Find out more about our brand new postdoctoral research Fellowships in collaboration with the British Council. Representatives of IASH and the British Council will present information on the Fellowships, and answer your questions.

See our website for more information: https://www.iash.ed.ac.uk/british-council-90th-anniversary-research-fellowships

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

We are awarding two 12-month Fellowships starting in January 2025 – open to postdoctoral researchers based in any ODA-recipient country where the British Council operates (see list of countries on page 139 of their Annual Report).

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 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 (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:

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.

These are early-career fellowships, meaning applicants must be within seven years of completion of their PhD.

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.

British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowships