Introduction
The fellowship is a joint initiative with Richard and Susan Hayden. It offers candidates at the early-to-mid-stage of their career the opportunity to spend ten months at Chatham House working on an individual research project of their choosing.
Requirements
Citizenship
The fellowship is open to all nationalities.
Education
Applicants must hold a completed BA degree or equivalent and have experience with conducting research.
Career
The ideal candidate should be at the early-to-mid-stage of their career and come from one of the following fields or work: academia, NGO, business, government departments, civil society or the media. All applicants should possess knowledge of, and an interest in, international affairs, their chosen area of research, and Chatham House’s mission and research.
Age restrictions
No age restriction
Fellowship Details
Duration
Academy Fellows spend ten months at Chatham House between October 2026 and July 2027.
Location
Fellows are based full-time at Chatham House, London with hybrid working also possible.
Remuneration and benefits
The fellow receives a monthly stipend of £2,365 which covers London living costs, including accommodation, utilities, food, transport and other basic expenses.
The Academy covers reasonable costs related to:
- Relocation e.g., flights, train, other transportation to and from the UK, three nights of accommodation, visas, extra cases or boxes, etc.
- Payment of the UK’s Immigration Healthcare Surcharge which allows access to the UK National Health Service
- Research, outreach and dissemination costs e.g., fieldwork, travel, conferences, publication, roundtables, events, etc.
Following the successful completion of their fellowship alumni benefit from access to:
- The Academy faculty and alumni
- Five-year Chatham House membership
Programme Details
A fellow’s time is split between three key areas:
- Completing a personal research project: the fellow chooses and design an individual project to undertake with the guidance of a Chatham House expert (approximately 60%).
- Contributing to the ongoing research activities: working with their host research team and other Chatham House teams as appropriate, fellows contribute to existing research priorities in line with the Chatham House mission (approximately 20%).
- Leadership Masterclass Programme: it is a key part of all fellowships. It aims to develop fellows’ knowledge, network, self-awareness and to equip them with important skills on which they can draw in their future careers as leaders in their field (approximately 20%).
Leadership Masterclass Programme
All fellows participate in and contribute to the Leadership Programme which encompasses the following components:
- Intensive induction week: Academy fellowships begin with an intensive five-day induction week to become familiarized with the elements of the fellowships, meet their host research programme and have their first personal development coaching session.
- Thematic sessions: Fellows meet and discuss current international affairs challenges with subject matter experts from Chatham House and beyond.
- Leadership skills workshops: Fellows participate in half-day workshops focusing on specific aspects of leadership such as achieving policy impact, stakeholder mapping, crisis management and negotiation skills.
- Leadership Briefings: Fellows engage in discussions with a diverse group of global leaders from government, business, media, and the non-profit sector.
- Project presentations: Fellows present updates on their research projects to help develop presentation skills, provide a forum for peer-review and to analyse issues outside their own area of expertise.
- Personal development coaching: Fellows have access to one-on-one sessions with a dedicated coach as a way to grow their self-awareness.
- Media training: Fellows learn effective interview skills needed for television and radio culminating in a mock interview from which they receive feedback on style and any areas of improvement.
- Career mentoring (optional): Fellows’ development is facilitated and supported by partnering them with mentors to enhance their career perspective and path.
Application Details
Application Deadline
Application Deadline: 7 April 2026.
Grant Atlas