The British Institute at Ankara supports, enables and encourages research in Turkey and the Black Sea region in a wide range of fields including archaeology, ancient and modern history, heritage management, social sciences and contemporary issues in public policy and political sciences. Founded in 1947, the BIAA was incorporated in the 1956 cultural agreement between the Republic of Turkey and the United Kingdom. The BIAA is one of the British International Research Institutes (BIRI), supported by the British Academy. It has offices in Ankara and London, and a dedicated staff of experts from a wide variety of academic and cultural backgrounds.