How do groups make good decisions? 🤔
A new study by Fellow of the British Academy @clist.bsky.social explores under what conditions collective judgments are better than individual ones.
From juries to AI agents, the study explores what conditions impact reliable group decisions. Read more @lmu.de.
British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants. Deadline: 3 June 2026 Independent Scholars Deadline: 27 May 2026
Are you a researcher looking for funding to cover expenses arising from a defined research project? Apply the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants (supported by DSIT, @leverhulme.ac.uk and @wellcometrust.bsky.social). Learn more: https://bit.ly/4t0MDRl
From ‘market value’ to levelling up, the manosphere is shaped by a financial mindset.
In @theconversation.com British Academy-funded research by Robert Lawson takes a closer look at the transactional language underpinning this world, and the negative effects it has on both men and women.
We're thrilled to announce that award-winning author, broadcaster and academic Gary Younge will Chair the upcoming British Academy Book Prize 2027.
A former judge and Hon FBA, he returns to guide a distinguished panel celebrating the very best non-fiction shaping how we understand today's world.
The British Academy Book Prize rewards outstanding books in the humanities and social sciences that combine original thinking, high-quality research and exceptional storytelling.
Discover more about our upcoming prize through the link below 👇
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/british-acad...
Join author of The Baton and the Cross, Lucy Ash, who traces over a millennium the Russian Orthodox Church’s extraordinary survival and discusses what its relationship with the state reveals about power in modern Russia.
Friday 24 April.
www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com/events/lucy-...
Join Sophie Harman, author of Sick of It, as she discusses why women are still dying from preventable causes worldwide and what needs to change.
Thursday 23 April.
www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com/events/sophi...
Heading to the Cambridge Literary Festival this week?
Don’t miss two brilliant British Academy Book Prize shortlisted authors, live in conversation 👇
An electricity pylon stands under a vibrant sky at sunset. A text box from the Journal of the British Academy reads: "Can comics reimagine the power grid? Dr Dominic Davies uses comic book workshops to conduct research into the way communities across England are organising to produce sustainable energy." The journal's logo is in the top left corner.
How can comic books help communities rethink energy? ⚡
In a new article for the Journal of the British Academy, researchers explore how comic book workshops can be used to help communities imagine more sustainable futures.
Read it for free on Open Access 👇
https://bit.ly/4c5utbk
Crime, violence, and the reshaping of the politics in the Americas - front cover
Muggah argues that politicians across Latin America are turning to coercive authority to regain control, and proposes alternative responses to help policymakers protect democracy.
Read it now: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/61...
In the latest discussion paper in our Global (Dis)Order joint programme with @carnegieendowment.org, @muggah.bsky.social analyses the political importance of responding to perceived insecurity in an environment where organised crime is increasingly influencing elections and democracy.
What are the possible democratic policy responses to growing perceptions of insecurity in Latin America?
What can ancient Greek pottery tell us about death, memory, and domestic life?
Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum 5 brings together 93 beautifully decorated lekythoi from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, dating from the late Archaic period to around 400 BC.
Explore the full volume: https://bit.ly/3Q1ATQb
How did medieval chess create a space where players engaged as equals, regardless of skin colour?
In British Academy-funded research, Dr Krisztina Ilko examines a 1283 chess manual to show how the game could model a “just world”.
One in which intellect, rather than religion or race, mattered most.
British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants. Deadline: 3 June 2026 Independent Scholars Deadline: 27 May 2026
The British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants is now open for applications, supported by DSIT, @leverhulme.ac.uk and @wellcometrust.bsky.social. Apply now: https://bit.ly/4t0MDRl
Across history, witchcraft has been understood in many different ways. 🧙
In this Journal of the British Academy conversation, leading academics explore the cultural history of witchcraft and how its meanings have shifted over time.
Read if for free on Open Access 👇
https://bit.ly/4sjcuTv
Join a #ForECRs Opportunity Session to learn more.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/for-ecrs/?ut...
Text graphic with a quote reads: "It is not just about career stage, it’s about collective growth, mutual respect and the opportunities to contribute meaningfully to global challenges." Below the quote: Dr Tariq Umar, ECR, Senior Lecturer in Construction Project Management, University of the West of England. A portrait photo is on the top right.
A person is smiling in the top right corner of an image. The image contains a quote: "This network is our safe space. This isn't just a training or development hub. It’s our designated time and space to step back from all that precarity and claim our researcher identity." Below the quote, it says "Dr Joanna Masangkay, ECR, Research Fellow, Centre for Enterprise, Environment and Development Research, Middlesex University.
