New Generation Thinkers 2025: the search for the 2025 New Generation Thinkers will begin in autumn 2024.
New Generation Thinkers is a career development scheme for early career researchers to:
- develop their communication and media skills
- engage the public with their research and ideas
The scheme is a partnership between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC.
If your application is successful, you’ll learn how to communicate research findings to the widest possible audience.
The scheme gives participants the opportunity to:
- create programme ideas with experienced BBC producers at workshops
- work with the team at BBC Radio 4 to get your ideas on air
- get media training
- take part in a workshop around engaging policymakers
- get involved with the AHRC-funded Being Human Festival
New Generation Thinkers has run since 2010. Each year a number of applicants are invited to create ideas with the BBC, of which we select the next cohort of New Generation Thinkers.
You can:
- read about the scheme’s achievements over the first 10 years
- find the currently open New Generation Thinkers funding opportunity on the UKRI funding finder once it’s launched
New Generation Thinkers 2025
The search for the 2025 New Generation Thinkers will begin in autumn 2024.
This year the scheme has moved home from BBC Radio 3 (where it had been based since its first year in 2010) to BBC Radio 4, the start of the exciting next chapter in its story.
Over the last 14 years, we have welcomed 140 early career researchers on to the scheme and an additional 700 researchers have attended workshops, with some going on to appear on BBC programmes as guests.
Researchers that have been New Generation Thinkers have used it as an opportunity to:
- develop their skills and experience of being communicators
- build new relationships and collaborations
- develop their approach to engaging the public with research
Keep an eye on the AHRC website and social media channels for more information about when the 2025 scheme will open.
Previous winners
See a list of previous winners.
Listen to content created by previous winners on BBC Sounds (search for ‘New Generation Thinkers’).