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

They are awarding two 12-month fellowships starting in January 2026—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 or the list below).

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.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must be based in an ODA-recipient country where the British Council operates and be qualified to undertake postdoctoral level research for this early career Fellowship, meaning they must have a PhD, completed within the last seven years (factoring in career breaks, e.g. periods of parental leave or time away from academia). For the the full list of eligible countries, check program website.

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.

They warmly welcome applications from ODA-recipient countries where the British Council operates (see the list above). Applicants must also have been awarded a doctorate at the time of application, and normally within the last seven years (i.e. you should have graduated between 2018 and 2025, although earlier graduates may be eligible if they have taken significant career breaks since completing their doctorate; if you have not yet graduated, you must be able to produce a transcript, testamur, or a letter of completion/eligibility to graduate as part of your application, showing that your viva examination has been successfully completed and all necessary corrections made to your thesis; you do not need to have actually graduated at the time you apply). You should not have held a permanent position at a university, or a previous fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities. Those who have held temporary, recurring, and/or short-term appointments are eligible to apply. If you have taken parental leave or other time away from academia, this will not count towards the three-year limit, but we ask that you provide brief details of why and for how long you were not working.

The closing date for the receipt of the next round of applications (for visits from January 2026) is 28 July 2025 at 23:59 UK time. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Decisions will be communicated in September. Please ensure that you supply a valid email address so that you can be contacted quickly after decisions are made.

Applications for 2026 are now open – apply here.
Any additional supporting documents connected with an application should be emailed to iash@ed.ac.uk.

BENEFIT:

The 2026 British Council 90th Anniversary Research Fellowship provides:

Research visit at the University of Edinburgh for ten months, followed by up to two months based in their home countries focused on knowledge exchange and dissemination

Bursary of £2,500 per month for 12 months

Dedicated office space, University e-mail and library access

A University mentor from an area relevant to the Fellows’ research interests

Weekly Fellows’ Lunch to build community

Collegial work-in-progress seminar series for testing new ideas

Calendar of engaging events at the Institute and College

Opportunities to participate in and design funded workshops, colloquia, etc., at the Institute