One of the most prestigious and generous postdoctoral fellowships currently open worldwide is accepting applications right now and the deadline is 31 July 2026 at 17:00 BST.
The British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowship 2027 is a 12-month fully funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, one of the world's leading research universities and offers a monthly bursary of £2,500 making a total £30,000 over the fellowship year alongside travel expenses, desk space, library access, academic mentoring, and a unique two-month knowledge exchange period in the fellow's home country. Also up to two fellowships are awarded for the 2027 cohort. This is the final year of a three-year partnership between the British Council and IASH making it the last opportunity to apply under this programme.
About the Partnership: British Council and IASH Edinburgh
The British Council celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2024 and to mark the occasion, it launched a three-year research fellowship partnership with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh which is one of the UK's most respected interdisciplinary research institutes, established in 1969 and located within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
The partnership has already produced four fellows across the 2025 and 2026 cohorts which are :
- 2025 Fellows: Dr Anthea Moys and Dr Viktoria Bavykina
- 2026 Fellows: Dr Elsie C. Albis and Dr Dustin Lalkulhpuia
The 2027 cohort is the third and final round of the fellowship programme and up to two fellows will be selected. The fellowship is rooted in the British Council's broader mission: building a more peaceful and prosperous world through trust, understanding, and connections between people in the UK and countries worldwide. Research proposals that align with this mission with clear relevance to Official Development Assistance (ODA) priorities and demonstrable potential for societal impact are most competitive.
What it Covers
This is one of the most comprehensive postdoctoral support packages available from any fellowship programme globally. Here is exactly what selected fellows receive:
1. Monthly bursary of £2,500 (gross) for 12 months making a total of £30,000 across the fellowship year
2. Travel expenses to and from the United Kingdom at the start and end of the fellowship, and for the home country knowledge exchange period
3. Dedicated desk space at IASH within the University of Edinburgh
4. Full University of Edinburgh library access including digital databases, special collections, and interlibrary loan services
5. University of Edinburgh email access throughout the fellowship
6. Academic mentoring from a designated University of Edinburgh mentor
7. Membership in the IASH scholarly community — including participation in workshops, seminars, colloquia, and interdisciplinary discussions
8. Networking opportunities with current and former IASH fellows, British Council staff, and international academic partners
9. No regular teaching responsibilities fellows focus entirely on their research
Up to two months in home country at the end of the fellowship period, focused on knowledge exchange, dissemination, and collaboration with the British Council's local offices and the fellowship structure is that there will be 10 months at the university of Edinburgh which will take place from January 2027 to October 2027 and up to 2 months in home country which will take place in November to December in collaboration with British council
Important: The fellowship begins on 1 January 2027. This is a fixed start date no other start date is possible meaning if you cannot commit to beginning in January 2027, do not apply.
Eligibility
The eligibility requirements for this fellowship are specific you have to read every point carefully before investing time in your application.
- Country eligibility: You must be currently based in an ODA-recipient country where the British Council operates from Albania to Zimbabwe and the fellowship is explicitly designed for researchers from the Global South and other ODA-eligible nations.
- Academic requirement: You must have been awarded a doctorate at the time of application not be currently studying for one also your doctorate must have been completed within the last seven years normally meaning awarded after July 2019. Time taken for parental leave or other significant career interruptions does not count toward the seven-year limit, but you must provide brief details of the interruption and its duration.
- Career stage: this is explicitly an early-career fellowship you must not have held a permanent position at a university or a previous fellowship at IASH. Temporary, recurring, and short-term employment positions are fully acceptable and do not disqualify you.
- Discipline: The fellowship covers humanities and social sciences broadly conceived IASH's interdisciplinary remit is wide and esearchers in history, philosophy, literary studies, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, political science, economics (with a humanities angle), cultural studies, religious studies, law (with a humanities focus), and related fields are encouraged to apply.
- Research alignment: Your research proposal must demonstrate relevance to the British Council's objectives and specifically alignment with building international connections, promoting cultural understanding, supporting ODA priorities, and showing potential for impact in your home country or region
- You must be able to demonstrate contact with a University of Edinburgh researcher before submitting your application — this is not optional (see below)
The Edinburgh Contact Requirement
This is the single most critical requirement that most articles about this fellowship fail to mention clearly enough.
