Deadline: July 31, 2026
Applications are open for the British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships at the University of Edinburgh 2027. Under a new British Council partnership with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, they are awarding a series of 12-month postdoctoral fellowships for international early-career researchers. Fellowships will begin in January 2027. This is a three-year partnership from 2025 to 2027.
Fellows will spend the first ten months of their Fellowships at IASH, followed by up to two months based in their home countries focused on knowledge exchange and dissemination in collaboration with the British Council.
Benefits
A 2027 British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowship provides:
- Research visit at the University of Edinburgh for ten months, followed by up to two months based in their home countries focused on knowledge exchange and dissemination
- Bursary of £2,500 per month for 12 months
- Dedicated office space, University e-mail and library access
- A University mentor from an area relevant to the Fellows’ research interests
- Weekly Fellows’ Lunch to build community
- Collegial work-in-progress seminar series for testing new ideas
- Calendar of engaging events at the Institute and College
- Opportunities to participate in and design funded workshops, colloquia, etc at the Institute
Eligibility
- Applicants must be based in an ODA-recipient country where the British Council operates and be qualified to undertake postdoctoral level research for this early career Fellowship, meaning they must have a PhD, completed within the last seven years (factoring in career breaks, e.g. periods of parental leave or time away from academia).
- Research topics should be relevant to the areas of priority across Arts, Education and the English language that are outlined in the strategy, and to areas of cross-cutting strategic British Council interest such as international relations and soft power, international development and peace building, and cultural relations and cultural diplomacy.
- You should not have held a permanent position at a university, or a previous Fellowship at IASH. Those who have held temporary, recurring and/or short-term employment are eligible to apply. If you have taken parental leave or other time away from academia, this will not count towards the seven-year limit, but we ask that you provide brief details of why and for how long you were not working.
Assessment Criteria
Applications will be considered by an assessment panel comprised of University of Edinburgh and British Council staff. Assessment will take account of the extent to which candidates meet the following criteria:
- A research and/or professional background and academic record that relates to broad thematic remit of the programme
- A research proposal with clear potential to support the British Council’s objectives for the programme
- Demonstrable experience of engaging non-academic audiences and stakeholders in research (e.g. through engagement with policy makers, practitioners, artists or other public audiences)
- A clear commitment to knowledge exchange and dissemination as part of the fellowship and beyond the timeframe of the fellowship itself, based on the networks, insights and learnings developed through their research
Application
- In addition to the application form, CV and research proposal, a cover letter outlining how the Fellowship will support the British Council’s objectives for this programme is required, as well as a minimum of two and a maximum of three confidential references.
- Applicants should ask their referees to email their reference to the Director at [email protected] by the deadline. If references are not received by this date, your application cannot be considered.
- Referees should comment on the nature and quality of the research proposal, as well as on the qualifications of the applicant. One referee should certify the successful viva (defence) and final examination of the candidate’s PhD thesis.
For more information, visit British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships.
