British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships

IASH hosts a lively scholarly community of visiting fellows. It is a supportive environment for postdoctoral researchers, while also offering networking opportunities with successful mid-career and eminent senior scholars. The Institute occupies a historic building with private courtyard and leafy views – perfect for uninterrupted thinking, reading and writing. Yet there is also plenty of opportunity to socialise and share ideas.

In short, a 2028 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

These Fellowships are intended to support research that is aligned with the overarching vision of the British Council (“a more peaceful and prosperous world built on trust”) and the purpose outlined in their strategy: 

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. 

Research topics should be relevant to the areas of priority across Arts, Education and the English language that are outlined in our 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. We will be especially interested in proposals which connect with our 2027-30 research theme on disability and chronic illness.

Within this broad thematic remit, the specific research focus of each Fellowship can be shaped by the expertise and interests of the applicant. However, Fellowship proposals should include plans for outputs that are relevant to Official Development Assistance (ODA) policy or practice, and which have potential to advance knowledge or engage stakeholders or audiences in the Fellow’s home country or region.

In addition to proposing research and outputs in line with the above thematic remit, applicants should use the cover letter that is required as part of the application process (see below) to outline how their Fellowship would support the following British Council objectives for this programme:

• To generate new knowledge that builds on or complements British Council data, evidence, insight and expertise and supports British Council programming and strategy
• To diversify and broaden the British Council’s knowledge base, including through providing opportunities for knowledge exchange with researchers from regions and communities under-represented in global research production and discourse
• To support the international capacity building and professional development of up-and-coming research experts from eligible countries
• To foster longer-term connections, networks and partnerships between UK and international researchers and British Council staff
• To promote the academic engagement and professional networking of British Council staff and partners
• To enhance the visibility, use and application of the data, evidence and other forms of knowledge and insight generated through the British Council’s programmes and network
• To contribute more broadly to the UK research and skills agenda (including the UK Research and Development Roadmap and the Research England Knowledge Exchange Framework)

IASH provides an enviable location in one of the world’s most intellectually inspiring cities, together with a dynamic network of international connections.

Home to the Scottish Enlightenment, Edinburgh has a rich cultural heritage of scholarship and creativity that continues to the present day. In this haven of libraries and archives, galleries and music venues – all set amid iconic architecture – IASH takes the humanities beyond campus to engage the public and work with organisations in a variety of different sectors.

The Institute welcomes visiting researchers from across the world. Since 1970, over 1,500 Fellows have stepped through our doors. Up to 30 researchers are in residence at any one time in our amazing – and eclectic – nineteenth-century building just on the edge of the University’s central campus, boasting views of the Meadows.

From upwards of 65 countries, IASH Fellows form a global alumni community, and many career-long connections begin at the Institute.

We warmly welcome applications from ODA-recipient countries where the British Council operates. 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 2020 and 2027, 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; 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, part-time and/or short-term appointments 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.

Date TBC at 23:59 UK time                            Application deadline

By end of August 2027                                    Selection of candidates

January 2028                                                   Fellowships start date

January - October 2028                                   Fellowships are undertaken at IASH, University of Edinburgh

November – December 2028                          Knowledge exchange and dissemination with British Council

The closing date

The closing date for the receipt of the second round of applications (for visits from January 2028) is 23:59 BST on DATE TBC. Applications received after that date will not be considered. Decisions will be communicated in September. Please ensure that you supply a valid email address so that you can be contacted quickly after decisions are made.

The application form

Applications are now closed for 2027. The link to our application portal will be posted here when applications open in May 2027.
 

References

• In addition to the application form, a minimum of two and a maximum of three confidential references are required, and a CV, research proposal and cover letter outlining how the Fellowship will support the British Council’s objectives for this programme.
• Applicants should ask their referees to email their reference to the Director at iash@ed.ac.uk by DATE TBC. 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.

Notes

• The Institute was established in 1969 by the then Faculty of Arts at the University of Edinburgh to promote enquiry of the highest standards in the Humanities, broadly conceived. It began to receive Fellows in 1970, and is now located as an independent institute within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.  Inter-departmental and interdisciplinary study has always been encouraged.
• Consideration will be given to the academic record and the publications of all applicants and their capacity to disseminate their views among a community of like-minded people. Candidates must give evidence of any contact they have made with researchers at the University of Edinburgh, are required to make such contact before submitting their applications, and those who can evidence the relevance of their proposed project to the University of Edinburgh research community will be regarded favourably.  Particular weight will be placed on the quality and timeliness of the project proposed, and we encourage innovative and interdisciplinary topics and approaches.
• For information about the scope of work undertaken at the University of Edinburgh, see Edinburgh Research Explorer, or browse through the staff pages of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Only fully completed formal applications will be considered. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that all documentation is complete, and that referees submit their reports to IASH by the closing date. 
• As requested above, please use the cover letter that is required as part of the application process to outline how their Fellowship will support the British Council’s objectives for this programme.
• Fellows must make the Institute their main place of work for the duration of the 10-month residential part of the Fellowship.  It is expected that Fellows will be in residence throughout the 10 months and will contribute fully to the life of the Institute during that time. Fellows give at least one seminar presentation during their tenure, and submit a report on their research at the end of their Fellowship. No regular teaching is required.

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