British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships 2027

Aim and Benefits of British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships Fellowship

In short, 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

Requirements for British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships Fellowship Qualification

• The University of Edinburgh warmly welcome applications from ODA-recipient countries where the British Council operates (see the list above).

• Applicants must also have been awarded a doctorate at the time of application, and normally within the last seven years (i.e. you should have graduated between 2019 and summer 2026, although earlier graduates may be eligible if they have taken significant career breaks since completing their doctorate; if you have not yet graduated, you must be able to produce a transcript, testamur, or a letter of completion/eligibility to graduate as part of your application, showing that your viva examination has been successfully completed and all necessary corrections made to your thesis; you do not need to have actually graduated at the time you apply).

• 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.

Interview date, Process and Venue for British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships Fellowship

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, outlined above

• A research proposal with clear potential to support the British Council’s objectives for the programme, outlined above

• 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 and Fellowship timetable

5 May 2026                                                     Application portal opens

26 May 2026                                                   Applicant webinar 

31 July 2026                                                   Application deadline

By end of September 2026                             Selection of candidates

January 2027                                                   Fellowship start date

January - October 2027                                   Fellowship undertaken at IASH, University of Edinburgh

November – December 2027                          Knowledge exchange and dissemination with British Council