Call for Expressions of Interest – British Academy International Fellowships at the Royal Northern College of Music Fellowships and Scholarships

Dear colleagues,

The Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, UK) invites Expressions of Interest from international early‑career researchers for the British Academy International Fellowships 2026 (https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/schemes/international-fellowships/). This two‑year scheme supports outstanding researchers based outside the UK to undertake high‑quality, original research at a UK host institution.

The RNCM is particularly keen to support proposals related to wind and brass band music, reflecting one of our distinctive areas of performance and research excellence. Ideally suited to support practice- and source-based research, the College has a long tradition of fostering wind music and musicians, including commissioning major composers to write for the medium.  The RNCM’s archives preserves substantial collections in this area, including those of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, composer Elgar Howarth, and fifty years of wind ensemble recordings conducted by Howarth, Timothy Reynish, Clark Rundell, and Mark Heron (among others).

Eligibility (British Academy):
Applicants must hold a PhD (completed—including via/defense—before 1 June 2026), have no more than five years of full‑time postdoctoral experience, be working outside the UK, not hold UK citizenship, and have a mutually agreed research plan with a UK-based mentor.

To submit an Expression of Interest, please send:

• A project summary (aims, methods, outcomes, relevance to RNCM; max 2 pages)
• A CV (max 2 pages)

Deadline: 17 February 2026

Please email submissions and any enquiries to research@rncm.ac.uk.