Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship 2027/2028 (Fully Funded to the UK)

Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship 

 

Applications are open for the 2027/2028 Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship, a fully funded 12-month opportunity in the United Kingdom for mid-career professionals from Egypt, Sudan, and Palestine. Co-funded by the British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, this fellowship invites specialists in Coptic manuscript heritage to work at the British Library alongside expert curators. Fellows will survey and catalogue one of the world's most significant Coptic collections, research manuscript provenance, and lead public and community engagement activities. The award covers living expenses, return economy airfare, an activities allowance, and up to £1,000 for project-related costs. Applicants need a postgraduate qualification, at least five years of experience, and excellent knowledge of Sahidic or Bohairic Coptic. The programme runs from September 2027 to September 2028.

Overview

Item	Detail
Fellowship	Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship
Funders	British Library + UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Host	The British Library, London
Duration	12 months (Sept 2027 – Sept 2028)
Open to	Citizens of Egypt, Sudan, Palestine
Funding	Fully funded
Deadline	27 October 2026, 12:00 (UTC)

About the Fellowship

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship is a fully funded programme for mid-career professionals with a strong interest in Coptic manuscript heritage. It is co-funded by the British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and hosted at the British Library in London.

The Library holds one of the world's most significant collections of Coptic manuscripts — hundreds of complete and fragmentary codices, plus papyrus, parchment, and paper fragments spanning more than 1,500 years of Coptic history, theology, and literary culture. The fellow works closely with the Head of Asian and African Studies to lead a dedicated research project on these holdings.

If you are researching other fully funded academic pathways, you may also be interested in the Princeton PIIRS Fung Global Fellowship and the University of Michigan African fellowship opportunities.

What Fellows Do

• Survey the Coptic collections and identify gaps in cataloguing and documentation.
• Create and enhance catalogue records from manuscript evidence and existing metadata.
• Research and document manuscript provenance to trace the collection's history and acquisition.
• Organise events with Coptic community members and researchers.
• Produce blogs, reports, and outputs that raise awareness of the collections.
• Support public engagement that widens access to Coptic heritage.

Benefits

• 12-month project-based placement at the British Library.
• Living expenses for the full duration of the fellowship.
• Return economy airfare.
• An allowance package for fellowship-related activities.
• Up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses.

Eligibility

In addition to Chevening's standard fellowship criteria, applicants must:

• Be citizens of Egypt, Sudan, or Palestine. Citizens of these countries residing elsewhere in the MENA region in Chevening- and ODA-eligible countries (Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen) may also apply.
• Commit to returning to their country of citizenship for at least one year after the fellowship.
• Hold a postgraduate qualification (or equivalent professional training/experience in a relevant field).
• Have at least five years of significant professional and/or academic research experience.
• Be currently employed or enrolled as a PhD candidate (the PhD must not be at a UK, EU, or USA university).
• Have excellent knowledge of Coptic (Sahidic or Bohairic); Arabic and/or Greek is desirable.
• Have good written and spoken English.
• Have experience cataloguing and handling manuscript collections and knowledge of manuscript description standards.
• Have experience in, or demonstrable interest in, provenance research and documentation.
• Have experience working with heritage communities or delivering cultural heritage engagement activities.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online through the official Chevening website. The deadline is 27 October 2026 at 12:00 (UTC). Review the full call and standard eligibility criteria before applying, and prepare evidence of your Coptic language skills, research experience, and cataloguing background.

Official page: https://www.chevening.org/fellowship/chevening-british-library-coptic-collections-fellowship/