The British Institute in Eastern Africa has been active since 1960 and has its research centre with accommodation, lecture facilities, work space and reference library in Nairobi, Kenya. The Institute is a registered charity which exists to promote research in all the disciplines in the humanities and social sciences within the wider region of eastern Africa.
It offers financial support and logistical assistance to research projects, and runs a graduate attachment scheme. The Institute publishes a regular newsletter as well as the journal Azania: archaeological research in Africa and the Journal of Eastern African Studies.
The BIEA has a strong tradition of research in anthropology, archaeology, history and linguistics, but recent projects have embraced political, environmental and development studies, geography, public health, and art and performance. Current research projects supported by the British Institute in Eastern Africa are underway in Sudan, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe.