INSPIRING EXCELLENCE REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2014/15 British Academy Review of the year 2014/15 1 CONTENTS Our Mission: To inspire, recognise and support high achievement in the humanities and social sciences throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value. 02 INTRODUCTION 15 STRENGTHENING POLICYMAKING Providing independent contributions 04 THE YEAR IN NUMBERS to public policy development, enhancing the policymaking process. The following sections reflect the six strategic priorities set 17 ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC out in the Academy’s Strategic Stimulating public interest in and Framework 2013–2018: understanding of the humanities and social sciences, and contributing 06 CHAMPIONING THE HUMANITIES to public debate. aND SOCIAL SCIENCES 19 PROMOTING INTERNatiONALISM Taking a lead in representing the Promoting UK research in humanities and social sciences, international arenas, fostering a global promoting their interests and approach across UK research and vigorously upholding their value. providing leadership in developing 08 ADVANCING RESEARCH global research links and expertise. Providing distinctive and 22 ABOUT THE ACADEMY complementary funding opportunities for outstanding people and innovative research. 12 FOSTERING EXCELLENCE Strengthening, extending and diversifying ways of recognising and celebrating high achievement in the humanities and social sciences. British Academy Review of the year 2014/15 1 INTRODUCTION This Review of the Year presents a Exemplifying this are the first three series In its policy activities, the Academy has The second, with the Department for summary of highlights from the past of The British Academy Debates. These took carried out highly regarded work on the International Development, will create a year, showing how the British Academy public discussions of a selected theme – UK’s constitution and on the multiple new body of international research on ways Ageing, then Immigration, then Well-being issues surrounding Scottish devolution. of tackling corruption in different countries. works to support and champion – to different venues around the UK and It has continued to draw attention to the In the past year the Academy has celebrated outstanding humanities and social showed how knowledge, expertise and importance of remedying the UK’s severe the appointment of its 1,000th Postdoctoral science research. It complements the research from our disciplines contribute shortages in language and quantitative Fellow, with a distinguished cohort that to understanding and responding to these skills, and how these deficits impair our more detailed Annual Report, containing now stretches back across two generations. human and policy challenges. Further series national performance. full financial accounts, which is It has also strengthened collaborations in 2015 and 2016 will examine Energy and published online. We have also taken a hard look at the with other early career younger academics the Environment, Faith and Inequalities. www.britishacademy.ac.uk/annualreport processes of research assessment. While through the introduction of our new A second responsibility is to promote the welcoming confirmation of the world class ‘Rising Star’ awards, which support new The Academy invested more than conditions that can enable the humanities standing of humanities and social science ways of networking and public engagement £30 million during 2014/15 to support and social sciences to flourish, in particular research (as indicated in the 2014 Research around the UK. excellent and innovative research across its through Britain’s overall framework for Excellence Framework), it is essential to The external financial climate remains disciplines, nationally and internationally, science, research and innovation. UK question whether the REF, in its current tough – and it is vital that the Academy including research fellowships for early research exerts great influence, nationally form, remains the best and most appropriate continues to strengthen its fundraising and and mid-career scholars, and a wide- and internationally: with less than 1% way to carry out such assessment. income diversification. We are particularly ranging programme of small research of the world’s population, we generate We have welcomed two major new indebted to our major donors, including grants. Across the board our funding around 15% of the world’s cited research. partnerships. The first, with the Department the Leverhulme Trust and the Wolfson schemes attracted increased demand. That cannot continue, when competitor for Business, Innovation and Skills’ Newton Foundation, for their support, alongside the countries are increasing their investment, The Academy has two major Fund, provides fellowships and mobility remarkably