Global Fellowship Scheme

The Global Fellowship Scheme provides prestigious awards to enable world-leading researchers and scholars from around the globe to spend between one and three months at the University of Brighton. During this time, you will be able to engage in productive research and build lasting collaborations.

Global Fellows will work in partnerships with University of Brighton colleagues on a joint grant application, produce a co-authored output or co-produced artefact, and share research skills and experience with researchers within our Centres of Research and Knowledge Exchange Excellence and postgraduate students. Applications must be supported by a research-active member of staff at the University of Brighton.

Why choose the University of Brighton as a world-leading expert?

The University of Brighton is committed to making a tangible difference to society through high-quality, practice-based learning, teaching and research and knowledge exchange. Our recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) results demonstrate our ability to produce world-leading research that addresses global challenges and that has a positive impact on people’s lives and the communities in which they reside. The new Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategic Plan 2022-2025 outlines our aim to promote excellence, recognise and nurture talent, invest in sustained impact, and grow our international collaborations during this period.

As part of this distinctive agenda, the University of Brighton Global Fellowship Scheme is aimed at world-leading researchers and scholars who are making a significant impact, and who have, or are developing, a distinguished research record. We aim to foster excellent, productive collaborations and seek to:

enable academics from non-UK countries to undertake research within the unique research and knowledge exchange community at the University of Brighton
provide an opportunity for Global Fellows to contribute to and participate in the vibrant academic life of the University
create opportunities to develop long-term collaborative partnerships and lasting links between the University of Brighton and researchers around the world.

Hear about our previous Global Fellowships

In 2022-2023, we welcomed Global Fellows from around the world. Experts in their fields, Global Fellows collaborated with their University of Brighton partners to advance their joint research interests, submitting grant applications, co-authored journal articles, leading informative workshops for colleagues and postgraduates, and exploring student exchanges between countries. We look forward to the outcomes of these continuing collaborations.

Global Fellow: Professor Samuel A Chambers, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA  (centre left)

University of Brighton academic: Professor Mark Devenney   (right)

Research into the politics of finance and contemporary capitalism through the understudied form of the derivative enabled this fellowship to explore the global challenge themes of equality and inclusivity.

Global Fellow: Professor Alexies Dagnino, University of Valparaiso, Chile (left)

University of Brighton academic: Dr Melanie Flint (right)

Addressing the global challenge of improving health and wellbeing, this fellowship focused on investigating the links between stress and disease to evaluate whether stress resilience can modulate the development of cancer metastasis.

Global Fellow: Dr Massimo Mirandola, Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Sexual Health and Vulnerable Populations based at Verona University Hospital, Italy (right)

University of Brighton academic: Professor Nigel Sherriff (left)

The fellowship helped to facilitate the development of a multi-country survey protocol focusing on LGBT populations and professionals working in the field of mental health and the submission of a significant proposal on sexual health and vulnerable populations.

Global Fellow: Professor Rebecca M Brown, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA (left)

University of Brighton academic: Dr Claire Wintle   (right)

This fellowship developed a programme focused on revolutionising public access to storehouses of museums and archives, investigating new approaches to open, accessible, sustainable and dynamic storage spaces.

Applications invited

Applicants must be an established researcher with a world-leading reputation in their specialised field and either hold a permanent, salaried position at a non-UK institution (e.g. university, government, public or private sector, charity, social enterprise), or be active as a self-employed researcher or practitioner. They should demonstrate a strong interest in collaborating with University of Brighton researchers and in enriching the University’s intellectual environment. It is expected that applications to this scheme aim to form a new collaborative partnership with the University of Brighton.

We particularly encourage applications from those with protected characteristics and from Minority Ethnic groups. If there are special circumstances related to taking up the Fellowship, please contact RaKEInitiatives@brighton.ac.uk to arrange a discussion in confidence to see if we can help further, including with access or care.

Further information about conditions, expectations, eligibility, visa and insurance requirements, how to apply and selection for the 2023/2024 round is supplied for information in the table below.

Conditions

Global Fellows will be expected to engage with members of one or more of our Centres of Research and Knowledge Exchange Excellence and our postgraduates during their Fellowship. The Fellowships take place between 1 January and 31 July 2023 and should last between one and three months. To maximise the benefits of the Global Fellowship, we expect Fellows to spend at least one month in person at the University of Brighton, although we will consider reasonable plans for online collaborations and research activities. Applicants not available during the time outlined should consider applying in a future round of the scheme.

