The BSECS-Northumbria Fellowship

The fellowship arises from Northumbria University’s central role in organising the 2019 International Congress on the Enlightenment in Edinburgh. This fellowship builds on the success of the Congress by offering travel, accommodation, and related expenses up to the value of £4000 to support a visiting scholar undertaking research into any aspect of literature, culture, or history, in the long eighteenth century. Preference may be given to applications that focus on the North of England and the Scottish Borders and/or applications that focus on the Congress theme of ‘Enlightenment Identities’. The successful applicant will be based in the Institute of the Humanities at the city campus of Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, for either the autumn or the spring semester, 2026/27.

Newcastle, one of the largest and most prosperous cities in eighteenth-century England and at the heart of a region with a distinct identity, has many archives in or near the city, including five university libraries, the Literary and Philosophical Society, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, and county and cathedral record offices. Northumbria University has an international reputation as a centre for research into eighteenth-century literature and culture clustered around an active research group in the Department of Humanities with more than a dozen scholars working in the area. Northumbria researchers maintain close links with cultural and academic partners across the region and play an active role in BSECS and the North-East Forum in Eighteenth-Century and Romantic Studies, which brings together scholars from the universities of Northumbria, Newcastle, Durham, Sunderland, and Teesside. More information about research in the department can be found at: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/humanities/research/

In addition to expenses, fellows will have access to desk space in the university’s Research Commons and assistance with gaining access to local libraries and archives. They will be expected to deliver a research paper at the Institute of the Humanities and to participate fully in the Institute’s activities as well as those of North-East Forum for Eighteenth-Century and Romantic Studies. Where appropriate, fellows may be invited to give a public lecture or participate in other public events in the region.

Eligibility

This scheme is open to postdoctoral scholars at any career stage, from Early Career to Emeritus, and from any nation. Preference will be given to scholars who are not currently based in the North East of England or the Scottish Borders and whose work aligns with the Department and Institute of Humanities at Northumbria university—English Literature, English Language, History, Music, and American Studies. Interdisciplinary applications and applications that investigate diverse cultures, communities, and identities are especially encouraged. Please note that:

• This scheme is not intended to support doctoral research. Applicants must have been awarded their PhD or equivalent by the application deadline date.

• This is primarily a visiting fellowship. Applicants should not be normally resident in or employed by an institution in Co. Durham, Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, or Scottish Borders. Exceptions may be made where it can be shown that the grant will be used to fund research in this region that could not otherwise have taken place.

• Fellows will be expected to be in residence in or near Newcastle throughout the fellowship

• Applicants must be a member of BSECS or the relevant ISECS-affiliated society in their home country.

• We cannot cover salary replacement costs. If you need to do so, please ensure that your home institution and/or any third-party funding body have approved your application and that you are available to take up the fellowship.

Application Process and Criteria

Applications must be made on the official application form (BNF Application Form 2026).

Please submit the form and a current CV by email to the BSECS funding officer Dr James Harriman-Smith (James.Harriman-Smith@newcastle.ac.uk) by Friday 26 June 2026. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to attend a brief online interview. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application approximately one month after the deadline.

Applications will be assessed by a committee drawn from the Department of Humanities at Northumbria University and the BSECS Executive Committee. The committee will look for applications that demonstrate the potential for original and significant research into some aspect of the literature, culture, and/or history of the long eighteenth century. Preference may be given to applications that focus on the North of England and the Scottish Borders and/or the Congress theme of ‘Enlightenment Identities’. As well as supporting individual research, the scheme aims to foster lasting collaboration and exchange between the recipient and scholars in the region. Applications should demonstrate a commitment to ongoing collaboration, either with individuals or with institutions, for example in research, outputs, events, or bidding.

Recruitment will be aligned with the Equality and Diversity statements of BSECS (https://www.bsecs.org.uk/the-society/equality-and-diversity) and Northumbria University (https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/equality-and-diversity).

Informal enquiries may be made to Professor Brycchan Carey in the Department of Humanities at Northumbria University: brycchan.carey@northumbria.ac.uk.