Council for At-Risk Academics

Charity Number: 207471

Annual Expenditure: £12.1M
Geographic Focus: Northern Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales, Australia, Canada, France, Germany ... [4 more]

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Income: £12.1 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Rolling basis (Fellowship Programme); up to 12 months (UK Programme)
  • Grant Range: £3,000 - £37,000+ per annum (varies by programme)
  • Geographic Focus: International (primarily UK placements)
  • Active Fellows: Over 220 (2023 and 2024)

Contact Details

Website: www.cara.ngo

Email: info@cara.ngo

Phone: +44 (0)20 7021 0880 (general enquiries); 020 7021 0882 (Executive Director for media enquiries)

Address: LSBU Technopark, 90 London Road, London SE1 6LN

Overview

Founded in 1933 as the Academic Assistance Council to assist academics fleeing Nazi persecution, CARA is now the UK's leading charity supporting at-risk academics globally. With an annual income of £12.1 million (2023), CARA has grown significantly under Executive Director Stephen Wordsworth's leadership since 2012. The organisation supports approximately 350 academics at any given time through its network of 135 UK universities and research institutes. As Wordsworth states: "It was a rescue mission then, and it's still very much a rescue mission today." CARA's early beneficiaries included 16 future Nobel Prize winners, demonstrating the organisation's long-standing impact on preserving academic talent during times of crisis.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Fellowship Programme (Primary Programme)

  • Amount: Approximately £37,000 per annum for 2-3 year fellowships
  • Purpose: Secure temporary postdoctoral or PhD placements for academics in immediate danger
  • Application: Rolling basis, direct applications from individuals
  • Covers: Fee waivers (through partner universities), living costs, visa support, family relocation

UK Programme Grants

  • Amount: Varies (no maximum disclosed, limited funds available)
  • Purpose: Enable refugee/asylum-seeking academics in the UK to re-establish careers
  • Application: Two-stage process - initial enquiry form, then full application
  • Timing: One allocation meeting per year
  • Covers: Tuition fees, maintenance, travel, registration/exam fees, bench fees, books, research costs, IT equipment, childcare

Syria Programme (2016-2024) - Programme Ended

  • Amount: £3,000 - £15,000 research grants
  • Purpose: Supported Syrian academics in exile (primarily Turkey)
  • Focus: Research on Syria or Syrian populations in exile
  • Note: Main activities concluded in August 2024 after eight successful years

Researchers at Risk (Partnership with British Academy)

  • Amount: Circa £37,000 per annum (2-year fellowships, with third year offered)
  • Focus: Ukraine-based academics (180 fellowships awarded)
  • Additional: Research support grants £2,000 - £10,000

Priority Areas

CARA supports academics from any discipline - “does not distinguish between seniority, gender or discipline.” Priority regions include:

  • Ukraine and Russia
  • Syria, Iraq, Yemen
  • Afghanistan
  • Gaza and Middle East
  • Any country where academics face political, racial, or religious persecution

What They Don't Fund

  • Academics who left their home country more than 10 years ago (UK Programme)
  • Academics without prior university-level teaching/research experience
  • Non-academic professional development (must be academic or allied professions)
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Governance and Leadership

President: Professor Sir Malcolm Grant CBE - Former UCL Provost and Chair of NHS England

Chair: Anne Lonsdale CBE

Vice-Chair: Professor Sir Deian Hopkin (served until 2023)

Executive Director: Stephen Wordsworth LVO CMG - Former British diplomat with 30-year FCO career

Key Quote from Leadership:

"The mission of Universities is the promotion of critical thought, both in our research and in our teaching. We don't tell people what to think, we seek to show people how to think. As a consequence, the repression of academics is often amongst the first moves of those groups and regimes that seek to impose conformity and exclude criticism. In many parts of the world today, academics are under attack for doing their jobs, for what they have said, for who they are or simply because of where they are. In defending these colleagues at risk, then, we are defending the very idea of a University." - Professor Stephen Reicher, St Andrews University (CARA Network member and grandson of a Cara Fellow from 1934)

