The Inclusive Academic Futures Programme is a three-year pilot programme funded by the Leverhulme Trust, through the Leverhulme Centenary Partnership, and delivered by the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN).
It supports the inclusion and progression of disabled researchers and researchers from an ethnic minority in the SHAPE disciplines (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy), at the postdoctoral stage of their careers. It is delivered through the ECR Network's UK-wide community of over 10,000 members and designed with the Network's ethos at its heart ‘by ECRs, for ECRs’.
Capacity building awards
Up to 20 awards each year of up to £8,000, over nine months, for the suggested activity within one of two routes: a Collaboration Route, which aims to seed partnerships that will lead to future research funding, and a Publication Route, which aims to bring together scholars of your choosing to help your work reach publication. Each award also includes up to £2,000 for additional needs, such as BSL translation or specialist equipment.
Mentoring and skills
Every award holder joins the Network's Encourage and Engage mentorship programme and can take part in the Skills Passport, building a recognised record of the skills they develop.
Eligibility
The awards are open to members of the ECRN who self-identify as:
- Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent. This includes long-term illnesses and health conditions, mental health conditions, learning differences (such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD), social or communication differences (such as being autistic), and physical, visual or hearing impairments, whether visible or invisible.
- Being from an ethnic minority, defined for this programme as Asian, Black, Mixed or Other.
- Many researchers will identify with both groups, and the programme actively welcomes this. The application does not ask applicants to prioritise one identity over another.