Call for Applications: for 2-month Postdoctoral Fellowships, starting in January 2027, at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, Application Deadline- July 31, 2026

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

We are delighted to be awarding up to two 12-month Postdoctoral Fellowships, starting in January 2027, at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh.

Applicants must be based in an ODA-recipient country where the British Council operates* (see list at the bottom of the page) and be qualified to undertake postdoctoral level research for the Fellowship.

Fellows will spend the first ten months of their Fellowships at IASH, followed by up to two months based in their home countries or regions focused on knowledge exchange and dissemination in collaboration with the British Council.

The Fellowship provides 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, both in the UK and in their home country or region, 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 our strategy:

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

Applicants must be based in an ODA-recipient country where the British Council operates and be qualified to undertake postdoctoral level research for the Fellowship. Applicants must have completed their viva examination/defense and any subsequently required corrections to their thesis by the application deadline; applicants do not need to have graduated before the deadline.

These are early-career fellowships, meaning applicants must be within seven years of completion of their PhD. We especially welcome applications from candidates who have not already had an undergraduate or postgraduate education in the UK or other non-ODA recipient country.

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.

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.

The British Council and IASH are holding an online Q&A webinar on Tuesday 26 May 2026 from 14:00 to 15:00 UK time on Teams Webinar.

The session will be recorded. Prospective Fellowship applicants are encouraged to register for this session even if they cannot attend ‘live’ as this will give them access to the recording afterwards.

Application and fellowship timetable

For more details, refer here