Grant some academic once denied (7)
I believe the answer is:
concede
'grant' is the definition.
(I know that grant can be written as concede)
'some academic once denied' is the wordplay.
'some' indicates a hidden word (some of the parts of the word are used).
'CONCEDE' is hidden in the letters of 'academic once denied'.
(Other definitions for concede that I've seen before include "Surrender, yield" , "Admit; surrender" , "Admit; yield" , "Make admission" , "Admit (defeat in match)" .)