The Mind Association

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £140,951 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 5 weeks (conference grants); 3 months (fellowships)
• Grant Range: £1,000 - £50,000+ (depending on program)
• Geographic Focus: UK and Ireland only
• Founded: 1901
• Registered Charity Number: 269707

Contact Details

Email: mindassoc@gmail.com (monitored by Prof Jonathan Webber, Director)

Website: https://mindassociation.org

Published by: Oxford University Press (for Mind journal)

Contact for Applications: Professor Jonathan Webber, Director of the Association

Overview

The Mind Association, founded in 1901, is a learned society dedicated to supporting, funding, and promoting philosophical research of the highest quality. With an annual expenditure of £140,951 (2024), the Association exists to further philosophy by publishing the prestigious academic journal Mind and by funding philosophical events and research. It is entirely independent of the mental health charity Mind (founded 1946). The Association's grant-making activities focus exclusively on philosophy research and academic events, supporting individual academics and conferences across the UK and Ireland. The organization maintains rigorous standards, funding only thematically coherent and philosophically innovative work that meets high academic standards.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Research Fellowships (£40,000-£50,000 estimated)

• 12-month awards (pro-rata for part-time at minimum 0.5 FTE)
• Covers replacement lecturer salary at lowest Lecturer A scale point
• Fellow released from all teaching and administrative duties (except doctoral supervision)
• Application deadline: February 28 annually
• Two fellowships awarded for 2026-2027 academic year (celebrating 150th anniversary of Mind journal)
• Applications via email to mindassoc@gmail.com

2. Mind and Analysis Studentships (£17,375 currently, tied to AHRC rates)

• Joint program with Analysis Trust
• 12-month postdoctoral support for promising philosophers
• For those without other means of support (no doctoral stipend or lectureship)
• Amounts have increased from £15,285 (2020-21) to £17,375 (recent)
• Application to Professor Ben Colburn (analysistrust.secretary@oup.com)

3. Conference Grants (up to £1,000)

• Support for philosophy conferences and workshops in UK and Ireland
• Includes online events
• Additional funding available for disability access costs beyond £1,000 limit
• Rolling deadlines (deadline typically mid-November, decisions by mid-December)
• Maximum of three awards per institution per year
• Application via online form to mindassoc@gmail.com

Priority Areas

Research Topics Funded:

• Metaphysics
• Philosophy of mind
• Philosophy of language
• Epistemology
• Ethics
• Political philosophy
• Aesthetics
• Logic
• Philosophy of science
• History of philosophy

Conference Requirements:

• Thematically coherent and philosophically innovative
• Open to all (not invitation-only)
• Held in UK or Ireland
• Adherence to BPA/SWIP Good Practice Scheme
• Adherence to BPA Guidelines for Accessible Conferences
• Early career researchers (below senior lecturer level) prominently represented
• Interdisciplinary events accepted only with substantial philosophical element

Fellowship Eligibility:

• Permanent position at UK or Irish higher education institution
• Any stage of research career
• Research at any stage of progress

Studentship Eligibility:

• Completed 3-5 years full-time research (or part-time equivalent) at time of award
• Recently completed PhD or very close to completion
• CV competitive for Junior Research Fellowship or similar
• No other means of support

What They Don't Fund

Conference Grants Exclusions:

• International flights
• Delegate attendance costs (typically, except for speakers/organizers)
• Closed or invitation-only events
• Conferences outside UK and Ireland
• Events without substantial philosophical content
• Unreasonable or unnecessary expenses

General Exclusions:

• Non-philosophy research
• Applicants without UK/Ireland institutional affiliation (for fellowships)
• Multiple applications from same institution exceeding annual limits

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Governance and Leadership

Officers (Current):

• President: Helen Beebee (Leeds)
• Vice President: Rosanna Keefe (Sheffield)
• Director: Jonathan Webber (Cardiff)
• Editors of Mind: Tim Button (UCL) and James Wilson (UCL) - joint editors since 2025
• Treasurer: Eliot Michaelson (KCL)
• Deputy Treasurer: Luke Elson (Reading)
• Publications Officer: Anna Marmodoro (Durham/Oxford)
• Administrators: James Clark Ross (Southampton) and Harriet Ivison (Cardiff)

Executive Committee Members:

• Ema Sullivan-Bissett (Birmingham)
• Louise Hanson (Oxford)
• Mark Sinclair (Belfast)
• Christoph Kelp (Glasgow)
• Megan Blomfield (Sheffield)
• Ruth Boeker (Dublin)
• Mark Pinder (Open University)
• Curie Virag (Warwick)

The Association is governed by 13 trustees and maintains strong connections with leading philosophy departments across UK and Ireland universities.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Research Fellowships:

• Deadline: February 28 (11:59pm UK time) annually
• Submit via email to mindassoc@gmail.com
• Required documents:
• Five-year CV with referee names
• Anonymized 1200-word research proposal (must be standalone document)
• Letter from department head confirming release from duties
• Research proposal must include clear timetable of work

Mind and Analysis Studentships:

• Submit via email to Professor Ben Colburn (analysistrust.secretary@oup.com)
• Required documents:
• CV
• Statement of proposed research (maximum 500 words)
• Official letter from department offering facilities

Conference Grants:

• Submit via Mind Association Conference Grant Application form
• Email to mindassoc@gmail.com with subject line “Conference Grant Application”
• Deadline typically mid-November (e.g., November 15, 2024)
• Rolling basis with periodic deadlines

Decision Timeline

Conference Grants:

• Acknowledgement within two weeks of submission
• Decision approximately 5 weeks after deadline
• Example: November 15 deadline → December 20 notification
• No feedback provided on applications

Research Fellowships:

• Notification by end of May
• Fellowship typically begins August, September, or October
• Timeline: February 28 deadline → May notification = approximately 3 months

Studentships:

• Timeline not specified on public materials
• Contact Professor Ben Colburn for specific timelines

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed for any Mind Association funding programs. The Association does not provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.

Recent fellowship recipients demonstrate high selectivity:

• 2024-25: Sophie Dandelet (Cambridge) - “Epistemic Norms, Moral Communities, and Political Liberalism”
• 2023-24: Alessandra Tanesini (Cardiff) - "Commitments online: Taking Responsibility for One's Words on Social Media"
• 2022-23: Jules Holroyd (Sheffield) - “Praise Be!”
• Current holder: Julia Borcherding (Cambridge) - “A Force That Binds: Love in Seventeenth-Century Philosophy”

Reapplication Policy

The Mind Association does not publicly specify a reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants. Applicants may wish to contact mindassoc@gmail.com to clarify whether and when reapplication is permitted.

Personal data from applications is retained for three years for monitoring and review purposes, but this does not indicate restrictions on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

For Research Fellowships:

The Association uses a rigorous two-stage anonymized review process that prioritizes research quality over reputation:

1. First Stage - Anonymized Research Proposals: A three-member subcommittee reads all anonymized proposals, each scoring them out of 10. The highest-scoring proposals are discussed to create an ordered shortlist of 3-4 proposals. This means your research proposal must stand alone and be independently compelling.

1. Second Stage - CV Review: Only after the shortlist is established do reviewers see CVs. CVs may warrant re-ordering the shortlist but the initial ranking is based purely on research quality.

Key Success Factors:

• Standalone research proposals: The 1200-word proposal must not reference other materials. It should be completely self-contained and compelling on its own merits.
• Clear timetable: Proposals must include a clear timetable of work demonstrating how the 12-month fellowship will be used.
• Research innovation: Proposals scoring highest demonstrate philosophical innovation and quality.
• Institutional support: Department head must confirm full release from teaching and administrative duties.

