Fellowship•Remote

The LEGO Foundation Fellowship

Funding

Grant

Program dates

Feb 1, 2027 – Dec 31, 2029

The LEGO Foundation Fellowship is a research fellowship run by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in partnership with the LEGO Foundation. It supports up to 10 early- and mid-career researchers whose work generates evidence on how children develop and thrive, spanning disciplines from education and psychology to public health, data science, and humanitarian studies. Each fellow receives three years of flexible funding administered through their home university or research institute, alongside membership in a community of peer scholars engaged in exchange with research, policy, and practice audiences. The inaugural fellowship period runs from February 2027 through December 2029.

Benefits & funding

  • USD 300,000 in total funding over three years, inclusive of 15% indirect costs.
  • Funds may cover research personnel, professional travel, equipment, dissemination, trainee support, and related project costs.
  • The award is made to and administered by the fellow’s host university or research institute.
  • Membership in a cohort of up to 10 fellows and a community of scholars for peer exchange.

Eligibility

  • Hold a PhD or equivalent research doctorate by July 31, 2026 (an MD/MBBS or equivalent can count as an equivalent research doctorate).
  • PhD received no earlier than January 1, 2016 — i.e. early- and mid-career, roughly within ten years post-PhD; documented career breaks add six months plus one day per break to that window.
  • Must be employed by a university or research institute at the start of the fellowship; the award is administered by that institution.
  • Open to applicants from any country, with the exception of countries subject to EU or US sanctions.
  • Individual applicants only — no research teams.
  • Research must align with one of the fellowship’s themes on how children thrive.

Application process

  1. 1
    Submit the online application through the SSRC application portal.
  2. 2
    Provide a CV (2-page limit), a 250-word research abstract, a 500-word personal statement, and a 5-page research proposal.
  3. 3
    Include the required budget templates and a 2-page bibliography.
  4. 4
    Applications are screened by a review committee, then finalists are selected by the LEGO Foundation; applicants are informed of their status in November 2026.

Program timeline

  1. Applications open

    Jun 1, 2026

  2. Application deadline (11:59 PM EST)

    Jul 31, 2026

  3. Applicants informed of their status

    2026-11

  4. Fellowship period begins

    Feb 1, 2027

  5. Fellowship period ends

    Dec 31, 2029