New Generation thinkers 2025 – call now open – AHRC and BBC Radio4

Funding opportunities

This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to be ‘researchers in residence’ where they will work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4 and produce a piece of writing to be recorded for radio.

If selected, you’ll also take part in learning and development opportunities with AHRC around working with the media, engaging the public with research and how to work with policy makers.

You’ll be an up-and-coming early career researcher with a passion for sharing ideas with the largest possible audience.

 

 

 

 

Full info on the scheme can be found here

Scope

AHRC are looking for applications from a diversity of backgrounds, research disciplines and institutions, particularly candidates who can demonstrate:

  • how one area of their research could make a strong, clearly expressed and engaging piece of writing for BBC radio. The scheme will match researchers with programmes or BBC units, so we are looking for discussion ideas for those programmes which draw upon your own research or your knowledge of trends in your subject area
  • how this research could have the potential to either change public opinion or influence policy
  • creativity, originality and the potential to talk and write about other areas within the arts and humanities in an accessible and interesting manner, particularly to a wider audience
  • that they are comfortable talking and writing about ideas from beyond their own research area in an accessible and interesting way
  • a wide range of interests through their review and description of their current research
  • high standards of scholarship: clear explanations in interesting, well-written, jargon-free language, that is editorially and stylistically suitable for a BBC audience

To get a good idea of what we’re looking for, we recommend you listen to work by previous New Generation Thinkers on the BBC website before you apply.

Who is eligible to apply

To apply for the New Generation Thinkers scheme, you must be:

  • a UK resident
  • over the age of 18
  • currently working or studying at a UK research organisation that is eligible to receive funding from UKRI. See Eligibility of your organisation
  • studying a relevant area of research. See ‘Your research history’

You must also be either:

  • currently studying for your first PhD and having made considerable progress on your research, for example within one year of submission
  • within eight years of the award of your first PhD, excluding any period of career break such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, health reasons, or reasons consequent upon the COVID-19 pandemic
  • within six years of your first academic appointment at an organisation that is eligible to receive funding from UKRI, excluding any period of career break such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, health reasons, or reasons consequent upon the COVID-19 pandemic. This must be a paid contract of employment, either full-time or part-time, which lists research or teaching as the primary function, including research assistantships

You do not need to have a permanent contract of employment to be eligible, provided you meet the conditions at the time of your application.

If you have applied to the scheme before, you may apply again provided you have never been selected as a new generation thinker in any given year.

Each person is allowed to submit only one application. The application will ask how your research aligns with one of the programmes or units. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and BBC may then match you to any one of the five programmes or units.

Who is not eligible to apply

You cannot apply if:

  • you work for the BBC, AHRC or UKRI
  • you are a senior academic

 

Webinar for potential applicants

AHRC will hold webinars on:

These will provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

 

We ran a workshop at BU late last academic year, slides available- give us a shout and if needed, we can run this workshop again at BU.

Let Eva Papadopoulou know if you are interested via email please.

 

 

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