Call for Applications: Eleven Senior Research Fellowships at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for 2027 Academic year

Ednah Carrick May 28, 2026

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Closing Date: 30 August 2026

Call for Applications Eleven Senior Research Fellowships at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for 2027 Academic year

Call for Applications | Eleven Senior Research Fellowships at the FCDO

On behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Global Research and Technology Development (GRTD) Research Commissioning Centre, co-led by 3ie and the University of Birmingham, invites applicants to submit their applications for eleven Senior Research Fellowships at the FCDO in the fields of Gender and Equity; Conflict; AI for Development; Food and Agriculture; Economic Development; Systemic Resilience of Combined Human, Social, Economic, Political and Ecological systems; Hybrid and Transnational Threats; Polar Regions; Critical Minerals; Technology, Geopolitics and Information Manipulation; and Global Health.

At a glance

Background

The Global Research and Technology Development Research Commissioning Centre (RCC) has been established to commission and manage research to enhance development and foreign policy impact. The Research Commissioning Centre provides support to FCDO teams in commissioning and delivering high-quality and impactful research. It addresses challenges associated with research bureaucracy by providing a streamlined process for commissioning and delivering FCDO-funded research.

Key dates

Call for application: 20 May 2026
Application Deadline: 30 August 2026 at 5pm GMT.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Interviews: Held in early October 2026
Fellowship commencement date: 1 April 2027

Note: In case there are any changes to these dates, revisions will be reflected here.

Important Information

Placement duration: Two years at 0.4 FTE.

Placement location: These placements will be hosted by FCDO at either the head office in London or East Kilbride and are subject to the Fellow successfully obtaining security clearance.

Eligibility

Applicants must be at least Associate Professor level of seniority and employed by a UK academic institution. They will remain employees of their sending institution for the duration of the fellowship placement.
Applicants must meet the requirements for obtaining security clearance to undertake the placement. This includes meeting the relevant UK residency requirements, depending on the level of clearance:

Developed Vetting (DV): Applicants must have lived in the UK for at least 5 of the last 10 years.
Security Clearance (SC): Applicants must have lived in the UK for at least 2 of the last 5 years.

Residency refers to physical presence in the UK during these periods. For example, holding a UK bank account or a UK postal address alone would not meet this requirement. Security clearance involves assurance checks carried out in the UK, which is why sufficient UK residency is mandatory.

How to apply

Applicants should review the job description for the relevant thematic area and complete the application form on the RCC Grant Management System. A user guide for the Grant Management System is available for reference.

Thematic areas include:

- Gender and Equity
- Conflict
- AI for Development
- Food and Agriculture
- Economic Development
- Systemic Resilience of Combined Human (Social, Economic, Political) and Ecological Systems
- Hybrid and Transnational Threats
- Polar Regions
- Critical Minerals
- Technology, Geopolitics and Information Manipulation
- Global Health

Supporting information

If shortlisted, funding recipients will be required to adhere to several FCDO and 3ie policies listed below. FCDO strongly recommends reviewing these before applying.

Note: In case of any discrepancies between the FCDO’s PrOF guidance and 3ie’s policies, the PrOF guidance will prevail.