In 2023, BERA invited applications for a special anniversary grants scheme, made possible by a gift from the family of Brian Simon – a leading educationalist and former BERA President. The fund supported projects that were independent, imaginative, scholarly, and dedicated to educational advance, in keeping with Brian Simon’s legacy.

Focus Areas

Applicants were asked to align their projects with one of the following themes:

• Education and Democracy

• History of Education

Applicants were required to clearly state which theme their project addressed.

About the Grants

• Up to £5,000 was available per project

• Funding was available for up to four projects

• The aim was to award two grants per theme, depending on the quality of applications

• One award was ringfenced specifically for a project led by an Early Career Researcher

Outputs & Expectations

Successful applicants were expected to:

• Produce a final report (2,000–3,000 words) published by BERA

• Write at least one BERA Blog about their research

• Submit their work for presentation at the BERA Conference 2024

Assessment Criteria

Applications were reviewed by the BERA College of Reviewers and final decisions made by BERA Council, based on:

• Originality and contribution to knowledge

• Quality and rigour of research design and methods

• Relevance to the chosen theme

• Potential significance, dissemination, and impact

• Value for money and collaboration potential

Teams were encouraged to include Early Career Researchers. All applicants were required to be current BERA members, and equality, diversity, and institutional data were collected to support monitoring efforts. BERA reserved the right not to award funding if proposals did not meet the required standard.

Participation & Research Ethics

Applicants were encouraged to design projects that contributed to educational debates, potentially involving practitioners, policymakers, and the wider research community. All projects were expected to follow ethical approval processes as set out in the BERA Ethical Guidelines: BERA Ethical Guidelines 2018