Call for Applications: British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships at University of Edinburgh for international early-career researchers

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Closing Date: 28 July 2025

Call for Applications: British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships at University of Edinburgh for international early-career researchers

Overview

Under a new British Council partnership with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, the University is awarding two 12-month postdoctoral fellowships for international early-career researchers.

This is a three-year partnership from 2025 to 2027. The final round of Fellowships – starting in January 2027 – will be awarded in due course as part of the same programme.

British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships at the University of Edinburgh

The British Council celebrated its 90^th anniversary in 2024 and is delighted to announce a research partnership between the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh and the British Council.

They are awarding two 12-month postdoctoral fellowships starting in January 2026 – open to international early-career researchers based in any ODA-recipient country where the British Council operates. 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.

The British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships provide a bursary of £2,500 per month and travel expenses as well as desk space, library access and academic mentoring as part of the vibrant scholarly community of visiting fellows at IASH. Fellows will also be expected to engage closely with the British Council throughout their Fellowships (including visits to UK offices), with the option to spend time in a British Council office in their home country as part of the knowledge exchange component of the Fellowship.

Subject focus and eligibility

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:

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).

See the full list of eligible ODA countries below.

Albania	Algeria	Argentina
Armenia	Azerbaijan	Bangladesh
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Botswana	Brazil
Cambodia	Cameroon	China
Colombia	Cuba	Egypt
Ethiopia	Georgia	Ghana
India	Indonesia	Iraq
Jamaica	Jordan	Kazakhstan
Kenya	Kosovo	Laos
Lebanon	Libya	Malawi
Malaysia	Mauritius	Mexico
Montenegro	Morocco	Mozambique
Myanmar	Namibia	Nepal
Nigeria	North Macedonia	Pakistan
Peru	Philippines	Rwanda
Senegal	Serbia	Sierra Leone
South Africa	South Sudan	Sri Lanka
Sudan	Syria	Tanzania
Thailand	Tunisia	Türkiye
Uganda	Ukraine	Uzbekistan
Venezuela	Viet Nam	Occupied Palestinian Territories
Yemen	Zambia	Zimbabwe

Research topics should be relevant to the areas of priority across Arts, Education and the English language that are outlined in its 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.

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.

Objectives

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 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)

Criteria for assessment

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

What does a British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowship offer?

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 2026 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

Who can apply for the fellowship?

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 2018 and 2025, 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 the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities. Those who have held temporary, recurring 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 three-year limit, but the University ask that you provide brief details of why and for how long you were not working.

Application procedure

The application form
Any additional supporting documents connected with an application should be emailed to [email protected].

References

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.

Notes

The Fellowship begins in January 2026 and runs to December 2026. No other start date is possible.
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.
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.