About this opportunity
The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship is co-funded by the British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and it is open to mid-career professionals from Egypt, Palestine and Sudan who care about Coptic manuscript heritage and cultural collections.
The British Library holds one of the world's most significant collections of Coptic manuscripts, comprising hundreds of complete and fragmentary codices as well as papyrus, parchment and paper fragments that document more than 1,500 years of Coptic history, theology and literary culture. Much of it remains difficult to discover because a comprehensive overview of the holdings has never been produced. That is the gap this fellowship exists to work on.
As a fellow you work closely with Dr Michael Erdman, Head of Asian and African Studies (interim), leading a research project that uses your language skills, subject expertise and professional experience. You will survey the British Library's Coptic holdings, enhance catalogue records, investigate collection provenance, and develop new opportunities for public and community engagement.
The fellowship lasts 12 months and runs from September 2027 to September 2028. It covers living expenses for the duration, return economy airfare, an allowance package for fellowship-related activities and up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses. Applications are open until 27 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC.
What you receive
- A 12 month period of project-based activity at the British Library from September 2027 to September 2028
- Living expenses covered for the duration of the fellowship
- Return economy airfare
- An allowance package for fellowship-related activities
- Up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses
- Experience working with one of the world's leading research libraries and cultural heritage institutions
- Specialist experience in manuscript cataloguing, provenance research and collections documentation
- Practical experience planning and delivering community and public engagement around heritage collections
- A chance to increase your international academic and professional profile and to improve access to a globally significant collection
Who can apply
- Be a citizen of Egypt, Sudan or Palestine
- Normally be resident in one of those countries; citizens of those countries resident elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa region in Chevening eligible, ODA-eligible countries (Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen) may also apply
- Demonstrate a clear intention to return to and contribute to your country of citizenship after the fellowship, and return there for at least one year
- Have a postgraduate level qualification, or equivalent professional training or experience in a relevant area, at the time of application
- Have significant professional and/or academic research experience of at least five years
- Be currently employed or enrolled as a PhD candidate, noting that your PhD must not be with a university in the UK, EU or USA
- Have excellent knowledge of Coptic, Sahidic or Bohairic, with knowledge of Arabic and/or Greek desirable
- Have good written and spoken English and the ability to communicate research findings effectively
- Have experience of cataloguing and handling manuscript collections, with knowledge of manuscript description standards
- Have experience of provenance research and documentation, or a demonstrable interest in this area
- Have experience of working with heritage communities or delivering engagement activities related to cultural heritage collections
- Meet the wider Chevening eligibility rules for fellowships
Who should not apply
- Citizens of countries other than Egypt, Sudan and Palestine are not eligible for this fellowship
- PhD candidates registered with a university in the UK, EU or USA are not eligible
- Applicants who cannot commit to returning to their country of citizenship for at least one year are not eligible
Documents to prepare
- A completed Chevening online application for this fellowship
- Details of your academic qualifications, including your postgraduate level qualification or equivalent professional training or experience
- Your employment and research history, showing at least five years of professional or academic research experience
- A research proposal or statement of how you would work with the British Library's Coptic collections
- Names and details of your referees as required by the Chevening application
How to apply
- Check the general Chevening fellowship eligibility rules before you begin
- Start an application in the Chevening application system at https://asams.chevening.org/
- Complete the sections on your background, qualifications, employment and research experience, and your proposed work with the Coptic collections
- Submit before the deadline of 27 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC
- Read the full fellowship brief at https://www.chevening.org/fellowship/chevening-british-library-coptic-collections-fellowship/ and the guidance at https://www.bl.uk/
Selection process
- Applications are screened against the Chevening fellowship criteria and the specific requirements of this fellowship
- Shortlisted candidates progress through the Chevening selection process, which may include an interview
- Successful fellows take up the fellowship from September 2027 and complete it by September 2028
Sources and verification
Questions applicants ask
Who can apply?
Mid-career professionals who are citizens of Egypt, Sudan or Palestine, normally resident there, or resident in another Chevening eligible ODA-eligible country in the Middle East and North Africa region.
What does the fellowship cover?
Living expenses for 12 months, return economy airfare, an allowance package for fellowship-related activities, and up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses.
Do I need to know Coptic?
You need excellent knowledge of Coptic, Sahidic or Bohairic. Knowledge of Arabic and/or Greek is desirable.
Is there help arranging travel?
No. The FCDO is unable to assist with arranging or facilitating travel to the UK, including from Palestine, so successful fellows arrange their own travel, potentially through third countries.
Is there an application fee?
No. Applications are made free of charge through the Chevening application system.
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