Early Career Researcher Network: key information for partners

The British Academy’s Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) was launched in Autumn 2021 in partnership with the Wolfson Foundation, which agreed to support the pilot phase over an initial two years.

Following the successful pilot, the Network now aims to be a permanent and long-lasting programme, thanks to the seed funding of the Wolfson Foundation and generous support of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)  and Wellcome.

Since its inception, the ECRN has grown from a single regional ‘cluster’ in the Midlands with 500 members to over 7,000 members in nine regions across the four UK devolved nations. An independent evaluation in 2022 said it addressed “an important need in the arts, humanities and social sciences landscape” and was “an undoubted success among ECRs”.

We are open to partnering with more institutions to build new programmes and opportunities for early‑career researchers (ECRs). Please get in touch with our team.

The British Academy ECRN works closely with a wide range of delivery partners across our nine regional clusters who help us create meaningful opportunities for researchers across SHAPE disciplines.

These institutions co‑design events, share expertise, host training, and open up access to their own networks, ensuring that early career researchers benefit from diverse perspectives and high‑quality support.

We also work with consortium partners who play a different but equally valued role in the Network. As a consortium partner, you'll gain first-hand insight into what's happening across the Network and the wider Academy, attend our events, and have a genuine say in shaping the clusters and activities we run.

By collaborating with the Network, partners play an active role in strengthening the UK research ecosystem and shaping a vibrant, inclusive community for emerging scholars.

The Network is currently funded by the Wolfson Foundation, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and Wellcome.

Our funders play a crucial role in enabling the successful delivery of the Network, and we are deeply grateful for their support. Their contributions allow us to offer a wide range of opportunities, including a seed fund programme for early‑career researchers to undertake research, training events and workshops, leadership training, and a mentoring programme.

They also make it possible for early career researchers to participate fully in our activities by covering travel and accommodation costs for our members.

We collaborate closely with a diverse range of training providers who bring specialist expertise to ECRs through both online and in-person delivery. Their involvement is essential to delivering high‑quality learning opportunities across the Network, from skills‑focused workshops to leadership development and networking.

By partnering with providers who understand the needs of ECRs, we ensure that our activities are relevant and impactful. Partners for our trainings include with Vitae, Kindling Ventures, Clod Ensemble, Diverse Minds and more.

"This exciting new initiative will give crucial support to early career scholars from all backgrounds, affiliations, and locations who work in the humanities and social sciences. The network will offer support to build successful careers, to open up academic and policy debates, to meet in person and online, and in a word will help them to become our subjects’ future leaders.

The British Academy is passionate about fighting for the humanities and social sciences. Our disciplines create the insights we need to confront the challenges everyone faces. Solid support to grow a strong community of researchers at this key stage is an essential part of our mission to keep SHAPE disciplines thriving and relevant.”

To contact the British Academy ECR Network team, please email: [email protected].