high number of Fellows and if the UK continues to reduce its own. responsibilities. The first is to champion grants to develop reciprocal opportunities others who have made generous donations its subjects and demonstrate their value. To this end we joined forces in February for UK and overseas researchers in to the Academy in the past year. In our public engagement work, for with our three sister national academies 15 rapidly growing partner countries. example, we seek new ways of showing (the Royal Society, Royal Academy of the humanities and social sciences ‘at Engineering and Academy of Medical work’, and the insights and ideas they Sciences) to publish Building a Stronger provide on tackling some of the toughest, Future, a prospectus that sets out the PROFESSOR NICHOLAS STERN DR ROBIN JACKSON CBE most intractable issues of our time. conditions which we argue are essential KT, FBA, FRS CHIEF EXECUTIVE if the UK is to maintain its world class (LORD STERN OF BRENTFORD) AND SECretary research capability. PRESIDENT 2 British Academy Review of the year 2014/15 British Academy Review of the year 2014/15 3 £27M Department for Business, FINANCIAL Innovation & Skills £2.1M OVERVIEW Clio Enterprises Ltd £1.3M 2014/15 £33.1M Other grants WHERE THE MONEY CAME FROM £1.1M The Academy’s financial position £32.9M Newton Fund Trading activity through the has strengthened considerably WHERE THIS Academy’s wholly owned £0.5M in recent years. Our government MONEY WENT subsidiary (‘Clio’) generated Grants returned grant from the Department for £0.5m additional surplus £0.4M Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) compared with 2013/14. Donations, subscriptions remained static (£27m), but was £0.4M supplemented by income from a Investment income range of trusts, foundations and £0.3M other bodies, from publications and Publications income investment income, and from the Academy’s wholly owned subsidiary, SPENT SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ‘Clio’, which produced gross trading INCLUDING: £ VALUE OF THE ACADEMY income of £2.1m. Overall levels of DEVELOPMENT FUND (ADF) 2014/15 £6.8M activity have continued to rise, with Early career fellowships 10.9m 2010–2015 annual expenditure increasing to International engagement 7.8m The ADF enables the almost £33 million, despite the tough Mid-career fellowships 4.3m Academy to take new 2013/14 £5.6M economic climate. initiatives at its unfettered Small Research Grants 2.5m discretion. The Fund has Public policy and public engagement 2.4m grown significantly in 2012/13 £5.1M recent years, strengthening Trading, Fundraising and Publications 1.9m the Academy’s overall Languages and Quantitative financial position. 2011/12 £4.0M Skills programme 1.4m Running costs 0.9m 2010/11 £3.1M Other grants 0.8m £6.8M +119% 4 British Academy Review of the year 2014/15 British Academy Review of the year 2014/15 5 Support for Arts and Humanities Researchers Post-PhD Final report CHAMPIONING THE HUMANITIES 92% of early career researchers expressed concern at Kay Renfrew and Professor Howar d Green their career development and prospects of achieving a September 2014 AND SOCIAL SCIENCES permanent position. 2 Briefing note: The protection of underwater cultural heritage 2 As the UK’s national champion of the THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE LEARNING ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT PHD AND BEYOND humanities and social sciences the The Academy has been particularly active AND OTHER FUNDING BODIES As part of the Academy’s commitment British Academy takes the lead in in promoting the importance of studying The Academy offered views and to support the best humanities and social foreign languages, at all levels. A two year submitted evidence to a number of sciences researchers throughout their promoting their interests and making partnership with The Guardian included a significant inquiries over the past year, careers, we have focused this year on how the case for their role and value series of high profile public events, fringe including the government’s Science and the policy environment supports academics in our individual, community and events at party conferences, Schools Language Innovation Strategy, and its consultation immediately after their PhD. With the Arts national lives. Awards, and a month-long Language Festival on capital funding for research. It has and Humanities Research Council, the – at which Eddie Izzard was voted this year’s been actively engaged on Open Access Academy commissioned a report looking WORKING TOGETHER Public Language Champion. New Academy for Research Councils UK (RCUK), the at the various challenges that early career The Academy works closely with the Royal reports highlighted two significant issues: how internationalisation of research assessment researchers