• What is a Visiting Fellow?
• Is a Visiting Fellow the same as a Visiting Student?
• Is a Visiting Fellow the same as a Postdoctoral Fellow?
• What funding sources are there for Visiting Professors?
• Are there Immigration issues associated with Visiting Fellow applications?
• Does the School of Education offer funding for Visiting Fellows?
• How can I pay the affiliation/bench fee?
• How do I arrange accommodation for my visit to Bristol?
• I want to improve my English whilst acting as a Visiting Fellow at Bristol.  Is this possible?

What is a Visiting Fellow?

Visiting Fellows are scholars who visit for short periods of time or who are resident in the School of Education (SoE) for up to 12 months conducting their own research whilst benefiting from, and contributing to, the research culture of the SoE at Bristol.  For example, lecturers on sabbatical leave, overseas funded postdoctoral fellows or collaborators on projects.

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Is a Visiting Fellow the same as a Visiting Student?

No, Visiting Fellows are not students.  Visiting Fellows are affiliated to the Department for the purposes of conducting their own research.  They do not attend regular classes.  Visiting Fellows do not have structured supervision, but instead have multiple opportunities to engage with members of staff at the School of Education who have shared or related research interests.  If you are a student, please read our guidelines for Visiting Research Students.

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Is a Visiting Fellow the same as a Postdoctoral Fellow?

No.  Anyone interested in applying for funding to do a Postdoctoral Fellowship at SoE, Bristol, should visit our guidelines for Postdoctoral Fellows.

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What funding sources are there for Visiting Professors?

There are several sources, for example Leverhulme, British Academy and University of Bristol Benjamin Meaker schemes.  For more information do contact the Research & Enterprise Development (RED) team.

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Are there Immigration issues associated with Visiting Fellow applications?

Yes, but only for applicants who are citizens of countries outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) – please see the University's guidance for academic visitors.

Applicants who are citizens of an EEA country simply need to complete the Visiting Fellow application form (Office document, 63kB) and, if successful, pay the affiliation/bench fee prior to their scheduled arrival in Bristol.

Applicants who are non-EEA citizens are required, in addition, to go through the Tier 5 procedures for Sponsored Researchers.

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Does the School of Education offer funding for Visiting Fellows?

No.  Visiting Fellows must pay an affiliation/bench fee to the Department prior to their arrival in Bristol in order to receive Visiting Fellow status.  All travel and living expenses are the responsibility of the Visiting Fellow, not the Department.

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How can I pay the affiliation/bench fee?

Arrangements for paying the affiliation/bench fee should be made with Shirley Stobart.

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How do I arrange accommodation for my visit to Bristol?

Visiting Fellows must make their own accommodation arrangements however you can check the University's information for staff seeking accommodation.

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I want to improve my English whilst acting as a Visiting Fellow at Bristol.  Is this possible?

We ask that applicants have a level of English that is of a standard that is suitable for academic work.  If you would like to take English classes, they are available from the University’s Language Centre.  You would need to pay the tuition fee yourself.  For further details, please visit the Language Centre website.

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