Durham University Sir William Luce Fellowship 2027

The Sir William Luce Memorial Fund committee welcomes applications for the 2027 Sir William Luce Fellowship, 26 April - 25 June 2027.

The Sir William Luce Fellowship is awarded annually to a scholar at post-doctoral level, diplomat, politician, academic or business executive, working on those parts of the Middle East to which Sir William Luce devoted his working life (the Gulf monarchies, Yemen, Iran, Sudan, and South Sudan). The fellow is hosted by Durham University during the Easter term of each academic year. Recent fellows have included Mark Katz, Edward Thomas, Helen Lackner, Richard Barltrop, Ambassador John W. Limbert, Dr Altea Pericoli and Professor Simon Smith.The Fellowship, tenable jointly in the Institute for Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies and Trevelyan College, entitles the holder to full access to departmental and other University facilities such as Computing and Information Services and the University Library.

The Fellow will deliver the 2027 Sir William Luce Lecture, based on their research conducted while holding the fellowship. This will subsequently be published online by the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies as part of its Durham Middle East Papers series.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineOctober 7, 2026
• Study LevelPostdoctoral Fellowships
• SponsorDurham University
• City to studyLondon
• School to studyDurham University
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• The Fellowship covers the cost of travel to and from Durham as well as accommodation and all meals for the duration of the Fellowship.
• Fellows normally reside at Trevelyan College and are encouraged to take a full part in the life of the Senior Common Room during their residence. This might include, for example, giving an informal seminar or lecture to Fellows and Students of the college.
• A small honorarium of £1,000 is paid to the Fellow on submission and receipt of the final paper for publication.

Requirements

• The Committee seek to appoint a Fellow whose work might offer, for example, fresh perspectives on political, social, economic and security issues in the area comprising Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, the Gulf monarchies, and Iran.
• These perspectives might be historical or contemporary in their disciplinary focus. Fellows are expected to engage with academic staff at Durham and with the distinctive resources available at Durham - The Sudan Archive and the extensive documentary and library collections relating to the MENA region and Gulf in particular.
• The fund also makes available limited funds for the successful applicant to visit the Luce papers held at the Gulf Studies Centre at Exeter University.

Check also:
Free Ongoing Fully Funded Scholarships Guide 2026 (Download Now)

Application Deadline

How To Apply

Applicants for the 2027 Fellowship should send a CV (of no more than two pages), and a two to three-page outline of their proposed research and contact details for two referees, preferably by e-mail, by Wednesday 7 October 2026 to:

• [email protected]

For more information, kindly visit Durham University scholarship webpage.