Deadline: July 31, 2026
Applications are open for the LEGO Foundation Fellowship 2026. The LEGO Foundation Fellowship is a global initiative supporting researchers working to deepen the understanding of how children thrive. Spanning disciplines from education and psychology to public health, data science, and humanitarian studies, the fellowship brings together early- and mid-career scholars whose work has the potential to generate evidence that matters for children’s lives.
Fellows receive three years of flexible support to pursue rigorous, practically relevant research, and join a cohort of peers working across the fellowship’s themes. In addition to funding research, the program fosters a community of scholars engaged in meaningful exchange with one another and with research, policy, and practice audiences.
The LEGO Foundation Fellowship is developed in partnership with the LEGO Foundation, and administered by SSRC as part of its commitment to supporting scholars whose work bridges research and real-world impact.
Benefits
The fellowship offers:
- Flexible research funding of USD $300,000 over three years, inclusive of 15% indirect costs.
- Funding administered by the fellow’s host institution.
- Support for eligible research costs, including research personnel, professional travel, equipment, dissemination, trainee support, and related project costs.
- Access to a cohort of fellows working on children’s thriving across disciplines and contexts.
- Opportunities for exchange with other fellows, researchers, practitioners, and partners including at convenings hosted by the LEGO Foundation.
- Media channels to disseminate your work to a broader audience.
- Recognition as part of the LEGO Foundation’s network.
Eligibility
The fellowship is open to early- and mid-career researchers from around the world who are employed by a university or research institute and have received their PhD or equivalent research doctorate within the past 10 years.
Applicants must:
- Hold a PhD or equivalent research doctorate by July 31, 2026.
- Have received their PhD no earlier than January 1, 2016, subject to any approved career-break policy.
- Be employed by a university or research institute at the start of the fellowship.
- Be able to have fellowship funds administered by their host institution.
- Submit an individual application.
- Propose work that aligns with one or more fellowship themes.
Applicants from any country are welcome to apply, with the exception of countries subject to EU or US sanctions. If your country is not on either sanctions list, you are eligible to apply regardless of your location.
Applicants should demonstrate:
- A strong record of research accomplishment relative to career stage.
- A clear and original research agenda related to one or more fellowship themes.
- Strong methodological grounding and a feasible plan for the fellowship period.
- Potential to contribute to evidence that can inform action for children.
- Interest in engaging with an interdisciplinary fellowship cohort.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be reviewed against the following criteria:
- Alignment with the fellowship themes: The proposed work clearly aligns with one of the three fellowship themes and shows how it would advance understanding of children’s thriving.
- Clarity and strength of the proposed work: The application presents a clear question, problem, or area of inquiry. It explains why the work matters, what gap it addresses, and what can be meaningfully advanced during the fellowship period.
- Applicant readiness: The applicant demonstrates the experience, judgment, and capacity to carry the work forward. Reviewers will consider the applicant’s achievements and potential relative to career stage, context, and opportunity.
- Approach and feasibility: The proposed approach is appropriate to the question, context, and population. The application shows a realistic understanding of the work involved, including anticipated challenges and how they may be addressed.
- Research quality: The proposed work is rigorous, methodologically sound, and can be meaningfully advanced during the fellowship period. The applicant presents a realistic plan for the fellowship period, including methods, partnerships, timeline, ethics, and risks.
- Field context and contribution: The application situates the proposed work in relation to relevant research, debates, communities, or areas of practice. It explains what the work could contribute to others working on related questions.
- Fellowship fit and cohort contribution: The applicant explains why this fellowship is timely for their work, how participation could strengthen the proposed research, and how they would contribute to exchange with other fellows.
Application
Application materials include:
- A standard online application form
- A resume or CV (two page limit)
- A research abstract (250 word limit)
- A personal statement (500 word limit) that explains a) your inspiration for pursuing research into childhood development; b) how the proposed research will contribute to scholarly knowledge on the topic; and c) how the proposed research will support your capacity for leadership in moving discovery into practice.
- A research proposal (5 page limit) that includes:
- Relevance. Clearly articulate the research question you will answer.
- Original contribution. Describe the practical implications of the proposed research. How will your research findings be useful to other scholars, practitioners, and/or policy makers?
- Methods. Describe the methods you will use for your research, the type of data you will collect, how you will analyze these data, and steps you will take to ensure that the data and analysis are reliable. Explain why you have chosen the proposed approach for the given question. If your research includes human subjects, you must include your plans for obtaining IRB approval.
- Feasibility. What practical, conceptual, or logistical challenges do you anticipate? How do you plan to address them during the fellowship term
- Work to date. A brief description of related research work done to date, noting any preliminary analysis informing the proposed research.
- Completed budget and budget justification templates
- A selected bibliography (2 page limit) relevant to the proposed research.
For more information, visit LEGO Foundation Fellowship.
