Raquel Da Silva has been awarded a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship for her work: Torn between the West and ISIS: the interplay between narratives of intervention and statebuilding and the life stories of former foreign fighters
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships enable early-career academics in the humanities and social sciences to conduct a significant piece of research leading to publication over a period of three years.
This year the British Academy has awarded a record 85 Postdoctoral Fellowships to outstanding early-career scholars, an unprecedented two-thirds (64%) of whom are women.
Dr Fiona Nunan, Head of International Development Department at the University of Birmingham, commented:
“We are delighted that Raquel has been awarded such a prestigious fellowship. The award reflects the quality of Raquel’s research and her ability as a researcher. The fellowship will give Raquel the time and opportunity to further prove herself as a very capable and committed researcher. The research she will conduct has the potential to inform policy related to international intervention in conflict-affected states and so is particularly timely.”
More awards have been made thanks to a £10m boost in funding from the government’s Global Talent Fund for an extra 40 fellowships, enabling the British Academy to make the most awards in the scheme’s 30-year history.
Chief Executive of the British Academy, Alun Evans, said:
“We are delighted to welcome the largest ever cohort of Postdoctoral Fellows.
“It is particularly exciting to recognise the achievements of so many women at early-career level. This is a promising trend - both for our disciplines and academia as a whole – as Postdoctoral Fellows often go on to stellar academic careers.”
Notes to editors
- 11 former Postdoctoral Fellows are now Fellows of the British Academy, elected for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. Over 200 former Postdoctoral Fellows are Professors working in the UK and beyond.
- The British Academy is the voice of humanities and social sciences. The Academy is an independent fellowship of world-leading scholars and researchers; a funding body for research, nationally and internationally; and a forum for debate and engagement. For more information, please visit www.britishacademy.ac.uk. Follow the British Academy on Twitter @britac_news.