International Fellowships for Early-Career Postdoctoral Researchers in Humanities and Social Sciences (UK)

The British Academy has announced the upcoming round of its International Fellowships Programme for 2026, designed to support early-career researchers from around the world in the humanities and social sciences. This prestigious fellowship enables recipients to spend two years at a UK institution, fostering a globally connected and mobile research and innovation workforce. The programme is highly competitive, with a recent success rate of 3.3% in 2025, and several changes have been introduced to improve sustainability and competitiveness. Key eligibility criteria include holding a PhD from a non-UK institution and being within 0–5 years post-PhD, with allowances for career breaks and parental leave. The fellowship is open to all areas of the humanities and social sciences, such as sociology, anthropology, political science, history, philosophy, and economics. Each UK sponsor may support only one application per round, and references are no longer required for the application process. The fellowship provides funding for two years of research at a UK institution, though specific details regarding stipend amounts and tuition coverage are not provided in the announcement. The programme aims to build a globally connected research community and support innovation across disciplines. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the full call text on the British Academy website and prepare their materials ahead of the application opening date on 15 January 2026. For further information, applicants can visit the British Academy website or contact the announcer, Abass Bolaji Isiaka, Senior Research Associate at the University of East Anglia, who shared this opportunity. The fellowship is an excellent chance for early-career researchers in the humanities and social sciences to advance their careers and collaborate internationally.