Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships 2026 at University of Edinburg

Are you a postdoctoral researcher looking to build your academic career in the UK? The Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships 2026 at the University of Edinburgh are now open, offering a prestigious route to develop your independent research profile, publish significant work, and gain a pathway toward permanent academic positions. This is one of the most competitive postdoctoral fellowships in the UK, attracting international scholars from across disciplines.

Sponsorship Package

The Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship 2026 provides full financial support for three years on a full-time basis. Fellows can also request to hold the award part-time over a proportionately longer period for health, disability, or childcare reasons. In total, 145 fellowships will be awarded in 2026. Fellows benefit from:

1. A fully funded three-year fellowship at a UK host institution.
2. Mentorship and guidance from leading academics at the University of Edinburgh.
3. Opportunities to publish significant research outputs.
4. Institutional support to progress into permanent academic positions.

This package makes the Leverhulme Fellowship one of the most attractive fully funded fellowships in the UK for postdocs.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships 2026, applicants must meet both the Trust and University eligibility rules:

• Hold a PhD degree and be within four years of viva voce (after 19 February 2022).
• Career breaks such as maternity leave, illness, or caregiving are accepted as exemptions.
• Must be supported by a UK host institution and associated with the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science (through study, employment, or ongoing research links).
• Must have at least two peer-reviewed publications of high quality.
• Candidates of all nationalities are welcome but must be resident in the UK during the fellowship.
• Applicants with permanent academic posts or who have already led a comparable three-year project are not eligible.

This ensures that the fellowship remains open to emerging scholars with proven research potential.

Application Schedule

The University of Edinburgh runs an internal selection process before submitting candidates to the Leverhulme Trust. Below are the key dates for the 2026 Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship cycle:

• 10 November 2025 – Internal School deadline for project proposal, CV, references, and mentor support statement.
• Mid-December 2025 – Notification of selected candidates.
• 1 January 2026 – Leverhulme Trust application portal opens.
• 29 January 2026 – Draft applications with budget submitted for School review.
• 19 February 2026 – Final deadline for submission to Leverhulme Trust.
• May 2026 – Fellowship results announced.

This timeline highlights the importance of early mentor engagement and internal deadlines at the University.

Application Process

The application process begins with contacting the SPS Research Office at the University of Edinburgh to register interest. Applicants must secure a mentor, prepare a two-page project proposal, one page of references, a two-page CV, and a one-page mentor statement. Once submitted by the internal deadline, shortlisted candidates will receive detailed feedback to strengthen their applications before the final submission to the Leverhulme Trust.

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