Research Fellowships in Humanities and Social Science
Who can apply
You can apply for a Research Fellowship if you're:
- a postdoctoral researcher who wants to carry out an extended period of enquiry on your own project
- not in a tenured or long-term established post (including a rolling contract)
- based (or plan to be based) in the UK, Republic of Ireland or a low- or middle-income country.
Go to the World Bank website(opens in a new tab) to see a list of low- and middle-income countries.
You must have sponsorship from an eligible host organisation.
In most cases, applicants should have been awarded a PhD before they apply.
What we're looking for
Our reviewers will assess:
- the significance of your proposed research
- the strength of your approach
- your track record
- the suitability of the host environment for your research and for the development of your independent career.
Most successful applicants will be pursuing university research careers. But we also encourage researchers who want to follow health-related research careers elsewhere.
What's expected of your host organisation
You must have an eligible sponsoring organisation that will administer your fellowship for the full duration of the award. You should give careful thought to your choice of sponsor and supervisor/research mentor; they should have strong track records in research, training and mentorship.
Your sponsor should be based at an eligible sponsoring organisation that will administer your fellowship for the full duration of the award. The sponsor should hold an established post and be in a position to guarantee you space and facilities for the full period of the fellowship.
Your supervisor or research mentor should:
- provide support and advice during the application process and the period of the award
- be committed to helping you achieve your career aspirations.
Your sponsor can also be your research sponsor or mentor.
Other schemes
Seed Awards in Humanities and Social Science
Investigator Awards in Humanities and Social Science
Research Awards for Health Professionals
What we offer
A Research Fellowship is for up to three years, or you can hold it part-time over a longer period.
Support includes:
During your fellowship, you can apply for public engagement funds to involve the public in your research and inspire learning.
What we don’t offer
We don't fund on a proportion of full economic costs in UK universities.
How to apply
You must submit your application through the Wellcome Trust Grant Tracker (WTGT).
If your project involves the digitisation of analogue material – including text, audio and video – for use over the web, please read our Technical guidelines for digitisation projects [PDF 148KB] before you apply.
Stages of application
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Submit your preliminary application
We'll assess your eligibility, suitability and competitiveness. If suitable, we'll invite you to submit a full application.
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Submit your full application
View a sample full application form for Research Fellowships in Humanities and Social Science [PDF 1.7MB].
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Review and shortlisting
Full applications are considered by either the Medical Humanities Early Career Expert Review Group or the Society and Ethics Early Career Expert Review Group, depending on the area of the proposed research. If your full application is successful at this stage, you'll be invited for interview.
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Peer review
We’ll seek written comments from external expert reviewers – we encourage you to suggest appropriate people. Unattributed comments will be sent to you before your interview.
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Interview
The Medical Humanities Interview Committee or the Society and Ethics Interview Committeewill interview shortlisted candidates at the Wellcome Trust offices in London.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://wellcome.ac.uk/funding/research-fellowships-humanities-and-social-science