Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships

Find out about when and how to apply for the Leverhulme Trust Early Careers Fellowship.

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships 2026

Apply Now: Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships 2026

The Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences at the University of Bristol is pleased to invite expressions of interest for the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships 2026. We are keen to encourage prospective early career fellows from outside Bristol to consider applying through our Faculty process. 

These prestigious three-year fellowships support early career researchers-within four years of completing their PhD (career breaks considered)-who have a strong research record but have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post. Fellows receive up to £6,000 per year in research expenses to undertake a significant piece of publishable work. Full scheme details are available on the Leverhulme Trust website. 

The Faculty will support up to ten applications, with up to six prioritised in the following strategic research areas: 

  • Social justice and inequalities
  • Socio-digital transformation, including the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence
  • Creative and cultural industries 

As well as those who align with our Faculty Research Centres - Migration Mobilities Bristol, The Centre for Creative Technologies, The Centre for Black Humanities and The Centre for Childhoods and Social Justice.  

Joining the Faculty as a Leverhulme Fellow offers an exceptional opportunity to embed your research within a vibrant, interdisciplinary environment renowned for world-leading scholarship. With a strong track record in securing fellowships and external funding, and a culture of civic engagement and impact, the Faculty provides an ideal platform for launching your academic career. 

Internal Application Process 

To be considered for Faculty support, applicants must participate in an internal selection process: 

  1. Identify a mentor within the Faculty and make initial contact. You can explore potential mentors via the University of Bristol Research Portal. 
    Applicants are encouraged to discuss their eligibility and the competitiveness of their publishing record with their mentor before requesting the internal application template. In some cases, it may be strategically beneficial for you to delay applying in order to further develop a competitive CV.
  2. Request the internal application template via this link (if you encounter access issues, email rdo-rduk@bristol.ac.uk).
  3. Submit your internal application - including the completed outline form and a two-page combined CV/publication list - to your School Research Director by Monday 10 November 2025, 10am.
  4. Selected candidates will be invited to an online workshop for the scheme on Wednesday 10 December, as such, please keep this blocked out in your diary. 
  5. Leverhulme Trust deadline: Thursday 19 February 2026

The Faculty will select up to ten candidates to support, with priority given to proposals aligned with the strategic research areas listed above. 

Eligibility Applicants must: 

  • Be within four years of completing their PhD (career breaks will be considered)
  • Have a demonstrable research record
  • Not have held a full-time permanent academic post 

Please consult the Leverhulme Trust website for full eligibility criteria and guidance. 

School Research Directors (SRDs)