of research.
• Make sure you detail how exactly you will spend your time.
• Highlight any unusual quirks about your institution or situation that make the scheme particularly valuable to you.

The remit of British Academy and Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowships has remained unchanged for more than 30 years. They allow established scholars, needing relief from teaching and administration, to have the time to bring to completion a significant piece of research, via a sustained period of leave for one year. Any field of study in the humanities and social sciences is supported. This year, the deadline for applications is 15 November.