The University provides all Global Fellows with:

up to £3000 for research-related costs (£4000 for applicants from low- and middle-income countries [see list here]). This research budget will be managed by your University of Brighton collaborator in line with University of Brighton financial regulations and costing systems. It may be possible to use some of this budget to provide help with extra accommodation and food costs while the Fellow is living in Brighton.
travel costs for one journey in economy between the Fellow’s home country and the UK, booked by a University of Brighton colleague using the University-approved travel agent.
access to University computing and library facilities.

The University cannot offer a buy-out for teaching at the home institution. Applicants will usually be on a sabbatical or research leave, or indicate a time when they are free during the year.

Expectations

We ask each Global Fellow to interact closely with their University of Brighton collaborator and colleagues in our Centres of Research and Knowledge Exchange Excellence to deliver the following four outputs during their fellowship:

production of a new grant application either as a Co-investigator or Project Partner that will be submitted by 31 December 2024;
production of a new co-authored output or co-produced artefact that is completed by 31 December 2024;
leading at least two ‘meet the expert’ workshops for our postgraduate research students where research skills and experience can be shared; and
providing one workshop for our Centres of Research and Knowledge Exchange Excellence that provokes a discussion on research challenges and opportunities.

We would expect all Global Fellows to seek to develop long-term and sustained collaborations with University of Brighton colleagues after completion of their fellowship.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

be based outside the UK 
hold a permanent, salaried position at a non-UK institution, (e.g. within university, government, public or private sector, charity or social enterprise), or be active as a self-employed researcher or practitioner.
be an established researcher with a world-leading reputation in their specialised field
 demonstrate a strong interest in collaborating with University of Brighton researchers and in enriching the University’s intellectual environment 
ensure they satisfy the necessary visa requirements and have the appropriate insurance cover health insurance cover – please check the visa and insurance requirements section.

Visa and insurance requirements

Visa requirements

Global Fellowship applicants are advised to refer to the UKVI website to check whether they will need a visa to undertake this Fellowship opportunity. The University of Brighton must ensure all our international visitors hold a visa which is appropriate for the purpose of their visit to the UK. Under the Global Fellowship scheme, the appropriate visa will be an Academic Visitor Visa (under the Standard Visitor visa rules) if applicable. The rules provide that an academic visitor may:

take part in formal exchange arrangements with UK counterparts
share knowledge and experience
take part in conferences and seminars
provide a one-off or short series of talks and speeches.

If you need assistance from the University of Brighton regarding your visa, once your invitation letter has been issued, view our visa and immigration information online and contact the Visa Team. No correspondence from the University of Brighton, other than where specified, should be used in support of a visa application. Further details on eligibility requirements and details about Standard Visitor visas can be found at here on the Home Office website.

Insurance

It is a standard expectation that the home institution/employer will provide insurance cover for any Global Fellow during their visit; applicants must confirm that they have the appropriate cover and are liable for any loss or damage to any University of Brighton equipment while in their control. Please ensure that the levels of insurance are appropriate to cover the activities being undertaken during the Global Fellowship. Advice on insurance can be sought from our Insurance Team, who can be contacted at Insurance@brighton.ac.uk.

How to apply

Applications must be received by 15 November 2023 at 23.59 (GMT). Decisions will be communicated in December 2023. The Global Fellowship may start anytime from 1 January 2023, should last between one and three months, but must be completed by 31 July 2023.

All Global Fellowship applications must be made through the University of Brighton collaborator who is a research-active member of staff at the University of Brighton. The University of Brighton collaborator should obtain a copy of the application form and email RaKEInitiatives@brighton.ac.uk to notify the team about their intention to share. The full application should be completed by the Fellow but submitted by the University of Brighton collaborator and consists of:

completed application form
CV (maximum of four pages)
list of relevant publications (maximum of two pages). Please include links to digital publications and/or artefacts, if relevant
written letter from a senior line manager in the non-UK institution that states their agreement for the applicant to take up the Fellowship.

The University of Brighton collaborator will be responsible for ensuring the application fits the required format and criteria, is costed appropriately, and is supported by their Associate Dean (Research and Knowledge Exchange). The University of Brighton collaborator will also be responsible for induction at the University and ensuring access to suitable desk space and completion of an IT Account Registration Form.

Selection

A panel will assess appllications using the following criteria:

• alignment and fit to the Global Fellowship scheme

• excellence and novelty of the work programme proposed for the Fellowship

• strength of integration with a Centre of Research and Knowledge Exchange Excellence

• capacity to introduce global networks to University of Brighton researchers

• plan to share expertise with colleagues and postgraduates.

We aim to communicate decisions in December 2023. Please note that it will not be possible to provide detailed feedback for unsuccessful applicants. The Global Fellowship may start any time from 1 January 2024, but must be completed by 31 July 2024.

Any questions?

Questions about the Fellowship scheme, procedures and outcomes should be emailed to RaKEInitiatives@brighton.ac.uk.