A portrait of an individual in the top right corner. The text beside it reads: "Recognising our common struggles and working together to overcome the through a collective voice." Below the quote, it says: "Dr Danilo Baraúna, ECR, British Academy International Fellow, University of Newcastle." The background is a light teal color.
"It's about collective growth, mutual respect and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to global challenges."
The British Academy ECR Network supports Early Career Researchers to connect, learn, and grow.
"The issue is the system, not the subject.”
Professor Charles Forsdick FBA on higher education funding cuts hitting language courses hardest and the wider risks to skills, research and opportunity in Times Higher Education:
bit.ly/4tFzJbD
A promotional image for the Journal of the British Academy featuring a blurred cityscape with colorful lights. A red rectangle contains white text that reads: "What's the role of the University in a world shaped by AI? Katy Hayward argues the public and democratic purpose of the University in an era of 'AI everywhere'."
What is the role of the University in a world of “AI everywhere”?
New in the Journal, @katyhayward.bsky.social argues why universities matter more than ever in a world shaped by AI, as spaces for cultivating critical thinking and intellectual independence.
Read more: https://bit.ly/3O5VsKq
Thank you for your comment Charlotte.
We completely understand applicants' frustrations on this. Due to similar feedback, we are now opening scheme earlier this year on the 10th of June.
We hope this will go some way to easing the burden on applicants!
What can sub-national data reveal about low fertility?
Low Fertilities in the Past and Present shows how compositional demography can uncover diverse behaviours, inequalities and long-term patterns across communities.
Read for free on open access 👉 https://bit.ly/4sIUD9H
This image features an individual wearing glasses and a lanyard, speaking next to a text that reads: "Being part of an ECR community gives me drive—it connects me with like‑minded people, reminds me we share similar struggles, and shows I’m not alone in the journey." Below, it states: "Dr Opeyemi Olusegun Atanda, ECR, Lecturer, School of Allied Health and Life Sciences, Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, London South Bank University." The background is divided between a dark section with text and a lighter background where the individual is visible.
Person smiling with trees in the background. Text on the left reads: “This network gives me hope that, together, we can drive meaningful change, discover better solutions, and create lives that feel lighter, more manageable, and mentally freeing.” Dr. Monika Chwalczuk, ECR, Lecturer in Translation & Interpreting, University of East Anglia.
A person is shown in a close-up in this image. They are wearing a zippered top and are in front of a neutral background. A quote on the left reads: "This is a space and platform where I see emerging researchers networking, getting support, welcomed, and being valued.” Below the quote, text states: "Dr Rosemary Chigevenga, ECR, PhD in Psychology, MSc in Community Psychology, School of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health, Oxford Brookes University.
Monika’s story shows the reality of being an ECR and the hope the British Academy ECR Network can bring.
She says: “Being an ECR can feel isolating but for me, this network brings hope.”
Join a #ForECRs Opportunity Session to connect, share experiences, and find support.
https://bit.ly/4dHUX3I
"Long-form OA cannot rely on unfunded mandates or publication fees that many institutions cannot afford."
Prof Lindsey Farmer FBA reflects on new British Academy commissioned research on green open access for THE:
https://bit.ly/4t1EcWh
The image is a cover for the "Journal of the British Academy" with abstract red and blue wavy patterns. The text reads: "Connecting knowledge. Deepening enquiry. Pushing boundaries. VOL 14, ISSUE 1." The British Academy logo is in the corner.
What role do the humanities and social sciences play in a world shaped by the climate crisis, AI and global uncertainty?
The latest issue of the Journal of the British Academy brings together leading researchers to tackle these topics head on.
Read for free 👉 https://bit.ly/47ydLyF
It shows a nuanced and inconsistent picture of support in principle, but poor discoverability and engagement and a lack of resourcing. Read it now: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...
This report by Information Power brings together interviews and surveys with library leaders, quantitative data, and the perspectives of academics in the humanities and social sciences.
Sadly, our new report shows that the UK still lacks the strategy and infrastructure it needs to make “Green” OA a sustainable reality for longform publications like books and edited collections.
Academic works should be made available to everyone who wants to read them through open access (OA).
What is the public purpose of the #University in an age of #AI everywhere?
I had a go at answering this whopper of a question in the latest issue of the Journal of the British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social
#democracy #discernment
doi.org/10.5871/jba/...