For Conference Grants:

Applications must demonstrate:

• Value for money: All expenses must be reasonable and required for the event.
• Adherence to BPA/SWIP Good Practice Scheme: This includes ensuring women are well-represented among invited speakers, treating male and female speakers equally on publicity materials, and investigating childcare provision options.
• Accessibility: Must adhere to BPA Guidelines for Accessible Conferences, ensuring the event is accessible to delegates with disabilities.
• Early career representation: Conference organizers should ensure early career researchers (below senior lecturer level) are prominently represented.
• Philosophical innovation: The Association will only fund conferences that are thematically coherent and philosophically innovative.
• Geographical spread: The Association prioritizes geographical spread when making awards.

For Studentships:

Successful candidates will:

• Be recently completed PhD or very close to completion
• Have a CV competitive for Junior Research Fellowship appointments
• Propose research on topics falling under the concerns of Analysis and Mind journals
• Demonstrate they lack other means of support
• Provide compelling 500-word research statement
• Secure official letter offering departmental facilities

General Application Advice:

The Mind Association emphasizes that “the main way of carrying out its purposes is grant making,” demonstrating their commitment to supporting philosophical research. However, they maintain high standards - they will “only fund conferences that are thematically coherent and philosophically innovative” and use anonymized review processes that prioritize research quality.

The Association does not provide feedback on applications, so applicants should ensure their submissions are as strong as possible before submission, with no expectation of guidance for improvement.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Philosophy-only focus: This funder exclusively supports philosophy research and events. Do not apply if your work is not substantially philosophical.

• UK/Ireland only: All fellowships require permanent positions at UK or Irish institutions; all conference grants are for events in UK or Ireland (including online events based there).

• Quality over quantity: The anonymized review process for fellowships means your research proposal must be exceptionally strong as a standalone document - institutional prestige won't help in first-stage review.

• Equity and accessibility matter: Conference applications must demonstrate commitment to the BPA/SWIP Good Practice Scheme and accessibility guidelines - this is not optional.

• No feedback provided: Applications receive no feedback, so ensure proposals are polished and complete before submission. Consider having colleagues review your application.

• Value for money is essential: Particularly for conference grants, demonstrate that all expenses are reasonable, necessary, and represent good value.

• Early career representation valued: Both in terms of studentship/fellowship opportunities and conference participation, the Association prioritizes supporting early career philosophers.

• Institutional limits apply: Maximum three conference grants per institution per year means you may face internal competition at your university.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• The Football Foundation
• Garfield Weston Foundation
• BREAST CANCER NOW
• BBC Children in Need
• ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH
• Brain Tumour Research
• The Thompson Family Charitable Trust
• The Apax Foundation
• CECIL AND HILDA LEWIS CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Constance Travis Charitable Trust
• THE MILLENNIUM TRUST
• WELLBEING OF WOMEN
• Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust
• THE RIVERS TRUST
• YORK MINSTER FUND
• A WAY OUT
• HOLBECK TOGETHER
• THE HOSKING CHARITABLE TRUST
• IHEART PRINCIPLES LIMITED
• PROSPERO WORLD

References

1. The Mind Association official website: https://mindassociation.org

1. “Conference Grants,” The Mind Association: https://mindassociation.org/conference-grants/

1. “Research Fellowships,” The Mind Association: https://mindassociation.org/research-fellowships/

1. “Officers,” The Mind Association: https://mindassociation.org/officers/

1. Charity Commission Register of Charities, “MIND ASSOCIATION - 269707”: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/269707/full-print

1. “Mind and Analysis Studentships 2021-22,” The Mind Association: https://mindassociation.org/2021/03/09/mind-and-analysis-studentships-2021-22/

1. “BPA/SWIP Good Practice Scheme,” British Philosophical Association: https://bpa.ac.uk/diversity/good-practice-scheme/

1. “Mind Fellows,” The Mind Association: https://mindassociation.org/mind-fellows/

1. “Contact,” The Mind Association: https://mindassociation.org/contact/

1. “Research and Funding,” British Philosophical Association: https://bpa.ac.uk/research/