At Risk-Scholars and Professionals – UK Wide Initiative

This initiative seeks to empower individuals from marginalised and underrepresented backgrounds by offering skill development opportunities and providing a platform for their voices to be heard through mentorship and membership to the UK Young Academy.  

This project aims to support scholars and professionals across various sectors and career stages, but with a focus on early-career individuals facing risk.

Key project outcomes: 

• Eligible candidates will have the opportunity to apply for a five-year membership to the UK Young Academy. 

•  A mentorship scheme to pair up at-risk scholars and professionals with a current UK Young Academy member, including one-on-one sessions and access to a network of early-career individuals across various fields. 

• Support the Global Young Academy’s (GYA) Annual Skills Workshop held each year and a feasibility study for the UK Young Academy to run its own workshops for at-risk scholars and professionals to help them to expand their skills and networks. 

• Develop a guidance document with an ‘Introduction to Academia in the UK’ for early career scholars and professionals, in line with initiatives of other National Academies, with input from stakeholders. 

The initiative is part of a global programme that has also been successfully implemented by other Young Academies across the world, including the Young Academy of Scotland, The Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artist and Scientists, and the Global Young Academy (GYA).

This programme of work is currently funded by the UK Young Academy until January 2026. This page will be updated with the latest information about ways to get involved with this workstream. If you would like to speak to a member of staff about this project, please email us via enquiries@ukyoungacademy.org.