How to Apply to Council For At-risk Academics

How to Apply

Fellowship Programme:

  1. Direct application from academics at risk in home country or recently displaced
  2. Submit comprehensive documentation: legal documents, passport, academic qualifications, CV, references, research abstract/PhD proposal, evidence of academic employment, detailed risk statement
  3. CARA checks background, qualifications, and references
  4. Applicants encouraged to identify potential supervisors/host institutions
  5. CARA negotiates placement and allocates funding
  6. Assistance with visa process and practical arrangements

UK Programme:

  1. Contact CARA to request Enquiry Form
  2. Staff verify eligibility (may request additional details)
  3. Once eligible, invited to complete full Application Form
  4. Must secure formal course/placement offer before Allocation Committee meeting
  5. Provide 3 academic/professional references
  6. Potential interview at London office

Decision Timeline

Fellowship Programme: Applications processed on rolling basis; CARA's teams are sifting and assessing up to 90 new applications at any time with 80+ at advanced placement stage

UK Programme: Up to 12 months from initial enquiry to decision (one grant allocation meeting per year)

Notification: Written notification of outcomes; continued funding depends on positive progress reports

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. However:

  • CARA receives “many more applications each year than they can fund”
  • Over 220 active fellows in placements in 2023 and 2024
  • Approximately 350 academics being helped through the process at any given time
  • Received hundreds of urgent appeals from Afghanistan in months following the Taliban takeover (2021)

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated in public materials. CARA acknowledges limited funds and inability to support all eligible applicants.

Application Success Factors

Critical Eligibility Requirements:

  • Clear evidence of at-risk status due to political, racial, or religious oppression
  • Documented experience as paid lecturer/researcher in university/HE institution
  • Strong academic qualifications and references (CARA understands documentation may be difficult to obtain)
  • For UK Programme: must have left country/occupation due to persecution or fear of persecution

Key Success Factors:

  1. Comprehensive risk statement - Detailed evidence of danger or persecution faced
  2. Strong academic credentials - CV, qualifications, evidence of academic employment (CARA accommodates missing documentation)
  3. Quality references - 3 academic/professional referees who can verify background
  4. Clear research/career plan - Well-defined research abstract or PhD proposal
  5. Appropriate course/placement selection - Carefully chosen to match skills and career objectives
  6. Proactive host identification - Identifying potential supervisors strengthens applications

CARA's Unique Approach:

  • Focus on academics in “immediate danger” - “imminent imprisonment, injury or death”
  • Supports academics still in dangerous locations, not just those already in exile
  • Provides 2-3 year awards as standard (longer than most programmes)
  • Flexible about missing documentation due to circumstances

What CARA Values:

  • Preservation of academic skills and expertise
  • Potential for academics to contribute to their fields and potentially rebuild their countries
  • Academic freedom and critical thought as fundamental university values

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. CARA is a rescue organisation first - Priority given to academics in immediate, life-threatening danger rather than those seeking career advancement opportunities
  1. All disciplines welcome - No preference by field, seniority, or gender; comprehensive support across natural sciences, medical sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and arts
  1. Risk evidence is paramount - The strength of your risk statement and evidence of persecution is critical; be specific and comprehensive about threats faced
  1. Network partnerships matter - CARA works through 135 university partners; proactively identifying potential host institutions strengthens applications
  1. Long-term commitment - CARA provides 2-3 year fellowships (longer than most programmes), demonstrating commitment to sustainable career rebuilding
  1. Documentation flexibility - CARA understands challenges in obtaining academic documentation from dangerous situations; lack of papers should not deter applications
  1. Different timelines for different programmes - Fellowship Programme operates on rolling basis for urgent cases; UK Programme requires patience with one allocation meeting per year and up to 12-month timelines

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References

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