You must make contact with a researcher at the University of Edinburgh before submitting your application, and you must provide evidence of that contact in your application form.
The IASH official page states this directly: “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”.
This means your application will be evaluated in part on whether you have already established a connection with Edinburgh's research community. An application submitted without any evidence of prior contact is significantly weaker than one that demonstrates an established relationship with a named Edinburgh academic.
How to make meaningful contact:
Step 1: Browse Edinburgh's research community Use the University of Edinburgh's staff directory at ed.ac.uk/staff or browse IASH's current and previous visiting fellows and affiliated researchers. Search by discipline, research theme, or keyword.
Step 2: Read their work before reaching out Identify one or two Edinburgh researchers whose published work genuinely intersects with your research proposal. Read at least two of their recent papers or chapters before contacting them.
Step 3: Send a specific, professional email Write a concise email no more than 300 words introducing yourself, your doctoral background, your proposed research, and specifically how it connects to their work, Attach your CV and ask if they would be willing to correspond briefly about research alignment or serve as an informal point of contact during the fellowship.
Step 4: Document the contact Keep records of all email exchanges Also even a brief, positive response from an Edinburgh researcher can be referenced in your application as evidence of contact.
Start this process immediately. Edinburgh academics are often slow to respond during summer reaching out in May or June gives you the best chance of a response before the 31 July deadline.
Required Documents
The application is submitted through the official IASH fellowship portal. In addition to the online form, you must prepare the following:
1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) A comprehensive academic CV including your doctoral institution, thesis title, publications, conference presentations, teaching experience, and any relevant professional or community engagement.
2. Research Proposal A focused, clearly written proposal describing the research you intend to pursue during the fellowship. It must demonstrate:
- Original scholarly contribution in humanities or social sciences
- Clear alignment with the British Council's objectives and ODA priorities
- Relevance to the University of Edinburgh research community
- Potential for societal impact and non-academic engagement in your home country or region
Strong proposals clearly demonstrate how the fellowship will contribute to both scholarly advancement and practical societal impact. Generic research proposals without explicit connection to British Council objectives score poorly.
3. Cover Letter A separate cover letter outlining specifically how the fellowship will support the British Council's objectives for this programme. This is distinct from your research proposal it addresses the programmatic and strategic fit rather than the academic content.
4. Confidential References minimum 2, maximum 3 References must be submitted directly by your referees via email to [email protected] by the deadline. You cannot submit references on their behalf. At least one referee must be able to confirm successful completion of your PhD requirements. Request references from your referees as soon as possible , academic referees are often unavailable in July without advance notice.
Supporting documents connected with your application should also be emailed to [email protected].
How to Apply
Step 1: Browse the University of Edinburgh staff directory and IASH community to identify researchers whose work aligns with your proposed research. Contact them now — do not wait.
Step 2: Begin drafting your research proposal. Focus on originality, ODA relevance, and clear connection to Edinburgh's research strengths. Read the IASH website carefully to understand the institute's interdisciplinary approach.
Step 3: Write your cover letter explaining specifically how your proposed fellowship will advance the British Council's objectives for this programme.
Step 4: Request references from at least two and up to three academic referees. Ask them to email their references directly to [email protected] before 31 July 2026 at 17:00 BST. Give your referees at least 6 weeks' notice.
Step 5: Register and complete the online application form through the official IASH fellowship portal at iash.ed.ac.uk/british-council-90th-anniversary-research-fellowships
Step 6: Upload your CV and research proposal through the portal. Email any additional supporting documents to [email protected].
Step 7: Submit your application before 31 July 2026 at 17:00 BST. Applications submitted after the deadline are not considered.
