The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship places a mid-career specialist at the British Library in London for 12 months. The British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office co-fund it through Chevening.
The fellow leads a research project with the Library’s interim Head of Asian and African Studies: surveying the Coptic holdings, improving catalogue records, tracing provenance, and running events with Coptic communities, including the London Diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Benefits & funding
- Living expenses for the 12 months, plus a return economy airfare.
- An allowance package for fellowship-related activities.
- Up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses.
- The FCDO cannot help arrange travel to the UK, including from Palestine; fellows book their own route, possibly through third countries.
- Fellows must return to their country of citizenship for at least one year afterwards.
Eligibility
- Citizens of Egypt, Palestine or Sudan.
- Normally resident in one of those three; citizens living in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia or Yemen may also apply.
- A postgraduate qualification, or equivalent relevant professional training or experience.
- At least five years of professional and/or academic research experience.
- Currently employed, or a PhD candidate at a university outside the UK, EU and USA.
- Excellent Coptic (Sahidic or Bohairic) and good written and spoken English.
- Experience cataloguing and handling manuscripts, provenance research (or a clear interest in it), and heritage-community engagement.
- Not British or dual British; no UK Government scholarship in the past five years.
- No HM Government, British Council or sponsoring-university employment, your own or a relative’s, within the past two years.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Egypt · Palestine · Sudan
Residence required
Egypt · Sudan · Palestine · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Lebanon · Libya · Morocco · Syria · Tunisia · Yemen
Experience required
≥ 5 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Check Chevening’s standard fellowship criteria and this programme’s extra requirements.
- 2Apply in Chevening’s online portal under your country of citizenship; that choice sets where the application is processed and where a shortlisted candidate is interviewed, and no proof of that citizenship means disqualification.
- 3Submit by 27 October 2026, 12:00 UTC.
Program timeline
Application deadline (12:00 UTC)
Oct 27, 2026
Fellowship starts at the British Library
September 2027
Fellowship ends
September 2028