IASH Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026–2027 at the University of Edinburgh

Are you looking to advance your post-doctoral research in the humanities or social sciences and join an international scholarly community? The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at University of Edinburgh invites applications for its Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026-2027 for research visits beginning August 2026 through July 2027.

🎓 Fellowship Summary

• Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom (University of Edinburgh campus)

• Study Level: Post-doctoral Fellowship (arts, humanities, social sciences)

• Target Group: Early-career researchers worldwide (typically holding a doctorate awarded recently)

• Fields of Focus: Any topic within arts, humanities, social sciences; also targeted fellowships in digital humanities, gender & sexualities, public theology, heritage collections, etc.

• Value and Coverage: Bursary of up to £20,000 for a 3-10 month research stay; dedicated office, mentor, library access, etc.

• Duration: Research visit of 3 to 10 months at Edinburgh (for general post-doctoral scheme)

• Application Deadline: 17:00 GMT on 24 April 2026 for the 2026-27 round.

  
  

📚 Fellowship Overview

The IASH Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026-27 are designed to support outstanding early-career scholars who wish to spend time at Edinburgh working in a vibrant interdisciplinary environment. Key features:

• A research visit to the University of Edinburgh between August 2026 and July 2027.

• A bursary of up to £20,000 to support living costs, travel or to top-up other funding.

• Office space, full library and digital access, University email account.

• A University mentor assigned in the applicant’s relevant research area.

• Engagement in a community: weekly Fellows’ lunch, work-in-progress seminar series, events and workshops at IASH.

• No formal teaching requirement, though a limited level of teaching (up to 0.4 FTE) may be arranged by the Fellow if desired.

IASH also hosts multiple targeted post-doctoral schemes alongside the general fellowship. These include (but are not limited to):

• Public Engagement Fellowship — for scholars developing outreach/knowledge-exchange skills.

• Daiches-Manning Memorial Fellowship in 18th-Century Scottish Studies

• Digital Scholarship Postdoctoral Fellowship — for research in digital arts, digital humanities, digital social sciences.

• IASH-Alwaleed Postdoctoral Fellowship — for studies in contemporary Islam and Muslim culture.

• GENDER.ED Postdoctoral Fellowship — for research on gender and sexualities.

• RACE.ED Stuart Hall Foundation Fellowship — for work engaging with the legacy of Stuart Hall.

  
  

  In many cases if an application to a targeted scheme isn’t selected it will be considered in the general pool.

💲 Benefits

• Generous financial support: Up to £20,000 bursary that can contribute to living expenses, travel or top up existing funding.

• Dedicated research environment: Office space at IASH, access to Edinburgh University library and resources, mentor support.

• Scholarly community: Regular seminars, workshops, lunches and networking opportunities with scholars from around the world in a historic academic setting.

• High-profile institution: The University of Edinburgh is globally recognised; IASH is housed in a nineteenth-century building, offers 25-30 fellows in residence from 65+ countries.

• Flexibility and autonomy: Fellows are enabled to pursue their own research projects, with minimal teaching obligations, and are encouraged to engage with interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must have achieved a PhD (or proof of eligibility to graduate) by time of application — typically within the last 3 years (i.e., PhD awarded between 2023-2026) unless career breaks apply.

• Must not hold a permanent academic position at a university.

• Must not have previously held a post-doctoral fellowship at IASH.

• Applicants must demonstrate academic excellence, originality of proposed research, and connection or relevance to the University of Edinburgh research community (e.g., contact with a potential mentor).

• Applicants working in arts, humanities and social sciences. Pure sciences, engineering, medicine, mathematics are not eligible unless their project is framed within humanities/social science context.

📝 Application Procedure

• Applicants should submit an online application (link provided on IASH website when portal opens—typically in December prior to deadline).

• The closing date for general Postdoctoral Fellowships for visits August 2026–July 2027 is 17:00 GMT on 24 April 2026.

• Submit the research proposal, CV, contact details of referees, and name of a mentor at the University of Edinburgh (you must have contacted that mentor prior to application).

• A minimum of two and up to three confidential references must be provided; one must confirm successful doctoral examination. Referees must email references directly to IASH by the deadline.

• Applicants should ask their referees to email their reference to the Director at iash@ed.ac.uk by 24 April 2026

• Applicants must ensure all documentation is complete—late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

✨ Why This Fellowship Matters

For early-career researchers in the arts, humanities or social sciences looking to deepen their research profile, the IASH Postdoctoral Fellowship offers a highly prestigious and supportive environment. The combination of generous funding, dedicated research space, a vibrant international community and affiliation to a leading university can significantly enhance research visibility, network reach and career trajectory. Being able to focus intensively on independent research during a 3-10 month stay in Edinburgh can provide a springboard to future academic or research-leadership roles.

👌🏻 Tips for Applicants

• Make contact early with a potential mentor at the University of Edinburgh — your application must show evidence of such contact.

• Choose a research proposal that is original, timely, and shows relevance to the research environment at Edinburgh.

• Keep your CV focused and strong: highlight doctoral achievement, publications (if any), and future potential.

• Ensure referees are notified well in advance and understand they must send their letters by the deadline.

• Check that your doctoral award date falls within the eligibility window or that you clearly explain a valid career break.

• Make sure you will be in residence at Edinburgh for the required period and avoid planning extended fieldwork away from Edinburgh during the fellowship tenure.

• Start early: gather transcripts, letters, verify timeline of the portal opening and deadline (portal opens December, deadline April).

🔗 Official Website

---