To mark the 90th anniversary of the British Council holding later in the year, the Council has announced a three-year research partnership with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh.
The fellowships will be for 12-month starting in January 2025 and will be open to postdoctoral researchers based in Nigeria and other countries where the British Council operates.
According to the organizers, the selected fellows will be provided with a bursary of £2,500 per month, travel expenses as well as desk space, library access, and academic mentoring as part of the vibrant scholarly community of visiting fellows at IASH.
The aim of the fellowship is to facilitate research on topics that are relevant to the areas of priority across Arts, Education, and the English language that are outlined in the British Council’s strategy, and to areas of cross-cutting strategic British Council interest such as international relations and soft power, international development and peacebuilding, and cultural relations and cultural diplomacy.
About the British Council research fellowship
The selected 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.
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.
Over the coming years, additional rounds of fellowships – starting in January 2026 and January 2027 – will be awarded as part of the same programme.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for this, applicants must be early-career individuals, that is, within seven years of completion of their PhD.
Applicants must also be based in an ODA recipient country in which the British Council operates and should be qualified to undertake postdoctoral level research for the fellowship.
What area(s) the researchers will focus on
These fellowships aim to back research that aligns with the British Council’s overarching vision and its strategy objectives.
While the general thematic scope is broad, each fellowship’s research focus can be tailored to the applicant’s expertise and interests. Nonetheless, fellowship proposals must incorporate plans for outputs relevant to Official Development Assistance (ODA) policy or practice. These outputs should have the potential to enhance knowledge or involve stakeholders and audiences in the fellow’s home country or region.
The objectives of the program
In conjunction with suggesting research and outputs that align with the aforementioned thematic scope, applicants should utilize the mandatory cover letter in the application process to delineate how their Fellowship would bolster the following British Council objectives for the program.
The objectives are:
- 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).
The applications will be considered by an assessment panel comprised of University of Edinburgh and British Council staff and 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 the broad thematic remit of the programme, outlined above.
- A research proposal with clear potential to support the British Council’s objectives for the programme, is outlined above.
- Demonstrable experience in engaging non-academic audiences and stakeholders in research (e.g. through engagement with policymakers, 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.
Applicants can register here before the application deadline on 26 July, 23.59 UK time.
The British Council and IASH will be holding an online Q&A session here for interested applicants on Tuesday 21 May, from 13.00 to 14.00 UK time via Zoom Webinar.
