The Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) Fellowships Programme
- Funding
- Contact funder
- Deadline
- Check with the funder
- Location
- England
- Applications
- Check the current application window with the funder
Overview
Cara, the Council for At-Risk Academics, describes itself as a lifeline to academics at risk. This listing covers its fellowships programme. People supported by Cara are known as Cara Fellows. The stories on Cara's home page show who the programme is for and what it aims to do.
Cara's focus is on displaced academics. Its message is that support should go beyond survival. One recent piece, Rebuilding Lives & Careers After Crisis, looks at how displaced academics can rebuild both their lives and their careers. Another shares the story of a Russian Cara Fellow who had to leave Russia to continue their research.
If you are an academic at risk and you are looking towards UK academia, Cara has launched a beginner's guide. It is designed to help at-risk scholars navigate UK academia.
Cara Fellows also go on to give back to academic life. A speech by Cara Fellow Dr. Alaa Zam, titled Transforming Disruption into Contribution, explores how fellows can turn the disruption they have lived through into a contribution to their field.
The programme suits scholars whose work has been disrupted by crisis and who want to keep their research going. It also suits those who want to rebuild a career, not just find safety.
A practical starting point is the beginner's guide. Cara launched it specifically to help at-risk scholars find their way around UK academia.
Official source: https://www.cara.ngo/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.
Requirements to check
Who can apply:
Cara's support is aimed at academics at risk, including displaced academics. This includes scholars who, like one Russian Cara Fellow, had to leave their country to continue their research. Its beginner's guide is aimed at at-risk scholars who want to navigate UK academia. People supported through the programme are known as Cara Fellows.
This summary may not include every exclusion. Check the full eligibility rules, including who and what the funder will not support.
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Start freeWho is this for?
Academics at risk and displaced scholars who want to continue their research and rebuild their careers.
Sectors
Regions
Awards published
645
Typical award
£80,000
Most awards
£50,000 to £150,000
Most funded region
London
186 awards in 2025, level with 180 the year before.
Recent awards include Age UK Enfield (£50,000, 2025), Altwood Church of England School (£57,500, 2025) and Alzheimer Café Isle of Wight (£100,000, 2025).
Contains data from 360Giving publishers, used under open licence.
Full details from The Wolfson Foundation
Funding supports the Cara Fellowships Programme, which provides opportunities at UK universities for early and mid-career researchers fleeing persecution or danger in other parts of the world. The programme is administered by the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) and hosted by UK universities.
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Create free accountLast updated: 28 October 2026