Official resources:
- IASH fellowship page: iash.ed.ac.uk/british-council-90th-anniversary-research-fellowships
- British Council page: britishcouncil.org/research-insight/british-council-90-anniversary-research-fellowship
- Supporting documents and references: [email protected]
Selection Criteria
Applications are considered by an assessment panel comprising University of Edinburgh and British Council staff. The panel evaluates candidates against the following criteria:
1. Research and professional background the quality and relevance of your academic record and prior research experience to the broad thematic remit of the programme
2. Research proposal quality the clarity, originality, and feasibility of your proposed research, and its clear potential to support the British Council's objectives
3. Non-academic engagement experience demonstrated experience of engaging non-academic audiences and stakeholders in research (e.g. policy briefs, public lectures, media engagement, community partnerships, or consultancy)
4. Potential for international collaboration evidence of existing or planned international academic partnerships and the ability to build on these during the fellowship
5. Societal impact the potential for your research to generate measurable real-world impact in your home country or region, aligned with ODA priorities
Tips for a Winning Application
Align explicitly with British Council objectives. The most common weakness in unsuccessful applications is a research proposal that reads like a standard academic grant application , focused entirely on scholarly contribution without addressing how it serves the British Council's mission of building international connections, cultural understanding, and trust. Your proposal must do both. Write it for an audience that includes British Council programme officers, not only IASH academics.
Make contact with Edinburgh early. The 31 July deadline feels distant but Edinburgh academics often take several weeks to respond to unsolicited emails, and many are away in August. Reaching out in May or June maximises your chances of receiving a response you can reference in your application.
Give your referees maximum notice. At least two referees must email their letters directly to IASH before the deadline. Academic referees are routinely unavailable in late July. Contact yours immediately and give them a clear, firm deadline of 24 July one week before the actual deadline to allow time for any issues.
Be specific about home country impact. The two-month home country period is not an afterthought it is a core component of the fellowship. Your proposal and cover letter should describe specifically what you will do in those two months, with whom, and what measurable impact it will have. Vague plans to "disseminate findings" are not convincing. Specific plans to engage a named ministry, research institute, policy body, or civil society organisation are.
Demonstrate non-academic engagement. The selection criteria explicitly include experience of engaging non-academic audiences. If you have written policy briefs, appeared in media, delivered public lectures, contributed to government consultations, or collaborated with NGOs document this clearly in your CV and cover letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowship 2027? It is a fully funded 12-month postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, offered through a partnership between the British Council and IASH. Fellows receive £2,500 per month, travel expenses, desk space, library access, and academic mentoring. The fellowship runs from January to December 2027-10 months at Edinburgh and up to 2 months in the fellow's home country.
Q: What is the deadline for the British Council 90th Anniversary Fellowship 2027? The deadline is 31 July 2026 at 17:00 BST. Applications submitted after this time are not considered. Decisions are communicated in late September 2026.
Q: How many fellowships are available for 2027? Up to two fellowships are awarded for the 2027 cohort. This is the third and final year of the three-year British Council-IASH partnership making 2027 the last opportunity to apply under this programme.
Q: Is the British Council Fellowship open to researchers from Africa? Yes. The fellowship is open to postdoctoral researchers based in any ODA-recipient country where the British Council operates. Many African countries qualify, including Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and others.
Q: Do I need to contact a University of Edinburgh researcher before applying? Yes, this is mandatory, not optional. The IASH official page states that candidates must give evidence of any contact made with Edinburgh researchers and are required to make such contact before submitting. Applications without evidence of prior contact are significantly weaker. Begin this process immediately.
Q: What is the monthly stipend for the British Council 90th Anniversary Fellowship? £2,500 per month (gross) for 12 months a total bursary of £30,000. Travel expenses are also covered separately. The fellowship includes no teaching responsibilities, allowing full focus on research.
Q: Can I apply if I completed my PhD more than 7 years ago? No — unless you took parental leave or other significant career interruptions that did not count toward the seven-year limit. You must provide details of any interruption. Additionally, you must not have held a permanent university position temporary, short-term, and recurring roles are acceptable.
Q: What disciplines are eligible for the British Council IASH Fellowship? Humanities and social sciences broadly conceived including history, philosophy, literary studies, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, political science, cultural studies, religious studies, and related interdisciplinary fields. The research must align with the British Council's objectives and demonstrate relevance to ODA priorities and societal impact in the fellow's home country.
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