Mid-Career Fellowships, worth on average £116,000 for a period of six to 12 months, are designed both to support talented individual researchers with excellent research proposals, and to promote public understanding of – and engagement with – subjects in the humanities and social sciences.
The scheme allows academics time to focus on a major piece of research by obtaining time away from teaching and administration commitments. In previous years, the work undertaken by British Academy Mid-Career Fellows has led to critically-acclaimed books, big-budget European documentaries and BBC radio shows.
Recent years have witnessed a renewed interest, both public and scholarly, in the history and communal heritage of Benedictine monasticism in Britain and abroad, evidenced by frequent media coverage, ‘open-days’ and monastic retreats for the wider public, new study programs and funded initiatives such as the new Centre for Monastic Heritage between the University of Bristol and Downside Abbey, Somerset.
Dr Pohl's new project 'History for the community: monk-historians and communal heritage' capitalises on this momentum by proposing an innovative, engagement-led approach for studying the production and promotion of historical writing and thought in Benedictine monasteries from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Working closely with the monastic community of Downside Abbey, Dr Pohl will produce a research monograph on Medieval Abbots and the Writing of History, from 1000-1300 and conduct a series of public engagement activities that examine and showcase medieval Benedictine monasteries as key ‘centres of history’ within which historical knowledge has been collected, codified and communicated for generations.
Dr Pohl's project will create an environment of dialogue and mutual knowledge exchange within which the lived realities of monastic life, history and identity as experienced by present-day religious communities such as Downside sit comfortably alongside, and provide an important contribution to, the historical research that forms the academic basis of the fellowship, thereby establishing a continuous dialogue that contextualises the role of history in medieval monastic life within a contemporary perspective.
He said: “I am really pleased to be awarded this fellowship, especially as it allows me to undertake focussed work on my new book and work closely with the community at Downside and their Centre for Monastic Heritage. I am confident that together we will do great work.”
Welcoming the new Mid-Career Fellows, President of the British Academy Sir David Cannadine, said: “I am delighted to welcome this group of exceptional scholars to the British Academy. The research funded under the Mid-Career Fellowships scheme is always fascinating, engaging and relevant, and this year’s projects are no exception.
“Whether examining how blockchain technology could lead to safer bailouts for banks, or analysing the effectiveness of anti-Semitism prevention programmes, our new Mid-Career Fellows will help tackle some of the most pressing national and international challenges, while furthering public understanding of, and interest in, the humanities and social sciences.
“We wish the Mid-Career Fellows every success and look forward to seeing the results of their work.”
The awards provide opportunities for scholars who have already established a significant track record as an excellent communicator and ‘champion’ in their field, and who are normally within no more than 15 years from the award of their doctorate.
To be eligible, Mid-Career Fellows are required to demonstrate a commitment to public engagement and to communicate their project to a broad audience.